This just in! IFTA have announced the nominees for their most coveted Rising Star award, the winner of which will be announced at the cermeony on February 9th. As per the folk at IFTA, this is a unique award that serves to highlight exceptional new and breakthrough talent working in all areas of the Irish film industry. The category nominees have been selected by a special jury and sponsored by the Irish Film Board.
The nominees are as follows:
Gerard Barrett (writer-director-editor-producer, Pilgrim Hill)
Lisa Barros D'sa & Glenn Leybourn (directors, Good Vibrations)
Ciaran Foy (director, Citadel)
Jack Reynor (actor, What Richard Did)
While each nominee is certainly worthy of such an honour, we've no qualms in saying who gets our vote; it's got to be Jack Reynor who stole our hearts in What Richard Did. So captivating was his breakthrough performance, it not only earned What Richard Did the Best Film title in etertainment.ie's annual awards earlier this year, it also caught the attention of those in the big leagues, working stateside. Currently, Jack is in New York working on Transformers 4 alongside Mark Wahlberg. No big deal, like. If that's not the perfect example of a budding star, we don't know what is.
Previous winners of the Rising Star Award include Saoirse Ronan who scooped it back in 2008 after her breakthrough performance in Atonement, Michael Fassbender in 2009 (he's certainly risen at this stage) and Domhnall Gleeson whose work on When Harvey Met Bob and Sensation was celebrated in 2011. Then there was Tomm Moore who received the award in 2010 for his Oscar nomianted feature animation, The Secret of Kells, and last year's winner, John Michael McDonagh, the man at the helm of The Guard.
Stay tuned to entertainment.ie during the IFTAs on February 9th, when the winners will be announced.
