THE IRISH Film & Television Academy (IFTA) has announced the Screen Ireland - IFTA Rising Star Nominees for 2022, with the winner to be announced at a virtual awards ceremony on Saturday 12 March.
Selected by a special jury, the Screen Ireland Rising Star Award is a unique IFTA Award, in that it puts an international spotlight on Irish professionals who have not only honed their crafts in the formative years of their career but have also excelled in their respective fields.
The 2022 nominees for the award are Benjamin Cleary, Colm Bairéad, Hazel Doupe, Kate Dolan and Sam Keeley.
Benjamin is an Oscar winning writer/director from Dublin. He has recently completed his feature debut Swan Song, which he wrote and directed, and which stars Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Glenn Close and Awkwafina.
Colm Bairéad is the writer/director of An Cailín Ciúin, his first feature film debut. The film had its world premiere at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival where it won The Grand Prix of the Generation Kplus International Jury for Best Film.
Hazel is an Irish Actress who can currently be seen in the central role of Char in Kate Dolan’s You Are Not My Mother, an Irish Folk-Horror, with the writer/director of the film also nominated for the award.
Finally, Same Keeley is an Irish actor who plays Eric 'Viking' Kinsella in the hit Irish-US co-production Kin. Keeley has a major role in the new dramatized retelling of Netflix hit Tiger King where he plays John Finlay, one of Joe Exotic's husbands, in the eight-part show for NBC, which also sees Kate McKinnon play Carole Baskin, and John Cameron Mitchell as Exotic.
Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland said:
"Huge congratulations to all the Rising Star nominees announced today. The nominees are all recognised for their strong creative vision, both in front of and behind the camera. Screen Ireland is proud to support the Rising Star Award, highlighting the incredible achievements of Irish screen talent, and look forward to the future work of all the nominees."
Previous winners of the Rising Star Award include Saoirse Ronan, Jamie Dornan, Domhnall Gleeson and Nicola Coughlan.
Deirdre O’Kane will host the 2022 IFTA Film & Drama Awards, which will be broadcast on Virgin Media One, at 8.30pm on Saturday 12 March.
