And the IFTA nominees are...

The annual Irish film and television awards have announced their 2022 nominees across a range of categories

Clockwise: Jamie Dornan, Ruth Negga and Jessie Buckley have been nominated in 2022's IFTA awards

The Irish Film and Television Academy has announced its nominees for the 2022 IFTA Awards.

The nominations reflect a banner year across film, drama, documentary and the craft of film-making, as the sector continues to forge ahead after the Covid crisis.

As expected, Kenneth Branagh's Belfast occupies prominent place across film and acting nominations, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Script, as well as acting nominations for stars Jamie Dornan, Ciaran Hinds and Caitríona Balfe, as well as prominent musical voice Van Morrison.

Berlin Film Festival winner and the first Irish-language film to open Dublin International Film Festival, An Cailín Chúin; offbeat comedy Deadly Cuts; LGBT* coming-of-age story Who We Love; horror film You Are Not My Mother; and sci-fi feature Swan Song are also in the film running.

Oscar nominee Jessie Buckley is a likely favourite for Best Supporting Actress for her turn in psych-horror The Lost Daughter, but she's in competition with Ruth Negga for her role in Netflix period drama Passing, and veteran Irish actress Carrie Crowley in An Cailín Chúin.

RTÉ sweeps the drama nominations with its series of international co-productions, including Smother, Kin and Hidden Assets, while Irish-produced US drama Vikings: Valhalla saw a well-loved franchise take the next step in its story arc. The Best Director - Drama category has competition from Amazon Prime's The Wheel of Time, however, with director Ciaran Donnelly riding a wave of momentum for the fantasy epic.

The documentary category is also rich in storytelling, from the story of Derry journalist and writer Lyra McKee in Lyra, to a behind-the-scenes look at Irish dance troupe Teach Damhsa in The Dance. 

IFTA Chief Executive, Áine Moriarty said: "What a spectacular line-up of nominees who have been shortlisted for Irish Academy awards this year, after a record-breaking production year for the Irish industry. The work being recognised this year showcases to the world what our small but talented industry has to offer.

"It’s an incredible reflection of the high calibre of Irish talent, filmmaking and storytelling that we have in this country, at world-class standards. The Irish Academy is proud to acknowledge and reward their great achievements".

• The IFTA awards ceremony takes place in March and April in physical and digital versions - more information on venues and dates to be announced.

BEST FILM 

• An Cailín Ciúin 
• Belfast 
• Deadly Cuts 
• Swan Song 
• Who We Love 
• You Are Not My Mother 

BEST DIRECTOR - FILM

• Benjamin Cleary - Swan Song 
• Colm Bairéad - An Cailín Ciúin 
• Graham Cantwell - Who We Love 
• Kate Dolan - You Are Not My Mother 
• Kenneth Branagh - Belfast 

BEST SCRIPT - FILM 

• Kenneth Branagh - Belfast 
• Philip Doherty - Redemption of a Rogue 
• Benjamin Cleary - Swan Song 
• Graham Cantwell & Katie McNeice - Who We Love 
• Kate Dolan - You Are Not My Mother 

LEAD ACTOR - FILM 

• Aaron Monaghan - Redemption of a Rogue 
• Dónall Ó Héalai - Foscadh 
• Jude Hill - Belfast 
• Moe Dunford - Nightride 
• Peter Coonan - Doineann 

LEAD ACTRESS - FILM 

• Angeline Ball - Deadly Cuts 
• Catherine Clinch - An Cailín Ciúin 
• Gemma-Leah Devereux - The Bright Side 
• Hazel Doupe - You Are Not My Mother 
• Niamh Algar - Censor 

SUPPORTING ACTOR - FILM 

• Ciarán Hinds - Belfast 
• Cillian O Gairbhí - Foscadh 
• Dean Quinn - Who We Love 
• Jamie Dornan - Belfast 
• Tom Vaughan-Lawlor - The Bright Side 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS - FILM 

• Amy-Joyce Hastings - Who We Love 
• Caitríona Balfe - Belfast 
• Carrie Crowley - An Cailín Ciúin 
• Jessie Buckley - The Lost Daughter 
• Ruth Negga - Passing 

THE GEORGE MORRISON FEATURE DOCUMENTARY AWARD 

• Castro's Spies 
• Love Yourself Today 
• Lyra 
• Pure Grit 
• The Dance 
• Young Plato 

SHORT FILM 

• A White Horse 
• Best Foot Forward 
• Debutante 
• Harvest 
• Nothing to Declare
• Scrap 
• Ship of Souls 
• Silence 
• The Colour Between 
• The Passion 

SHORT ANIMATION 

• Bardo Da Humbug 
• Fall of the Ibis 
• King 
• Memento Mori 

BEST DRAMA 

• Hidden Assets 
• Kin 
• Smother 
• Vikings Valhalla 

BEST DIRECTOR - DRAMA 

• Ciaran Donnelly - The Wheel of Time 
• Dathaí Keane - Smother 
• Diarmuid Goggins - Kin 
• Hannah Quinn - Vikings: Valhalla 
• Lisa Mulcahy - Ridley Road 

BEST SCRIPT - DRAMA 

• Declan Croghan - Vikings: Valhalla 
• Kate O'Riordan - Smother 
• Morna Regan - Hidden Assets 
• Peter McKenna - Hidden Assets 
• Peter McKenna - Kin 

BEST LEAD ACTOR - DRAMA 

• Aidan Gillen - Kin 
• Jimmy Nesbitt - Stay Close 
• Liam Cunningham - Domina 
• Sam Keeley - Kin 

BEST LEAD ACTRESS - DRAMA 

• Angeline Ball - Hidden Assets 
• Clare Dunne - Kin 
• Dervla Kirwan - Smother
• Niamh Algar - Deceit 
• Sinead Keenan - Three Families 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - DRAMA 

• Andrew Scott - The Pursuit of Love 
• Ciaran Hinds - Kin 
• Emmet J Scanlan - Kin 
• Owen McDonnell - Three Families 
• Peter Coonan - Hidden Assets 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - DRAMA 

• Cathy Belton - Hidden Assets 
• Justine Mitchell - Smother 
• Lola Petticrew - Three Families 
• Maria Doyle-Kennedy - Kin 
• Simone Kirby - Hidden Assets 

BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC 

• David Holmes - Kin 
• Die Hexen - You Are Not My Mother 
• Joseph Conlan - Who We Love 
• Stephen Rennicks - An Cailín Ciúin 
• Van Morrison - Belfast