6 CinÉireann / February 2018
STORYBOARD
Industry news
The Academy Award nominees have been announced for the 90th Oscars and it has been good news for the Irish. Director Nora Twomey and Cartoon Saloon have been nominated for the third time for Best Animated Feature for The Breadwinner, while Saoirse Ronan also received her third Oscar nomination, this time for her critically acclaimed turn in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, having previously been nominated in the same category for Brooklyn (2016) and receiving a Best Supporting Actress nod in 2008 for Atonement. Costume Designer Consolata Boyle is another repeat Oscar nominee for her work on Victoria & Abdul, while British-Irish writer/director Martin McDonagh was nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Irish resident and three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis was nominated again for Best Actor for Phantom Thread.
Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water leads the way in nominations with 13, followed by Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk with eight and Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri with seven. 9 films were nominated for best picture: Call Me By Your Name, Darkest Hour, Dunkirk, Get Out, Lady Bird, Phantom Thread, The Post, The Shape of Water, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
Mudbound cinematographer Rachel Morrison made history by becoming the first female director of photography to receive an Oscar nomination. Lady Bird‘s Greta Gerwig’s nomination makes her only the fifth woman to be nominated for Best Director in the Academy Awards’ 90-year history, while Get Out‘s Jordan Peele becomes the fifth black director to compete for the Oscar. No black director has ever won the Best Director Oscar.
"I am absolutely thrilled that the Academy has nominated The Breadwinner for Best Animated Feature. At a time when women’s voices are coming to the forefront, the story of a young girl using her voice for what she believes in is more relevant than ever."
Nora Twomey, Director – The Breadwinner
"The Oscar nomination for Nora Twomey’s The Breadwinner marks the third nomination for Kilkenny’s Cartoon Saloon following their 2010 and 2015 nominations for The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea, respectively. This nomination also stands as a testament to the power and strength of Irish animation, which is currently experiencing unprecedented growth and prosperity and Cartoon Saloon are at the fore of this success.
I would like to congratulate Nora and the team at Cartoon Saloon following this wonderful recognition of their beautifully realised tale of a young girl who must fight to protect her family and further congratulate the team on an already-stellar awards season.
On behalf of the IFB, I also extend my congratulations to Saoirse Ronan, Consolata Boyle, Martin McDonagh and Daniel Day-Lewis as they join The Breadwinner in placing Irish talent on the international stage at this year’s Academy Awards®."
James Hickey,Chief Executive – Irish Film Board
"To have been a part of a film like Lady Bird was a true privilege and I am incredibly grateful to the Academy for recognizing this wonderful story about the beauty and strength of women. I am especially thrilled to share this moment with Laurie Metcalf and our leader and director Greta Gerwig, who, like Lady Bird, is an incredible woman and a dear friend."
Saoirse Ronan
"I am delighted to see so much Irish interest with actors and filmmakers nominated for this year’s Academy Awards. In terms of its size, Ireland punches way above its weight in the quality of its audiovisual output. The Irish Film Industry has gone from success to success over the past number of years with every year bringing international recognition and awards. Oscar nominations are an endorsement of excellence but they also serve to highlight not only our film industry but also Ireland as a destination for inward investment across all industries as well as a tourism destination."
Josepha Madigan TD – Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht