The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) has selected the Irish-language thriller Aontas as Ireland’s official submission for the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
The film will now compete for a place on the Oscars shortlist, following in the footsteps of An Cailín Ciúin, which became the first Irish-language film to receive an Oscar nomination in the category in 2023, and Kneecap, which was shortlisted for the award in 2024.
The shortlist for the International Feature Film category is due to be announced on Tuesday, 15 December, with the final five nominees set to be revealed on Thursday, 21 January 2027. The 99th Academy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on Sunday, 14 March 2027.
Directed by Damian McCann, whose previous work includes Doineann, Aontas features an acclaimed cast including Carrie Crowley, known for An Cailín Ciúin and Smother, Bríd Brennan, who has appeared in Shadow Dancer and Doineann, and Eva-Jane Gaffney, known for Kin and Harry Wild.
The film is produced by Órfhlaith Ní Chearnaigh and Christopher Myers, with the screenplay written by Sarah Gordon and McCann. It marks the first feature film from the new bilingual production company Púca Pictures.
Aontas is currently available to watch on the TG4 Player.
The thriller centres on three unlikely thieves who, led by a woman on the verge of a breakdown, attempt to rob a rural Irish credit union.
The story begins in the aftermath of a heist that has gone tragically wrong before moving backwards through a series of chapters. As the narrative unfolds, viewers are taken back through the events that ultimately led to the robbery and its devastating consequences.
What initially appears to be a badly planned crime gradually develops into a character-driven portrait of a troubled woman struggling to escape the weight of her past.
Filming took place in March 2024 in Glenarm, Co Antrim, with post-production completed at Yellowmoon Postproduction in Holywood, Co Down.
The project was funded by TG4, BBC Gaeilge and Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund, with additional support from Yellowmoon.
The film was selected as Ireland’s Oscar entry by IFTA’s 2026 selection committee, which included writer Lisa McGee, actor and filmmaker Aisha Tyler, actors Fionnuala Flaherty, directors Brian Kirk, Kathryn Ferguson and Lee Cronin, alongside IFTA Chief Executive Áine Moriarty.
Source: RTÉ News
