Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival 2019 Award Winners Announced
Posted: 5th March 2019
Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival has announced the award winners from the 2019 Festival.
DISCOVERY AWARD
Winners
Alexandra McGuinness - Writer/Director - She’s Missing
Ian Hunt Duffy - Director - Low Tide
Oonagh Kearney - Director - Five Letters to the Stranger Who Will Dissect My Brain
Madonna Bambino - Make Up Artist - Low Tide
Nominees
Alice Vignoles Russell - Production Designer - The Trap
Darach McGarrigle - Writer - Low Tide
Jonathan Hughes - Writer - Mother and Mary
Roisin Geraghty - Producer - Five Letters to the Stranger Who Will Dissect My Brain
Shane J. Collins - Writer/Director - Dub Daze
BEST IRISH SHORT
Winner: Five Letters to the Stranger Who Will Dissect My Brain
Special Mention: The First Was A Boy
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT
Winner: Inanimate
Special Mention: Child
AUDIENCE AWARD
Maiden, Director: Alex Holmes
AUDIENCE SHORT FILM AWARD
99 Problems, Director: Ross Killeen Producer: Louise Byrne
DOCUMENTARY AWARD
The documentary jury were unanimous in choosing Of Fathers & Sons as the inaugural winner of the inaugural Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival documentary competition.
On receiving the award, Talal Derki said “I am very honoured to win this prestigious award at Ireland's most popular film festival and I thank the jury for that. The victims of all these conflicts are the children and we must do everything to ensure that they have a better future. Therefore, I dedicate this award to the children in my home country Syria.”
As an honourable mention the jury also acknowledge the Irish documentary GAZA, describing it as “another wonderful film that took great courage to bring to the big screen”.
The documentary competition jury was comprised of director Pat Murphy (Anne Devlin, Nora), director Ken Wardrop (His & Hers, Mom & Me), and Hamish McAlpine, producer (Funny Games, Bundy).
DUBLIN HUMAN RIGHTS FILM AWARD
Heartbound: A Different Kind of Love Story was announced as the winner of the newly relaunched Dublin Human Rights Film Award, a partnership with the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL).
The jury also gave special mention to Mannix Flynn, Maedhbh McMahon and Lotta Petronella’s Land Without God as a very important Irish film.
The award was chosen by an esteemed adjudication panel which include film and television director Aoife Kelleher; Irish Times journalist and author Sorcha Pollak; actor, playwright and screenwriter Emmet Kirwan, Direct Provision activist Bulelani Mfaco; and disability advocate and ICCL board member Suzy Byrne.
CHILDREN’S JURY AWARDS
Best Feature Film: Mia and the White Lion
Feature Film Special Mention: Departures
Best Short Film: First Disco
Short Film Special Mention: The Overcoat
The Children’s Jury members are Sophie O Neill Miley, Jagger Blount, Freya Simpson, Kaelan Musi, Madison Tucker, Evie Kenny, Fionnán Ó Baoighill, Amalia Godley, Laoise Connolly Heery, Conn Butler and Luka Delaney.
YOUNG PROGRAMMERS CHOICE
Rafiki.
Speaking about Rafiki they said “We are delighted to award director Wanuri Kahiu with the Young Programmer’s Choice Award. Rafiki is not only an excellent exhibition of Kahiu’s talent as a filmmaker but also an outstanding portrayal of love in the face of adversity.”
They also give special mention to Ballon.
The Young Programmers were Caitlin Barry, Ifunanya Chukwuewuzie, Sally Howard Ihle, Croi Lenihan, Gaurav Ramsurn and Sagan Adan.
DUBLIN FILM CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS
Established in 2006, The Dublin Film Critics Circle (DFCC) offers the nation’s full-time professional film journalists the opportunity to share opinions on recent releases and ponder the year’s award contenders. The 2019 DFCC Awards go to:
Best Film: Transit
Best Director: Rima Das for Bulbul Can Sing
Best Cinematography: Hiroshi Okuyama for Jesus
Best Documentary: GAZA, Garry Keane and Andrew McConnell
Best Irish Film: Greta, Neil Jordan
Best Screenplay: The Crossing, Bai Xue
Best Actor: Bogdan Dumitrache for Pororoca
Best Actress: Jessie Buckley for Wild Rose
Jury Prize: Jia Zhangke, Ash Is The Purest White
Jury Prize: Alex Perry Ross, Her Smell
Jury Prize: Baran Kosaris, Permission
Jury Prize: Bo Hu, An Elephant Standing Still
Jury Prize: Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade
George Byrne Maverick Award: Hugh O’Conor
Michael Dwyer Discovery Award: Dianne Lucille Campbell