The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD, has today hailed the latest amazing successes for the Irish film industry, following the announcement of Oscar nominees today.

Irish Film Board-supported productions have secured seven nominations, with Hot Press favourite Lenny Abrahamson (pictured) nominated for Best Director for Room.

Room and Brooklyn – which stars Saoirse Ronan – are both nominated in the category of Best Picture; Room’s Brie Larson and Brooklyn’s Saoirse Ronan are both nominated in the category of Best Actress in a Leading Role; while Emma Donoghue is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for Roomwhich she adapted from her own award-winning book. Nick Hornby is also nominated in this category for Brooklyn.

In addition to the Irish Film Board-funded films, there is further Irish success as Michael Fassbender (pictured) is nominated in the category of Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs. Dublin Writer/Director Benjamin Cleary has also been nominated for Best Live Action Short Film with Stutterer. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, part of which was filmed on Sceilg Mhicíl in Co. Kerry, has also been nominated in 5 categories.

“I am delighted to see so many Irish actors and filmmakers nominated for this year’s Academy Awards,” Minister Heather Humphries said. "The Irish Film Industry is on a roll at the moment, having enjoyed numerous award successes in recent months, thanks to the hard work, talent and dedication of those in the sector. These Oscar nominations further enhance our reputation in the film industry internationally.

"To be nominated for an Oscar is wonderful recognition from your peers in the entertainment and film industry of incredible talent and ability, and it is fantastic to see Irish talent receiving this recognition. I am sure that these nominations will give the entire film sector here a boost.

“As Minister, I have given film a high priority, and in the recent budget I secured further enhancements to incentives to make Ireland an even more competitive location for film internationally, with the increase in the cap on the Section 481 film tax relief to €70 millon. In addition, thanks to the improvement in the public finances, I was very pleased to announce an additional €500,000 in funding for the Irish Film Board at the end of 2015, the first increase in a number of years.

“As the economy continues to improve, I aim to further enhance the supports for the Irish film industry and I will continue to use every opportunity to promote Ireland as a location for film investment. These nominations mark a wonderful start to 2016, a year in which I hope the Irish film industry will continue to go from strength to strength, boosting the economy, creating jobs, and developing tourism. I would like to congratulate all of the Irish Oscar nominees and wish them the very best of luck for awards night.”