Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival is delighted to announce the award winners from the 2019 Festival.

Volta Awards

Ralph Fiennes

Sean Bailey

DISCOVERY AWARDS

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 COMPETITION

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