Irish directors Colm Bairéad (The Quiet Girl), Kate Dolan (You Are Not My Mother) and Rioghnach Ní Ghrioghair (short film Don’t Go Where I Can’t Find You) have been presented with this year’s Discovery Awards at the Dublin International Film Festival. The awards celebrate exceptional emerging talent in Irish cinema as the festival approaches the mid-way mark.
Bairéad, whose Irish-language feature comes to DIFF following plaudits at Berlin, was singled out for his work on the drama told through the eyes of a young girl in 1980s Ireland.
It was described by the jury as “a masterful character study that has rightly won international recognition and is putting Irish cinema on the map in a unique and individual way, using our native language to tell stories with sensitivity and cinematic craft that moved us all.”
Debut feature filmmaker Dolan was awarded for her work on the psychological horror You Are Not My Mother and was described as “a clear, coherent artistic voice” by the jury.
Rioghnach Ní Ghrioghair’s shorts work was also celebrated by the jury, who described Don’t Go Where I Can’t Find You as “an extremely assured distinctive authored film”.
Special mention was made to Jade Jordan (actress), Ellen Kirk (production design), John Cutler (editing) and Dean Murray (sound).
The judging panel was comprised of Jimmy Fay, executive producer and artistic director of Belfast’s Lyric Theatre, director Neasa Hardiman, Kelly O’Connor, head of cultural affairs at the Irish embassy in London, and producers Jane Doolan and Conor Barry.
Documentary and human rights prizes
Dutch director Bianca Stigter’s testament to life before the Holocaust, Three Minutes, A Lengthening was awarded the best documentary prize, with special mention given to Luke McManus for Irish documentary North Circular.
The jury for the documentary section were Tanya Doyle, programme director of the BA in film & TV production, at Dublin’s Griffith College, Rubén López Pulido, director of the Spanish Tourism Office in Ireland and Jake Garriock, head of distribution strategy and group publicity at UK and Ireland distributor Curzon.
DIFF’s Human Rights Award was given to Belfast-set documentary Young Plato directed by Neasa Ní Chianáin and Declan McGrath. Special mention went to Blerta Basholli’s Sundance triple award- winner, Hive.
The 20th anniversary edition of DIFF continues until March 6th.
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