Chiwetel Ejiofor, Judi Dench Win Irish Academy Awards

Chiwetel Ejiofor won the best international actor award for 12 Years a Slave at this year’s Irish Film & Television Awards.

The 11th annual Irish Film & Television Awards, presented by the Irish Film & Television Academy, were dished out in Dublin April 5.

The international actress category was won by Judi Dench for her turn in Philomena, a film that won big at the Irish shindig, including a win in the best international film category ahead of 12 Years a Slave, Gravity and The Wolf of Wall Street.

The awards aim to celebrate the highest standard of Irish talent over the past 12 months and alongside the three specifically international categories are myriad Irish ones.

All of IFTA’s categories have been shortlisted by members of the Irish Film & Television Academy alongside a select jury panel of industry experts from around the world.

Academy CEO Aine Moriarty said the awards represent “a wonderful night of celebration for the Irish film and television industry, which continues to punch above its weight in terms of production values, creativity and entertainment.”

The evening’s highest accolade, best film, went to the blackly comic priestly dilemma of Calvary, which along with Byzantium and Philomena was the biggest winner, picking up three top awards.

Calvary also brought Brendan Gleeson the best actor nod for his role as the priest, while best script went to the film’s writer-director, John Michael McDonagh.

Neil Jordan beat McDonagh, Ruairi Robinson (The Last Days on Mars) and John Butler (The Stag) for best director, while Saoirse Ronan’s turn in Byzantium saw off Antonia Campbell-Hughes (3096 Days), Jane McGrath (Black Ice) and Kelly Thornton (Life’s a Breeze).

Winners of the main categories:

Film

Calvary (James Flynn, Chris Clark, Flora Fernandez Marengo, Octagon Films, Reprisal Films)

Film Director

Neil Jordan, Byzantium (Parallel Films and Number 9 Films)

Film Script

John Michael McDonagh, Calvary (Octagon Films and Reprisal Films)

Actor in a Lead Role, Film

Brendan Gleeson, Calvary (Octagon Films and Reprisal Films)

Actress in a Leading Role, Film

Saoirse Ronan, Byzantium (Parallel Films & Number 9 Films)

Actor in a Supporting Role, Film

Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave (Entertainment One)

Actress in a Supporting Role, Film

Sinead Cusack, The Sea (Samson Films)

International Film

Philomena

International Actor

Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave

International Actress

Judi Dench, Philomena

Drama in association with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland

The Fall (Stephen Wright, Allan Cubitt, BBC Northern Ireland, Artists Studio)

Director, TV Drama

Ian Fitzgibbon, Moone Boy (Grand Pictures, Baby Cow Productions, Hot Cod Productions & Sprout Pictures for Sky 1)

Script, Drama

Stuart Carolan, Love/Hate (Octagon Films)

Actor in a Leading Role, Television

Jamie Dornan, The Fall (BBC Northern Ireland and Artists Studio)

Actress in a Leading Role, Television

Eva Birthistle, Amber (Screenworks)

Actor in a Supporting Role, Television

Peter Coonan, Love/Hate (Octagon Films)

Actress in a Supporting Role, Television

Michelle Fairley, Game of Thrones (HBO)