Irish Film And Television Awards Announce Nominees

The Irish Film and Television Academy will welcome a stunning lineup of Irish and International talent stepping out onto the red carpet for the 5th Annual Irish Film and Television Awards at Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre on Sunday the 17 February.
With the gala ceremony just two weeks away, IFTA welcomes international guest presenters who will help celebrate the 5th anniversary of the IFTA ceremony and deliver top awards to this year’s winners. Proud of their Irish roots, the guest presenters will be familiar to their fans across the country through their roles on key International programmes and features broadcast on Irish television.
US actress Bo Derek, who was once described as the “most beautiful woman in the world”, will grace the red carpet on St. Stephen’s Green. Bo, who was born Mary Kathleen Collins, is a Golden Globe nominated actress and model. Bo will attend the ceremony with her long time partner John Corbett. The two actors will present an award together at the show which will be broadcast on RTE One Sunday night.
Irish-American actress and two time Oscar nominee Mary McDonnell (Dances with Wolves, Passion Fish) will present a top award at the IFTA ceremony. Mary currently stars as President Laura Roslin on Sci Fi Channel's Battlestar Galactica and her film and television career history also includes roles in Donnie Darko, Sneakers, Independence Day and the TV series ER.
Another gifted US actor flying into Dublin especially to attend the gala event is Kevin Dillon. Kevin, whose grandparents are Irish, has starred in movies including Platoon, The Doors and Poseidon.
The Awards ceremony will be hosted once again by Ryan Tubridy, currently enjoying record ratings for his Saturday evening show Tubridy Tonight.
This year celebrating the wealth of Irish talent will be an easy task. A plethora of Ireland’s finest filmmakers will attend the ceremony, having already been honoured by their peers with a prestigious nomination. The Irish Film and Television Awards is one of the few awards ceremonies that span both television and feature film achievements and is pleased to welcome shortlisted actors including; Jonathan Rhys Meyers; Colm Meaney; Pat Shortt; Elaine Cassidy; Anne Marie Duff; Hugh O’Conor; Brendan Conroy; Donal O’Kelly; Don Wycherley; Fionnula Flanagan; Maria Doyle Kennedy; Dawn Bradfield; Amy Huberman; Denis Conway and Gary Lydon; to the red carpet. Behind the camera, filmmakers in c! ontention for silverware include directors Lenny Abrahamson, Brian Kirk, Declan Recks, Tom Collins and Paddy Breathnach.
Other invited guests include top Irish actors Brendan Gleeson, Colin Farrell, David Kelly, last year’s Supporting Actor winner Liam Cunningham, 2007 Supporting Actress TV winner Ruth Bradley, Rome star Allen Leech and rising Irish actress Sarah Bolger (soon to be seen in The Spiderwick Chronicles).
A host of television favourites will be led by IFTA lifetime member Gay Byrne and will also include Sony Bravia TV Personality of the Year nominees Kathryn Thomas, Lorraine Keane, Paul Dempsey, Julian Simmons, Síle Ní Bhraonáin, Kathy Hoffman, Stephen Nolan and Michelle Doherty.
The IFTA Academy will shortly announce the inaugural Award for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema which will be presented to a world renowned filmmaker at the ceremony, now in this its 5th year.
For further information please contact the Irish Film & Television Academy.
www.ifta.ie
(DS)