Kings and Garage lead the nominees for the fifth-annual Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs), which take place in Dublin on February 17.

Kings, an Irish-language feature submitted as Ireland's first Foreign Language Oscar entry, has received 14 nominations while the multi award-winning Garage has 11 nominations. Kings and Garage were indigenously developed by Irish production companies and co-financed by the Irish Film Board.

Both films have received nominations for Best Film, Best Director (Lenny Abrahamson for Garage and Tom Collins for Kings), Best Script (Mark O'Halloran for Garage and Tom Collins for Kings) in addition to multiple nominations in other categories including Director of Photography, Editing, Original Score and Sound.

Pat Shortt (Garage) and Colm Meaney (Kings) are both nominated as Best Actor in a Lead Role, while Brendan Conroy and Donal O'Kelly (Kings) and Conor J Ryan and Anne Marie Duff (Garage) are nominated for their supporting roles.

The nominees for best International Film are Atonement, The Bourne Ultimatum, La Vie en Rose, and The Lives of Others.

The Television drama nominees, some of which are combined with film categories, are dominated by The Tudors, My Boy Jack, Damage, and locally produced series such as Prosperity, The Running Mate, and Aifric.

Selected by a special jury and sponsored by the IFB, the new Rising Star award aims to highlight exceptional new talent working in any area of the Irish film industry. The nominees are Saoirse Ronan (Actress, Atonement), Martin McCann (Actor, Closing the Ring), Marian Quinn (Director, 32A), Mark Mahon (Producer, Strength & Honour) and Cecilia Ahern (Writer).

Simon Perry, Chief Executive the Irish Film Board said, 'The Rising Star Award profiles and fosters new creative talent which is fundamental to what the IFB exists to achieve.'

Aine Moriarty, Chief Executive of the Irish Film and Television Academy said, 'This is a very significant award which puts the spotlight on great new Irish talent making their mark in film. The Academy welcomes and acknowledges the Irish Film Board's ongoing support and nurturing of Ireland 's Rising Stars.'

NOMINEES

Film
Becoming Jane - (Ecosse Films/Octagon)
Closing the Ring - (The Works UK Distribution) Garage - (Element Pictures)
Kings - (Newgrange Pictures) Shrooms - (Treasure Entertainment)

International Film
Atonement (Universal)
The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal)
La Vie en Rose (Eclipse Pictures)
The Lives of Others (Lionsgate)

Director Film
Lenny Abrahamson - Garage (Element Pictures)
Paddy Breathnach - Shrooms (Treasure Entertainment)
Tom Collins - Kings (Newgrange Pictures)
John Crowley - Boy A (Cuba Pictures)
Robert Quinn - Cre na Cille (ROSG)

Script
Tom Collins - Kings (Newgrange Pictures)
Mark O'Halloran - Garage (Element Pictures)
Mark O'Rowe - Boy A (Cuba Pictures)
Stuart Townsend - Battle in Seattle (Insight Film Studios)

Actor in a Lead Role - Film
Gabriel Byrne - Jindabyne (Revolver Entertainment)
Colm Meaney - Kings (Newgrange Pictures)
Cillian Murphy - Sunshine (Twentieth Century Fox)
Hugh O'Conor - Speed Dating (System 48)
Pat Shortt - Garage (Element Pictures)

Actress in a Lead Role - Film/Television
Cliona Ni Chiosáin - Aifric (Telegael Media Group)
Fionnula Flanagan - Brotherhood (Channel 6)
Brid Ni Neachtain - Cre na Cille (ROSG)
Aisling O'Sullivan - The Clinic (Parallel Film Productions)
Siobhan Shanahan - Prosperity (Element Pictures)

Actor in a Supporting Role - Film
Brendan Conroy - Kings (Newgrange Pictures)
Donal O'Kelly - Kings (Newgrange Pictures)
Conor J Ryan - Garage (Element Pictures)
Don Wycherley - Speed Dating (System 48)

Actress in a Supporting Role - Film
Elaine Cassidy - And When Did You Last See Your Father (Walt Disney Studio)
Anne Marie Duff - Garage (Element Pictures)
Gail Fitzpatrick - Strength and Honour (Maron Pictures)
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement (Universal)

CRAFT CATEGORIES (Film / Television)
Costume Design
Joan Bergin - The Tudors (World 2000)
Maggie Donnelly - Kings (Newgrange Pictures)
Lorna Marie Morgan - My Boy Jack (Ecosse Fims)
Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh - Becoming Jane (Ecosse Films/Octagon)

Director of Photography
PJ Dillon - Kings (Newgrange Pictures)
Seamus McGarvey - Atonement (Universal)
Peter Robertson - Garage (Element Pictures)
Ciaran Tanham - Northanger Abbey (Octagon Films)

Editing
Dermot Diskin - Kings (Newgrange Pictures)
Stephen O'Connell - Damage (Subotica Entertainment)
Isobel Stephenson - Garage (Element Pictures)
Gareth Young - The Running Mate (Rubicon Films)

Hair & Makeup
Kings - Muriel Bell, Pamela Smyth (Newgrange Pictures)
My Boy Jack - Morna Ferguson, Lorraine Glynn (Ecosse Films)
Prosperity - Tom McInerney, Sandra Kelly (Element Pictures)
The Tudors - Jennifer Hegarty, Dee Corcoran (World 2000)

Original Score
Pol Brennan - Kings (Newgrange Pictures)
Jim Lockhart - Cre na Cille (ROSG)
Stephen McKeon - The Running Mate (Rubicon Films)
Stephen Rennicks - Garage (Element Pictures)

Production Design
Tom Conroy - The Tudors (World 2000)
David Craig - Kings (Newgrange Pictures)
Tom Mc Cullagh - Closing the Ring (The Works UK Distribution)
Padraig O'Neill - Garage (Element Pictures)

Sound
Becoming Jane - Nick Adams, Tom Johnson, Mervyn Moore (Ecosse Films/Octagon)
Garage - Niall Brady, John Fitzgerald, Robert Flanagan (Element Pictures)
Kings - Ken Galvin, Ronan Hill, Dominic Weaver (Newgrange Pictures)
My Boy Jack - Brendan Deasy, Ken Galvin, Nikki Moss (Ecosse Films)

Rising Star Award Sponsored by the Irish Film Board
Cecilia Ahern - Writer
Mark Mahon - Producer
Martin McCann - Actor
Marion Quinn - Director
Saoirse Ronan - Actress

People's Choice Award - Best International Actress
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Jodie Foster - The Brave One
Keira Knightley - Atonement
Hilary Swank - PS I Love You

Nomination categories to be announced
Animation
Short Film
People's Choice Award - Best International Actor
People's Choice Award - Irish TV Personality of the Year
Lifetime Achievement Award

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