Film board chair hits out at IFTA award gender imbalance

The chairwoman of the Irish Film Board (IFB) has said she is disappointed at the gender imbalance across the nominations for this year’s Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Awards.

Annie Doona made the comments following the announcement of the 2017 IFTA shortlist, which saw five men nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role, compared to just three actresses in the corresponding female category.

IFTA CEO Aine Moriarty previously told the Irish Examiner that the difference between the two categories is reflective of the film industry, and that the past year saw few films in which women were given a leading role.