Kneecap was the major winner at the Galway Film Fleadh, taking home three top awards at the festival, which wrapped up on Sunday evening.
The film won Best Irish Film, Best Irish Language Film and also the Audience Award. Directed by Rich Peppiatt, Kneecap opens in Irish cinemas on August 8th.
The ceremony also saw Brian Cox presented with the prestigious Galway Hooker Award for “contribution on the stage, the small screen and the big screen”. Cox, the star of HBO’s award-winning Succession, also took part in a public interview on Sunday afternoon in association with IFTA.
The winner of Best Irish First Feature was Irish language family film Fidil Ghorm (Blue Fiddle), with the award presented to director Anne McCabe, screenwriter Patricia Forde and producers Pierce Boyce and Bríd Seoighe.
Housewife of the Year was the winner of Best Irish Feature Documentary. Directed by Ciaran Cassidy, and produced by Maria Horgan and Colum McKeown, the doc follows the lives – then and now - of several women who took part in the televised ‘Housewife of the Year’ pageant. Wildcard Distribution will release the film later in 2024.
The prestigious Bingham Ray New Talent Award was presented to Eva Birthistle, known as an award-winning actor, but making her feature directorial debut with Kathleen is Here, also due for release later this year from Break Out Pictures.
A full list of winners from the Galway Film Fleadh is below:
Galway Hooker Award – Brian Cox - For his contribution on the stage, the small screen and the big screen
Best International Short Animation
LIZZIE AND THE SEA| Director/Writer: Mariacarla Norall
Producers: Maria Carolina Terzi, Lorenza Stella, Carlo Stella.
Lead animators: Ivana Verze, Viola Cecere
Best International Short Fiction
THE MASTERPIECE | Director: Alex Lora
Producers: Josemaria Martinez
Álex Lora Cercos, Néstor López, Lluis Quilez,
Writers: Lluis Quilez, Alfonso Amador
Best International Short Documentary
FRIENDS ON THE OUTSIDE| Director/Writer: Annabel Moodie
Producer: Lea Luiz de Oliveira
Best First Short Animation Award with Brown Bag Films
HEADING HOME | Director/Producer/Writer: Holly Langan
Lead animator: Holly Langan
James Flynn Award for Best First Short Drama
WIFE OF THE FUTURE| Director/Writer: Rory Hanrahan
Producer: Louise Byrne
Donal Gilligan Award for Best Cinematography in a Short Film with the Irish Society Cinematographers (ISC)
ALL THAT’S CARRIED | Cinematographer, Albert Hooi
Director: Rosie Barrett Producers: Laura Rigney, Eimear Reilly
Writer: Eimear Reilly
Peripheral Visions Award with Galway Cultural Company (presented by Marilyn Gaughan)
POISON| Director: Désirée Nosbusch (Luxemburg, Netherlands, UK)
Producers: Alexandra Hoesdorff, Désirée Nosbusch, Petra Goedings, Maaike Benschop, Vivien Müller-Rommel
Writer: Lot Vekemans
Generation Jury Award
AMAL | Director Jawad Rhalib (Belgium)
Producers - Geneviève Lemal, Ellen de Waele
Writers - Jawad Rhalib, David Lambert, Chloé Leonil
Best International Film
THE TEACHER | Director/Writer: Farah Nabulsi
Producer: Sawsan Asfari Himani
Best International Documentary
INTERCEPTED | Director/Writer: Oksana Karpovych (Canada, France, Ukraine)
Producers: Giacomo Nudi, Rocío B. Fuentes, Pauline Tran Van Lieu, Lucie Rego, Darya Bassel, Olha Beskhmelnytsina
Best Cinematography in an Irish Film with Teach Solais (presented by Cian de Buitléar)
ODDITY | Cinematographer, Colm Hogan
Best Marketplace Project Award with Bankside Films
Project Name: Fairies Don’t Exist
Name: Michael O’Neill & Jude Sharvin, Armchair & Rocket - Northern Ireland
Bingham Ray New Talent Award with Magnolia Pictures
EVA BIRTHISTLE for her directorial debut, Kathleen Is Here
Best Irish Language Feature Film
KNEECAP| Director/Writer - Rich Peppiatt
Producers - Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling, Patrick O’Neill
The Pitching Award with Wild Atlantic Pictures
Project Name: Dons Life Goes On
Name: Zoe Gibney
James Horgan Award for Best Animation with Animation Ireland (presented by Moe Honan)
TO BREAK A CIRCLE | Director: Kalia Firester
Producers: Tim Bryans,Andrea McQuade, Lee McQuade
Writers: Kalia Firester, Dara McWade
Lead animator: Cora McKenna
Best Independent Film Award
THE SONG CYCLE | Director/Writer/Producer: Nick Kelly
Best Short Documentary Award with TG4 (presented by Lís Ní Dhálaigh)
JOINT AWARD
WE BEG TO DIFFER| Director/Writer: Ruairi Bradley
Producers: Thomas Purdy, Ruairi Bradley
AND
AFTER THE BOMB | Director/Writer/Producer: Heather Brumley
Tiernan McBride Award for Best Short Drama
TURNAROUND | Director/Writer: Aisling Byrne
Producer: Killian Coyle
Best Irish Feature Documentary
HOUSEWIFE OF THE YEAR | Director Ciaran Cassidy
Producers - Maria Horgan, Colum McKeown
Best Irish First Feature with Element Pictures (presented by Charlene Lydon)
FIDIL GHORM | Director Anne McCabe
Producers: Pierce Boyce, Bríd Seoighe
Writer: Patricia Forde
Best Irish Film with Danu Media (presented by Louise Richardson)
KNEECAP| Director/Writer Rich Peppiatt
Producers - Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling, Patrick O’Neill
Best Audience Award
KNEECAP| Director/Writer Rich Peppiatt
Producers - Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling, Patrick O’Neill
