Yesterday the Audi Dublin International Film Festival closed with the European premiere of Paddy Breathnach’s beautiful Spanish-language drama Viva. But before that the Dublin Film Critics Circle handed out their awards for the festival.
Viva picked up two awards, Best Irish Film and the inaugural George Byrne Maverick Award for writer Mark O’Halloran. The Critics bestowed the Michael Dwyer Discovery Award upon Sing Street lead actor Ferdia Walsh Peelo, with Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Oscar nominated Mustang named as Best Film. Risteard O Domhnaill’s Atlnatic picked up Best Irish Documentary.
Evolution director Lucile Hadžihalilovi?, who attended the Festival, won Best Director, with Best Cinematography going to Matyas Erdely for the Academy Award winning Son of Saul.
Best Actor went to Alex Lawther for Departure, withe Monica Bellucci winning Best Actress for Ville Marie. The jury also bestowed an Ensemble award on the cast of Green Room. Three Jury Awards were given out to Black Mountain Poets, Victoria, and Anomalisa.
[quote title=”Tara Brady – DFCC Chair”]2016 marks the DFCC’s tenth birthday and we can think of no better present this this year’s tremendous ADIFF programme. We hope everybody loves our award picks as much as we do. We’re especially pleased to hand over the inaugural George Byrne Maverick Award to Mark, who has greatly enlivened our national cinema by thinking, as George did, outside the box. Thanks as ever to all the heroic jurors: Nicola Timmons, Brogen Hayes, David Turpin, Paul Whitington, Donald Clarke, John Maguire and Daniel Anderson.[/quote]
Full List of Winners
Best Film: Mustang
Best Director: Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Evolution
Best Cinematography: Matyas Erdely, Son of Saul
Best Actor: Alex Lawther, Departure
Best Actress: Monica Bellucci, Ville Marie
Best Ensemble: Green Room
Best Screenplay: Jaco Van Dormael, Thomas Gunzig, The Brand New Testament
Best Documentary: Heart of a Dog
Best Irish Film: Viva
Best Irish Documentary: Atlantic
Jury Award: Black Mountain Poets
Jury Award: Victoria
Jury Award: Anomalisa
Michael Dwyer Discovery: Ferdia Walsh Peelo, Sing Street;
George Byrne Lifetime Achievement: Mark O’Halloran