BELFAST'S screen and acting talent was celebrating late into the night with a slew of gongs at the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) awards last night.
The movie Kneecap was the big winner with four awards, while West Belfast actors Anthony Boyle and Lola Petticrew were also big winners on the night. The horror Fréwaka by Belfast-based filmmaker Aislinn Clarke and the hard-hitting drama documentary The Flats about families living in the New Lodge also came away with awards.
The ceremony took place at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre and will be broadcast on RTE One tonight, Saturday, at 10.55pm.
The evening featured appearances by high-profile talent, including Cillian Murphy, Saoirse Ronan, Andrew Scott, Ruth Negga, Nicola Coughlan, Sharon Horgan, Kneecap, Liam Cunningham, Chris O’Dowd, Caitriona Balfe, Patrick Gibson and Alison Oliver, among many others.
Small Things Like These won the top award for Best Film, while Cillian Murphy, who won the Oscar for Best Actor last year, also took home the award for Actor in a Lead Role for his performance in the film, on which he was also a producer. Enda Walsh won Best Screenplay for adapting Claire Keegan’s acclaimed book.
West Belfast actor Anthony Boyle with his award
Saoirse Ronan was a big winner, taking home two awards for Actress in a Lead Role and Actress in a Supporting Role for her roles in The Outrun and Blitz, respectively.
Irish language hit Kneecap was a big winner across categories including Best Director for filmmaker Rich Peppiatt; as well as Costume Design; Editing and the award for Casting, which was presented to Carla Stronge, in the first year of the awards celebrating Irish Casting Directors.
West Belfast actor Anthony Boyle, breakout star of Say Nothing and Masters of the Air, was announced as the 2025 Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland IFTA Rising Star.
Say Nothing also won a number of key awards, including Actress in a Lead Role for former St Dominic's pupil Lola Petticrew, Actress in a Supporting Role for Hazel Doupe, and Actor in a Supporting Role for Tom Vaughan-Lawlor.
West Belfast actress Lola Petticrew celebrates her award at the IFTAs
It was a also big night for horror, with the award for Original Music going to Die Hexen for Fréwaka.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Colm Meaney
SCREEN IRELAND - IFTA RISING STAR
Anthony Boyle
FILM CATEGORIES
BEST FILM
Small Things Like These
DIRECTOR - FILM
Rich Peppiatt- Kneecap
SCRIPT - FILM
Enda Walsh - Small Things Like These
LEAD ACTOR - FILM
Cillian Murphy - Small Things Like These
LEAD ACTRESS - FILM
Saoirse Ronan - The Outrun
SUPPORTING ACTOR - FILM
Brían F. O'Byrne - Conclave
SUPPORTING ACTRESS - FILM
Saoirse Ronan - Blitz
DRAMA CATEGORIES
COIMISIÚN NA MEÁN BEST DRAMA
Bad Sisters
DIRECTOR - DRAMA
Dearbhla Walsh - Bad Sisters
SCRIPT - DRAMA
Sharon Horgan - Bad Sisters
LEAD ACTOR - DRAMA
Colin Farrell - The Penguin
LEAD ACTRESS - DRAMA
Lola Petticrew - Say Nothing
SUPPORTING ACTOR - DRAMA
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor - Say Nothing
SUPPORTING ACTRESS - DRAMA
Hazel Doupe - Say Nothing
INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARD CATEGORIES
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
Conclave
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTOR
Ralph Fiennes - Conclave
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTRESS
Demi Moore - The Substance
OTHER AWARD CATEGORIES
GEORGE MORRISON FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
The Flats
LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM
Clodagh
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Dembaya
CRAFT CATEGORIES
CASTING
Kneecap - Carla Stronge
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Bird - Robbie Ryan
COSTUME DESIGN
Kneecap - Zjena Glamocanin
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Abigail - Susie Cullen
HAIR & MAKE-UP
The Apprentice - Sandra Kelly, Tom McInerney
SOUND
Oddity - Aza Hand, Hugo Parvery
ORIGINAL MUSIC
Fréwaka - Die Hexen
EDITING
Kneecap - Julian Ulrichs & Chris Gill
VFX
Shögun - Ed Bruce, Andrew Barry
