IFTA 2012 Awards Ceremony to Celebrate Ireland’s Screen Talent
Ireland's finest screen creative talent will gather this weekend in Dublin, Saturday 11th of February 2012, for the 9th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards celebrations, taking place at the spectacular Convention Centre Dublin (CCD).
The President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins will lead the celebrations, showcasing the
world-class standard of work produced by Ireland's creative artists over the past twelve months. Broadcasting primetime on Irish television, RTÉ One at 9.40pm, IFTA 2012 will see Ireland's directors, writers, actors, craftspeople and television programme makers in attendance.
Among the guests confirmed so far to attend are Brendan Gleeson (The Guard), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids, The Crimson Petal and The White), Brenda Fricker (Albert Nobbs), Emmy nominated Brían F. O'Byrne (Mildred Pierce, Prime Suspect), Stephen Rea (Underworld Awakening), Ruth Negga (Shirley, Misfits), Maria Doyle Kennedy (Corp + Anam, Albert Nobbs), Liam Cunningham (The Guard), Emmett J. Scanlan (Charlie Casanova), Amy Huberman (Stella Days), Brendan O'Carroll (Mrs Brown's Boys), Antonia Campbell Hughes (The Other Side of Sleep), Colin Morgan (Merlin), Martin McCann (The Pacific, Titanic Blood & Steel), Charlene McKenna (RAW), Keith McErlean (RAW), Olivia Tracey (Agnes Browne), Allen Leech (Downton Abbey), Marcella Plunkett (Stella Days), Denise McCormack (Love/Hate), Diarmuid de Faoite (Corp + Anam), Aoife Duffin (Behold the Lamb), Bronagh Gallagher (Albert Nobbs), Leigh Arnold (Charlie Casanova) and David Pearse (Trivia).
The Irish Academy will host prominent talent behind the screen at IFTA 2012 including Oscar nominated Irish filmmakers Terry George (The Shore) and Jim Sheridan (Dream House); BAFTA nominated writer/director John Michael McDonagh (The Guard), Emmy nominated director Thaddeus O'Sullivan (Stella Days, Into the Storm), Rebecca Daly (The Other Side of Sleep), Terry McMahon (Charlie Casanova), David Caffrey (Love/Hate), Daniel O'Hara (Being Human), and guest BIFA nominated UK director Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes). In addition, leading Irish Costume Designers Consolata Boyle (The Iron Lady), Joan Bergin (Camelot, The Tudors) and Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh (Neverland, The Guard) and cinematographers Seamus McGarvey (We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Avengers), Robbie Ryan (Wuthering Heights, Red Road) and Peter Robertson (Waterways, West is West) will attend the ceremony.
Veteran Irish actress Fionnula Flanagan (Some Mother's Son, The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, LOST) is to receive Lifetime Achievement Award from the Irish Academy on the night.
The Irish Film & Television Awards will also welcome international guests including Irish/American actress Dana Delany who is travelling from Los Angeles especially for the event. Known to television audiences for her recurring-role as Katherine Mayfair in Desperate
Housewives, the Golden Globe nominated and Emmy winning actress is star of numerous television series' such as China Beach and Body of Proof, and feature films including Tombstone, Fly Away Home and House Sitter. Dana was born in New York with her ancestors hailing from Co. Laois and Donegal. Speaking about her visit to Ireland next week she said:
"I am very excited about coming to the IFTAs. Ireland has a long history of beautiful storytelling and it should be celebrated. It would be a thrill to work in Ireland someday, either on stage or film."
CSI New York star A.J. Buckley will travel from his base in Los Angeles to announce the winner of a key Award on the night. A.J. plays technical investigator Adam Ross on the hit CBS drama. The actor/producer was born in Dublin in 1978 and immigrated to Canada with his family at the age of five.
Presenting another top IFTA at the 2012 Awards is four-time Golden Globe nominated and Primetime Emmy winning actor Armand Assante, who is known for his portrayal of a chilling mafia don in the 1996 classic Gotti; his starring turn in sci-fi feature film Judge Dredd alongside Sly Stallone; and his performance in Ridley Scott's award winning crime feature American Gangster. Assante is an Irish/American actor whose late mother's family came from Co. Cork. Speaking about his visit to Ireland Armand said
"My Mother's family hails from County Cork and she came from a large family that mostly still reside in New York. The fact that she just passed away just a few months ago at 90 makes this trip to Ireland very personal for me, in fact I am wondering if she arranged for me to be there, as she absolutely was mad for Ireland and had very deep and lasting relationships with her friends from there."
Familiar Irish faces will also attend IFTA 2012 to celebrate with their Irish industry colleagues with guests including Jimmy Deenihan TD Minister for Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht; Pat Rabbitte TD Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources; The Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy; MTV's Laura Whitmore; Prime Time anchor Miriam O'Callaghan; stars of Ireland's The Voice Kathryn Thomas, and Bressie; leading broadcasters Gay Byrne and Pat Kenny; TV3's The Apprentice's Bill Cullen & Jackie Lavin; TG4 host Máire Treasa Ní Dhubhghaill; Fair City's Aoibheann McCaul and Aoibhin Garrihy, popular Irish comedian Barry Murphy, TV3 fashion guru Lisa Fitzpatrick and Celebrity Come Dine with Me winner Roz Purcell.
Speaking ahead of the 9th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards this weekend, IFTA Chief Executive Áine Moriarty said:
"After long months of planning, it's hard to believe IFTA 2012 is finally upon us. Despite economic setbacks, we can be proud of our Irish creative talent who continue to deliver world class production, entertaining audiences both at home and around the world. The 9th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards promises to be a terrific evening of entertainment for the viewers at home, and a very special night of celebration for the 2012 nominees and Ireland's film and television industry."
Watch the 9th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards at 9.40pm on RTÉ One on Saturday 11 February 2012.