Ireland’s streak of incredible awards continued yesterday with a number of formidable wins at the BAFTAs 2023.
The Banshees of Inisherin took home four wins, including Best Original Screenplay for Martin McDonagh, Best Supporting Actress for Kerry Condon, and Best Supporting Actor for Barry Keoghan.
As the movie was made by British network Film4, it took home the prestigious award for Best British Film.
BAFTAs 2023 – a little bit different from previous years
While the British Academy Film and TV Arts (BAFTA) awards have been held at the Royal Albert Hall in London for the last 16 years, the internationally renowned event moved to its new home this year to the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.
Held last night on Sunday, 19 February, the evening was full to the brim with emotional and heartfelt speeches brought on by well-deserved wins across the categories.
The organisation dubbed this year’s event the “most ambitious and accessible night yet”.
The ceremony was presented by Richard E Grant for the main show, and Alison Hammond interviewed winners and presenters in the BAFTA Backstage Studio.
What has been an incredible year for Ireland in film was proven once more last night with a number of incredible wins.
Ireland’s wins at the BAFTAs – a number of moving speeches
There was a real sense of Irish pride at the BAFTAs 2023 as a number of great Irish actors and filmmakers took home the wins in several categories.
Barry Keoghan won the award for Best Supporting Actor. In a heartfelt speech, he thanks the cast and crew, his mother, Ireland, and his new son.
Kerry Condon took home the Best Supporting Actress award, saying the parts McDonagh has given her throughout her career have made her “so proud to be an Irish woman”.
Other wins for Irish films include the Outstanding British Film award for The Banshees of Inisherin, to which Martin McDonagh said in his speech, “I know every Irish person in the cast and crew are kind of going ‘Best what award?’”.
Furthermore, the short film An Irish Goodbye from Northern Ireland won the award for Best British Short Film.
Finally, Irish Oscar award-winner Richard Baneham and his team took home the BAFTA for Special Visual Effects for Avatar: The Way of Water.
The ones we missed – pipped at the post
There are a number of Irish films and actors that didn’t quite make the cut this time around.
This includes An Cailín Ciúin for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Not in the English Language categories. Both of these awards went to All Quiet on the Western Front.
Furthermore, Colin Farrell and Paul Mescal missed out on the Best Actor award, which was taken home by Austin Butler for his role in Elvis.
With the Oscars 2023 just around the corner, we turn to the Producers and Screen Actors Guild Awards in the US next weekend, a key indicator of which way the Oscars will go.
