TG4 funded films have received 13 nominations at the 2022 IFTA awards. An Cailín Ciúin has received 10 nominations, Oscar-entry Foscadh received two nominations and Doineann received one nomination.
An Cailín Ciúin tells the story of Cáit (Catherine Clinch) – a nine-year-old girl from an overcrowded, dysfunctional family who is sent away to live with foster parents for the summer.
Despite a warm reception from the woman, Eibhlín (Carrie Crowley), the man of the house, Seán (Andrew Bennett), keeps his distance from Cáit and she from him, but over time, their strained relationship begins to deepen.
Slowly, in the care of the Kinsellas, Cáit blossoms and discovers a new way of living. But in this house where there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one painful truth.
The film is the feature film debut of writer/director, Colm Bairéad and producer, Cleona Ní Chrualaoi of Inscéal. The film has been nominated for 10 IFTA awards, including Best Film, Lead Actress Film for Catherine Clinch and Supporting Actress Film for Carrie Crowley.
IFTA Awards Movie Breakdowns
Based on the acclaimed story, Foster by Claire Keegan, An Cailín Ciúin is a complex and delicate coming-of-age drama that explores questions of family, neglect and loss through the eyes of its young protagonist.
An Cailín Ciúin premiered at Berlinale the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this month won The Grand Prix Award for Best Film from the Generation Kplus International Jury and a Special Mention from the Jury.
It opened the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival and will be screened at the Glasgow Film Festival next month. This is the fourth film from the CINE4 scheme, following Finky (2019), Arracht (2020) and Foscadh (2021).
Foscadh which was Ireland’s entry for the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category will be in cinemas across the country on the first day of Seachtain na Gaeilge on March 1st and in select cinemas from the 11th of March.
The film was produced by Magamedia and is based on the book The Thing About December by Donal Ryan.
Foscadh, is a poignant meditation on isolation, neurodiversity, and letting go of the past, set in the wild mountains of Connemara, tells the story of naïve recluse John Cunliffe who is suddenly propelled into manhood at the ripe old age of 28.
When his overprotective parents pass away, friendless John inherits mountain land that is in the way of a lucrative wind-farm development, and he is forced to navigate the choppy waters of romance, trust and vengeance for the first time.
Written and directed by Seán Breathnach, stars Dónall Ó Héalai (Arracht), Fionnuala Flaherty (An Klondike), and Cillian Ó Gairbhí (Blood). Dónall Ó Héalaí is nominated by IFTA for Lead Actor Film and Cillian Ó Gairbhí for Supporting Actor Film.
Doineann received one nomination for Lead Actor Film for Peter Coonan. In Doineann, a woman and her baby son go missing on a remote Irish island.
Her husband must put his trust in the island’s retired policewomant’s a story about a woman and her little son who go missing on a remote island in Ireland. Doineann is produced by Doubleband films and is the debut film of Damian McCann and written by Aislinn Clarke.
In 2022, numerous high-quality Irish language films will be shown in cinemas across Ireland and at International Film festivals.
Director General of TG4 Alan Esslemont
An Cailín Ciúin and Foscadh are films from CINE4, an initiative between TG4, Fís Éireann and the BAI, to develop Irish language feature films. Doineann is a film from the Gealán scheme funded by TG4, BBC Gaeilge and the Northern Ireland Screen Irish Language Broadcast Fund.