Normal People, Dating Amber, Smother, Wolfwalkers sweep IFTA nominations

BBC/Hulu drama Normal People, coming-of-age film Dating Amber and animated feature film Wolfwalkers have swept the nominations for the IFTA Film and Drama Awards 2021.

In all, there are 25 categories in this year's edition of the awards, with the winners set to be announced in a virtual ceremony on Sunday, July 4th.

Lenny Abrahamson reacted with delight at Normal People earning an impressive 15 nominations, topping the board this year:

"It's wonderful to see our extraordinarily talented cast and crew recognised by their peers in the Irish film industry with so many IFTA nominations.

"It’s a testament to everyone who worked on the show. I’m deeply grateful to them all for helping us bring Sally Rooney's brilliant novel to the screen."

Kildare actor Paul Mescal, who has earned a Best Actor nomination for his role as Connell Waldron, recently won a BAFTA for the same role in a category that included John Boyega (Small Axe), Josh O'Connor (The Crown), Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You), Shaun Parkes (Small Axe) and Waleed Zuaiter (Baghdad Central).

The series was a huge success when it premiered in April 2020, and made instant stars of its two leads, Daisy Edgar Jones and Mescal himself.

"I was fully not expecting to be here, so I have no clue what I am going to say," Mescal said in his acceptance speech. "I want to thank everyone at Hulu and the BBC. I want to thank every at Element. I want to thank Lenny (Abrahamson) for trusting me with this."

Mescal continued on to dedicate the award to Edgar-Jones, saying: "Daisy...is the best scene partner and one of the best people that I know."

Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe from Irish production company Element Pictures, who were also behind the drama Herself and documentary Breaking Out, said in a statement:

"We are very grateful to IFTA for recognising the incredible talent we have been so lucky to work with across two productions we are so proud of – Normal People and Herself.

"We are also delighted with the nomination for the wonderful documentary, Breaking Out, distributed by Element Pictures."

RTÉ drama Smother received 11 nominations while Dead Still were honoured with six.

Amazon Prime comedy Dating Amber received eight nominations in the film categories, including Best Film and Best Actor for Fionn O'Shea; and Herself received six, including both Best Actress for Clare Dunne and Best Script for Clare Dunne and her co-writer, Malcolm Campbell.

Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama.

Speaking on RTÉ One's Morning Ireland today, the Derry Girls actress said:

"Lovely news to wake up to. I mean it's amazing. It means so much to be recognised by the people from home. That's so important. It's a massive honour."

Kilkenny animation studio Cartoon Saloon, who helmed the critically-acclaimed movie Wolfwalkers, is following the success of its previously Oscar nominated flicks The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. The IFTA-nominated feature film was also nominated for an Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe.

IFTA CEO Áine Moriarty said we can expect "lots of surprises which will announce next week". She added that the awards is all "about supporting Irish films and promoting the fact that this industry is growing".

"There's great filming going on in Ireland at the moment - Disenchanted, Epic, and Cocaine Bear is filming next August as well. This industry is growing and it's bringing so much into the economy. So, hopefully, everyone's back in production and the cinemas are opening and a lot of light at the end of the tunnel, which is a fantastic thing for all of us here in Ireland."

The nominees in full:

Best Film

Broken Law
Dating Amber
Herself
Vivarium
Wildfire
Wolfwalkers

Director Film

Cathy Brady - Wildfire
David Freyne - Dating Amber
Lorcan Finnegan - Vivarium
Paddy Slattery - Broken Law
Tomm Moore & Ross Stewart - Wolfwalkers

Script Film

Cathy Brady - Wildfire
Clare Dunne & Malcolm Campbell - Herself
David Freyne - Dating Amber
Paddy Slattery - Broken Law
Will Collins - Wolfwalkers

Lead Actor Film

Ciarán Hinds - The Man in the Hat
Fionn O'Shea - Dating Amber
Gabriel Byrne - Death of a Ladies Man
Moe Dunford - Knuckledust
Tristan Heanue - Broken Law

Lead Actress Film

Clare Dunne - Herself
Jessie Buckley - I'm Thinking of Ending Things
Lola Petticrew - Dating Amber
Nika McGuigan - Wildfire
Nora-Jane Noone - Wildfire

Supporting Actor Film

Barry Ward - Dating Amber
Brian Gleeson - Death of a Ladies Man
Colm Meaney - Pixie
Conleth Hill - Herself
Ned Dennehy - Undergods

Supporting Actress Film

Ally Ní Chiaráin - Broken Law
Kathy Kiera Clarke - A Bend in the River
Molly McCann - Herself
Saoirse Ronan - Ammonite
Sharon Horgan - Dating Amber

Best Drama

Blood Season 2
Dead Still
Line of Duty Season 6
Normal People
Smother
Vikings Season 6

Director Drama

Dathaí Keane - Smother
Dearbhla Walsh - Fargo
Imogen Murphy - Dead Still
Lenny Abrahamson - Normal People
Steve St. Leger - Vikings Season 6

Script Drama

Declan Lawn & Adam Patterson - The Salisbury Poisonings
John Morton - Dead Still
Kate O'Riordan - Smother
Lisa McGee - The Deceived
Sally Rooney - Normal People

Lead Actor Drama

Adrian Dunbar - Line of Duty Season 6
Brendan Gleeson - The Comey Rule
James Nesbitt - Bloodlands
Michael Smiley - Dead Still
Paul Mescal - Normal People

Lead Actress Drama

Aisling Franciosi - Black Narcissus
Catherine Walker - The Deceived
Dervla Kirwan - Smother
Eve Hewson - Behind Her Eyes
Niamh Algar - Raised by Wolves

Supporting Actor Drama

Andrew Scott - His Dark Materials
Colm Meaney - Gangs of London
Desmond Eastwood - Normal People
Éanna Hardwicke - Smother
Fionn O'Shea - Normal People

Supporting Actress Drama

Fiona Shaw - Killing Eve
Gemma-Leah Devereux - Smother
Nicola Coughlan - Bridgerton
Sarah Greene - Normal People
Seána Kerslake - Smother

Feature Documentary

Breaking Out
Finding Jack Charlton
Henry Glassie: Field Work
Phil Lynott: Songs for While I'm Away
The 8th
Tomorrow is Saturday

Short Film

Five Letters to the Stranger Who Will Dissect My Brain
Flicker
Kathleen Was Here
My Other Suit Is Human
Rough
The Invisible Boy

Short Animation

Gunter Falls in Love
Her Song
The Dead Hands of Dublin
The Voyage
Zog and the Flying Doctors

Cinematography

Cathal Watters - Smother
Ciarán Tanham - Dead Still
James Mather - Here are the Young Men
Kate McCullough - Normal People
Suzie Lavelle - Normal People

Costume

Aisling Wallace Byrne - Here are the Young Men
Joan O'Clery - Dating Amber
Leonie Prendergast - Gretel & Hansel
Lorna Marie Mugan - Normal People
Triona Lillis - Smother

Editing

Colin Campbell - Here are the Young Men
Gráinne Gavigan - Dead Still
Nathan Nugent - Normal People
Tony Cranstoun - Vivarium
Úna Ní Dhonghaíle - Misbehaviour

Production Design

John Leslie - Son
Lucy van Lonkhuyzen - Normal People
Philip Murphy - Vivarium
Ray Ball - Sea Fever
Tamara Conboy - Herself

Sound

Aza Hand & Patrick Drummond - Son
Hugh Fox, Fionán Higgins & Mark Henry - Smother
Kieran Horgan & Brendan Rehill - Phil Lynott: Songs for While I'm Away
Patrick Drummond, Aza Hand, Katie O'Mahony & Adrian Conway - Here are the Young Men
Steve Fanagan, Niall Brady & Niall O'Sullivan - Normal People

Make Up & Hair

Jennie Readman & Niamh O'Loan - Vivarium
Linda Gannon Foster & Jennifer Hegarty - Dead Still
Linda Gannon Foster & Liz Byrne - Gretel & Hansel
Sandra Kelly & Sharon Doyle - Normal People
Siobhán Harper-Ryan - I Hate Suzie

Score

Aza Hand - Son
Colm Mac Con Iomaire - A Bend in the River
John McPhillips - Smother
Ray Harman - Blood Season 2
Stephen Rennicks - Normal People

VFX

Jim O'Hagan & Ed Bruce - WandaVision
Ed Bruce - Shadow and Bone
Ed Bruce - Kidding