Martin McDonagh

Today will be a day forever remembered for Irish cinema. Five Irish actors were nominated for their performances (all of them first-time nominees) and for ...

From first-time nominations for breakout actors as well as those who have been on the scene for years, to a history-making acknowledgment of an Irish-language film, today is a special moment in Irish cinema and a proud day for Irish people. In the Name of the Father was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director for Jim Sheridan. But whether these nominations stay nominations or become victories, it doesn't take away from the fact that 2022 has been a stellar year for Irish movies. Five Irish actors were nominated for their performances (all of them first-time nominees) and for the first time in history, an Irish-language film is nominated for Best International Picture. From his first time appearing opposite Farrell in The Killing of A Sacred Deer to making the most of his five minutes as the Joker in last year’s The Batman, you never know what a Keoghan character is going to do next. He has firmly established himself as one of the most reliable actors of this century, playing everything from eccentric wizards to haunted priests to fed-up assassins. Let’s start with one of the most acclaimed movies of the year: The Banshees of Inisherin. [Brendan Gleeson](https://collider.com/banshees-of-inisherin-colin-farrell-brendan-gleeson-martin-mcdonagh-interview/) (who should have been nominated in 2015 for Calvary, but I desist), [Colin Farrell](https://collider.com/colin-farrell-horrible-bosses/), [Kerry Condon](https://collider.com/the-banshees-of-inisherins-siobhan-martin-mcdonagh/), and [Barry Keoghan](https://collider.com/barry-keoghan-perfect-low-key-villain/). This makes the film McDonagh’s most Oscar-nominated film to date. Not to mention Lenny Abrahamson earning a nod for his direction of the haunting and beautiful, Room, which was nominated for Best Picture along with Brooklyn. And nominated in the Best Short Film category, Tom Berkeley and Ross White's An Irish Goodbye sees two estranged brothers come together in the wake of their mother's death. The animation studio Caroon Saloon has received four nominations for Best Animated Feature for their films, The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner, and Wolfwalkers as well as a nomination for Best Animated Short.