The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) has announced the Screen Ireland – IFTA Rising Star Nominees for 2023, with the Winner to be announced at the 20th Anniversary IFTA Awards Ceremony on Sunday, May 7th.
Selected by a special jury, the Screen Ireland – IFTA Rising Star Award is a unique IFTA Award, in that it puts an international spotlight on Irish professionals who have not only honed their craft in the formative years of their careers but have also excelled in their respective fields. This would not be possible without the great work of Screen Ireland in financing Irish film production and creating opportunities for Irish writers, directors, actors, and crew.
Ireland has recently enjoyed a record-breaking year in terms of film and television production. The past year saw Irish directors, writers, producers, cast and crew create world-class stories that have engaged audiences around the globe.
The nominees for this year’s Rising Star Award are at the vanguard of the next wave of Irish Screen Talent, whose incredible work will keep Ireland at the forefront of the global screen industries.
The 2023 Nominees are:
Aoife McArdle (Director – Severance)
Danielle Galligan (Actor – Lakelands)
Daryl McCormack (Actor – Bad Sisters, Good Luck To You, Leo Grande)
Éanna Hardwicke (Actor – Lakelands)
Kathryn Ferguson (Director – Nothing Compares)
Previous winners of the Rising Star Award include Saoirse Ronan, Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, John Michael McDonagh, Sarah Greene, Gerard Barrett, Jamie Dornan, Aisling Franciosi, Stephen Fingleton, Tomm Moore, Patrick Gibson, Jacob McCarthy, Nicola Coughlan and Colm Bairéad; all of whom have gone on to garner recognition and accolades both in Ireland and internationally.
The Irish Academy is delighted to announce Ireland’s Rising Stars for 2023 in partnership with Screen Ireland. These five superb individuals are a true reflection of the brilliant new wave of Irish talent who are proving themselves to be world-class screen professionals.
This prestigious Award recognises excellence in their skill and achievement and bolsters the next exciting phase of their careers. Congratulations to each of them.
Áine Moriarty, Chief Executive – IFTA, Irish Film and Television Academy
Our huge congratulations to the Rising Star Award nominees announced today. Screen Ireland is proud to have sponsored the Rising Star category at the IFTAs since 2008 – and the award is an incredible showcase of the new voices and talent making waves across the Irish screen industry.
Each nominee is being recognised for their drive, vision and skill, both in front of and behind the camera, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.
Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive – Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland
THE SCREEN IRELAND – IFTA RISING STAR NOMINEES 2023
Aoife McArdle (Director – Severance)
Aoife grew up in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, studied English Literature at Trinity College Dublin, and completed a Masters in Film & TV Production at Bournemouth Film School. She has worked extensively in TV advertising and earlier this year she directed Adam Driver in Squarespace’s big-budget Super Bowl ad The Singularity. She has crafted distinct music videos for artists including U2, Coldplay, Bryan Ferry, James Vincent McMorrow, Simian Mobile Disco, and Bloc Party.
Aoife’s debut feature film Kissing Candice was IFTA nominated in 2018 for Ann Skelly’s lead performance. More recently, she worked as a director and producer on Apple TV+ drama Severance – starring Adam Scott, John Turturro and Patricia Arquette – which garnered her a Primetime Emmy nomination as producer and a Directors Guild of America nomination as director. She is nominated for Best Director (Drama) at the 2023 IFTA Awards.
Danielle Galligan (Actor – Lakelands)
Danielle is an actor from Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin. She studied Drama and Theatre studies at Trinity College Dublin and trained in Acting at The Lir Academy. She is best for her role as Nina Zenik in the Netflix series Shadow & Bone. Danielle has also appeared in TV series including Game of Thrones, Krypton, Kin, Obituary, The Great and Cold Courage and films including Who We Love. At the 2022 Galway Film Fleadh, she was awarded the Bingham Ray New Talent Award which she shared with her Lakelands co-star Éanna Hardwicke. Her credits on stage include All Honey and played the titular role in The Grimm Tale of Cinderella, Lyrics, We Can’t Have Monkeys in the House, and 12 Christmas Poems.
Danielle is nominated for Best Lead Actress at the 2023 IFTA Awards for Lakelands, which is also nominated for Best Film, Best Lead Actor and Best Original Music.
Daryl McCormack (Actor – Bad Sisters, Good Luck To You, Leo Grande)
Daryl grew up in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary and studied at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama. He made his television debut in RTÉ’s Fair City as Pierce Devlin in 2015. The same year, he played Romeo in a Gate Theatre production of Romeo & Juliet and starred as Othello at the Theatre Royal Waterford. He then made his West End debut in The Lieutenant of Inishmore in 2018. Daryl’s film and TV credits include Pixie, A Very English Scandal, Peaky Blinders, The Wheel of Time and upcoming projects The Tutor and The Woman in the Wall.
Daryl has two nominations at the 2023 IFTA Awards this year, for his lead performance in Good Luck To You, Leo Grande opposite Emma Thompson, and for his supporting role on Apple TV+ series Bad Sisters, created by Sharon Horgan. His performance as the titular Leo in Sophie Hyde’s film Good Luck To You, Leo Grande also earned him BAFTA and BIFA nominations.
Éanna Hardwicke (Actor – Lakelands)
Éanna is an actor from Cork, who began his career as a child actor in Conor McPherson’s 2009 film The Eclipse. After participating in youth theatre at the Gaiety School of Acting’s Cork campus, the National Association of Youth Drama, and the Cork School of Music, Éanna graduated with a BA in Acting from The Lir Academy in 2018. He appeared as Rob in the global sensation Normal People in 2020 and was IFTA nominated for his role on Smother in 2021. He has also appeared across film and TV in projects such as Vivarium, Fate: The Winx Saga, The Sparrow, About Joan and upcoming international titles The Doll Factory and The Sixth Commandment. At the 2022 Galway Film Fleadh, he was awarded the Bingham Ray New Talent Award which he shared with his Lakelands co-star Danielle Galligan.
Eanna is nominated for Best Lead Actor at the 2023 IFTA Awards for Lakelands, which is also nominated for Best Film, Best Lead Actress and Best Original Music.
Kathryn Ferguson (Director – Nothing Compares)
Kathryn is a director and writer from Belfast. After a decade focusing on short-form work centred on identity, gender politics and community, she premiered her first feature documentary Nothing Compares about Sinead O’Connor, at Sundance 2022. The film has won multiple awards, and Kathryn was awarded the BFI & Chanel Award for Creative Audacity for a first time feature director. Kathryn’s short films include Incredible Machines, The Greatest Luxury, Taking The Waters and Space To Be. As well as working as a documentary filmmaker, Kathryn works as a commercials and music video director with a range of clients including Nike, Selfridges, Girls Who Code, Amnesty International, Dove and Air France and artists such as Lady Gaga, Neneh Cherry and Villagers.
Nothing Compares is nominated for IFTA’s ‘George Morrison Feature Documentary Award’, as well as Best Editing and Best Original Music at the 2023 IFTA Awards.
THE IFTA AWARDS BROADCAST – SUNDAY MAY 7th
Deirdre O’Kane will host the 2023 IFTA Film & Drama Awards, which will be held on Sunday May 7th in the Dublin Royal Convention Centre.
Other Nominees across the IFTA Award Categories include the Best Film Nominees this year, which showcase an exciting lineup of Irish feature films.
Frank Berry’s moving Aisha stars Letitia Wright as a young Nigerian woman living in Direct Provision. The Banshees of Inisherin is Martin McDonagh’s warmly humourous dark comedy, set on a remote island in the west of Ireland. God’s Creatures stars Emily Watson and Paul Mescal, and strikingly tackles themes of abuse in a small-town community. The deeply affecting drama Lakelands focuses on a young midlands GAA player whose life is thrown into disarray by a sudden injury. In the hugely charming Irish-language Róise & Frank, a widow discovers she can still connect with her late husband via a stray dog. The Wonder is a haunting drama starring Florence Pugh, which follows an English nurse in 1862 caring for a young Irish girl who has stopped eating.
The Best Drama Nominees are Sharon Horgan’s all-star comedy thriller Bad Sisters; modern Dublin romance Conversations with Friends, adapted from the Sally Rooney novel; the special hour-long final episode of the hilarious Derry Girls, subtitled The Agreement; the gripping third series of Smother; darkly humorous family drama The Dry; and the second series of historical epic Vikings: Valhalla.
The IFTA Awards Ceremony is funded by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and also supported by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI). Screen Ireland works in partnership with the Irish Academy across the Rising Star Award each year.