Irish film making talent was honoured at the annual Irish Film Awards that took place at London’s Century Club on Shaftesbury Avenue recently.
The awards, taking place at the London venue for the first time, follows the annual Irish Film Festival London every year.
The ceremony was presented by actor and comedian Derek Murphy.
There was also a speech from Orla McBreen from The Irish Embassy in London.
Best Feature Film went to the Irish language heist drama, Aontas.
Best Documentary went to Testimony, Aoife Kelleher’s film about the Justice for Magdalenes campaign.
The Suil Eile Award for Outstanding Contribution to Irish film making went to Brenda Fricker whose career includes winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for My Left Foot.
The Ros Hubbard Award for Acting went to Niamh McCormack whose credits include Small Town, Big Story and House of Guinness.
Best Short Film went to Oliver McGoldrick’s Three Keenings.
Damian McCann’s Aontas stars Carrie Crowley and Brid Brennan and centres around a robbery at a rural credit union.
Producer Christopher Myers said: “I’m delighted.
“Everybody associated with the film is going to be delighted with this award. Can’t wait to tell the cast.
“It’s just amazing for Aontas the film.
“There were so many great films at the film festival and yet they chose to honour us. We’re just overwhelmed.”
On the wide appeal of Irish language cinema Christopher said: “The film has been in Germany.
“It played at the Shanghai Film Festival.
“It’s been lucky enough to win three awards for best feature in California.
“Irish language film is welcome wherever it goes.
“If the filmmaking is great, the storytelling is great, Irish language films are just going to land brilliantly everywhere so let’s make more of them.”
“People want to hear the Irish language.
“It’s growing.
“Year on year more people are speaking it and learning it but also what people are understanding and want to be hearing but want to be connected with Irish culture.
“But also for me personally, it was about the talent: This cast, the director, the writers.
“When there’s talent that good, these films will be accepted anywhere.
“Kneecap travelled the globe.
“An Cailin Ciuin was an Oscar nominee so I think we’re in a place where everyone’s delighted to see what’s next.
“I think it’s got a very strong future.
“Thank you to the Irish Film Festival London for programming our film and thank you for honouring us.”
Aoife Kelleher’s Testimony chronicles the fight for justice of survivors of the Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes.
Madeleine Marvier, a survivor who contributed to Testimony, said: “I’m speechless.
“It was a beautiful evening.
“But also we’re forgetting about the mothers that died, that committed suicide because of their experience which I did three times but thanks to the National Health, they saved me.
“It is the mothers that are still alive that are frightened, too frightened to divulge one piece of information about where they were.
“They’re still frightened.
“They never got married, never had children.
“They’re living a silent life and it’s these mothers we need to have come forward.”
Producer Farah Abushwesha added: “I think it’s just really important for people like Madeleine to have their voice and talk about their children and talk about the fact that these children were stolen from them, people’s lives and childhoods were stolen from them and they’re still looking for answers. It’s so wrong so everything that elevates this film and their voices, their testimony, is really important so awards like this mean such a lot particularly because it speaks to the Irish diaspora and the Irish that are living here now.
“It’s not just about the Magdalene Laundries.
“There’s the industrial schools.
“There’s so many crimes.
“There’s the children that were stolen off the streets.
“There are many other stories like this during this dark, dark period of our history that people have turned their back on.
“There are people that still deny that this existed.
“It is our history, albeit a dark one but there’s a very hopeful side to the film which the judges acknowledged.”
Jane Libberton, whose mother was Philomena Lee whose story was documented in the film starring Steve Coogan and Dame Judi Dench, said: “I’ve been involved in this world for over 20 years but Farah and Aoife and Rachel (Lysaght, writer and producer) have done such an amazing job of telling the whole story of Mother and Baby homes, Magdalene institutions, the Irish government, the Irish church, all of those things are encompassed in the documentary and it’s a really good thing for people who don’t know about these things.
“My son watched it the other day with us and even though he’s known about my mum and her story and all of that for 20 years, he said he learned so much and that’s what I think is a really good thing about the documentary.”
Niamh McCormack, winner of the Ros Hubbard Award for Acting, said: “It’s an honour.
“So many amazing actors were nominated and to be in a room full of incredible Irish creators, it’s an honour.
“I think this is what you dream about being from Ireland and being recognized as being an Irish artist so I hope I can wave the flag for the future.”
Niamh follows other winners of the award such as Daryl McCormack, Eanna Hardwicke, Alison Oliver, Chris Walley and Alex Murphy.
“Great company to be in and they’re lovely lads.
“I think as a young actor you are just tremendously excited to be in that same category.
“They’re doing incredible things.”
Niamh is also part of exciting things such as House of Guinness on Netflix and Chris O’Dowd’s Small Town, Big Story.
“I think these things take a lot of time to actually come out in the end so you have a lot of time to process them but it’s lovely to be able to hear people’s opinion and that people enjoy the show.
“To be here tonight and celebrating with such incredible Irish artists is really, really special for me.”
Asked what was next Niamh said: “I’m doing my first play.
“I’m at the Gaiety.
“I’m starring in The Crucible, directed by Andrew Flynn, which will be incredible.
“Definitely a challenge.
“I’ve never done anything on stage before but it’s a challenge I’m definitely up for and The Crucible is such an iconic play by Arthur Miller.
“I love anything witchy.
“We’ve got Charlene McKenna and Adam Rothenberg in there, incredible people to share a stage with and I can’t wait to learn a lot from them.
“I’m really excited.
“What’s beautiful about this this job is no two acting roles are the same and I think you continue to learn from every role.
“I’m very excited for this chapter to go into the stage world and to take my craft very seriously.
“I think as an actor doing stage is another level of craft so I’m very excited.”
Niamh says she learns on each job and looking forward said: “I think every role is taking you on a different journey.
“I’m really looking forward to see what the rest of my I guess career will hold. I’m very excited for it.”
Ros Hubbard said: “It felt wonderful to present it to Niamh McCormack tonight because she’s an exciting talent.
“I always forget it’s her I’m looking at, I think it’s actually the character.
“That’s why I chose her.
“She actually has this quality of stealing the scene without looking as if she’s even trying to steal it.
“She’s just there.
“It’s a really visible feeling quality that she has.”
Oliver McGoldrick, whose Three Keenings took Best Short Film, said: “It’s an honour to receive this award from the Irish Film Festival London. Support from your home audience means a lot and myself and the team are very grateful!”
