Lifetime award to the director of My Left Foot and In the Name of the Father.

Jim Sheridan

The Irish Film & Television Academy is to honour director-writer-producer Jim Sheridan with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th annual IFTA Awards on May 24.

Previous recipients include Maureen O’Hara, David Kelly, George Morrison, Morgan O’Sullivan, John Boorman, Gay Byrne, Neil Jordan, Fionnula Flanagan and President Michel D. Higgins.

IFTA CEO Áine Moriarty said Sheridan “is a master storyteller, bold and brilliant, whose skill and vision continues to inspire so many”. She also praised his “constant support and nurturing of Irish creative talent - part of his ongoing legacy”.

Sheridan carved out a successful career in the theatre before moving into film with My Left Foot, released in 1989 and scoring Oscar wins for actors Daniel Day Lewis and Brenda Fricker.

Other films in his 25-year career to date include The Field, In the Name of the Father (which reunited Sheridan with Day Lewis), Some Mother’s Son, The Boxer (again with Day Lewis), In America, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ and Brothers.

Sheridan’s next film, The Secret Scripture, will see the filmmaker return to Ireland. Based on Sebastian Barry’s award-winning novel, this period drama about a 100-year old woman attempting to piece together her life will star Rooney Mara, Theo James and Vanessa Redgrave alongside Irish actors Jack Reynor and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor. It is in post-production for release later this year.