Jessie Buckley triumphed at the IFTA’s last night[Sunday] taking home two major awards for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.
Love/Hate’s Tom Vaughan-Lawlor and Fleabag’s Andrew Scott were also among the winners on the night, as well as Niamh Algar and The Fall’s Aisling Franciosi.
Sunday night’s Virtual IFTA Awards was the first of its kind on Irish TV - with stars such as Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan and Hollywood Director, Martin Scorsese linking in with host Deirdre O’Kane on Virgin Media One to present the accolades from all over the globe.
Ordinary Love won Best Film 2020, awarded by legendary movie maker Scorsese, along with Black ‘47, which he presented with the award for Best Film 2019.
He told the audience, “Little did we know what strange times lay ahead that we are witnessing now, and it appears to me that we are all having to reinvent cinema now, and that’s a good thing, it is.
“And there’s something about Ireland and Irish storytelling that is universal that connects with everyone in the world. John Ford knew that, and I know that”.
Kerry native Jessie Buckey, who won two awards on the night - Best Actress Film, for her work in Wild Rose, and Best Supporting Actress Drama for Chernobyl admitted her shock, saying: “Thank you so much, this is completely unexpected.
“I literally have just come in the front door, jumped in the shower and threw a dress on myself…this is all so overwhelming.
“Thank you, this is an honour. Fiona Shaw! What the hell! You were my idol in RADA, you amazing, amazing woman.”
She also took time to thank Adi Roche for her tireless work with the children of Chernobyl.
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor won Best Actor in Film and accepted the award from his living room couch with his wife and children.
Andrew Scott won Best Actor in a Drama for his role in Black Mirror: Smithereens and joined live from Dubrovnik.
Aisling Franciosi won the Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland Rising Star Award for her standout performance in The Nightingale.
Pierce Brosnan announced Niamh Algar as the winner of Best Supporting Actress in a Film for Calm with Horses and praised the increased representation of women on screen: “I got into acting because I wanted to bring representation to women on screen. And every female actress here tonight is doing that.
“And it makes me incredibly proud to be an Irish actress so thank you very much IFTA”.
Liam Neeson went on to share a special message to the Irish Screen industries saying: “I’m thinking of you all back home right now and I know we are going through hard times, cruel times.
“Many industries have been hurt, especially the film industry, but we will get through it; we must get through it.
“As a famous politician once said, ‘when you’re going through hell, keep going.'"
President Higgins also recorded a special message for those involved, reflecting on the progress made by the Irish film industry, paying tribute to the “creativity and ingenuity of those who work in the industry”.
Paul Mescal and co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones presented the awards for Best Short FIlm and Best Animated Short.
Mescal announced Welcome to a Bright White Limbo as this year’s winner.
The award for Best Animated Short went to The Dream Report.
There was also a world premiere as part of the ceremony with the video for The Blizzards’ new single One Good Thing making its debut.
Full list of winners
Winners of the IFTA Film & Drama Awards 2020
BEST FILM 2020 BEST FILM 2019
Ordinary Love Black ‘47
DIRECTOR FILM
Paddy Breathnach - Rosie
SCRIPTWRITER FILM
Mark O’Halloran - Rialto
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE - FILM
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor - Rialto
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE - FILM
Jessie Buckley - Wild Rose
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - FILM
David Wilmot - Ordinary Love
ACTRESS SUPPORTING ROLE - FILM
Niamh Algar - Calm with Horses
GEORGE MORRISON FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid
IRISH FILM BOARD RISING STAR
Aisling Franciosi
SHORT FILM – LIVE ACTION
Welcome to a Bright White Limbo
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
The Dream Report
DRAMA
Blood
DIRECTOR – DRAMA
Dearbhla Walsh - The Handmaid’s Tale
SCRIPTWRITER – DRAMA
Mark O’Rowe - Temple
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE - DRAMA
Andrew Scott - Black Mirror: Smithereens
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE - DRAMA
Niamh Algar - The Virtues
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - DRAMA
Mark O’Halloran - The Virtues
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - DRAMA
Jessie Buckley - Chernobyl
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Piers McGrail - Never Grow Old
COSTUME DESIGN
Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh - The Rhythm Section
EDITING
Mick Mahon - Gaza
MAKEUP & HAIR
Liz Byrne & Linda Gannon - Black ‘47
ORIGINAL MUSIC
Kíla - Arracht
PRODUCTION DESIGN
John Leslie - Never Grow Old
SOUND
Brendan Rehill, Alan Scully & Peter Blayney - Arracht
VFX
Ed Bruce & Nicholas Murphy - We Have Always Lived in the Castle
