The 28^th Galway Film Fleadh handed out its annual awards last night (July 10) and named Taika Waititi’s Hunt For The Wilderpeople as best international feature.

The ceremony took place after the Fleadh’s annual public interview, in which director Jim Sheridan (In the Name of the Father) regaled a packed Town Hall Theatre.

The prize for best Irish feature was shared between Peter Foott’s The Young Offenders and Darren Thornton’s A Date For Mad Mary. The latter was co-produced by Ed Guiney, whose films include Oscar-winner Room, The Lobster and Frank.

The best Irish feature documentary was won by Frankie Fenton’s It’s Not Yet Dark, which centres on Simon Fitzmaurice, a talented young Irish film maker with motor neuron disease, as he embarks on making his first film through the use of his eyes and eye gaze technology.

It’s Not Yet Dark also won Kate Mccullough best cinematography in an Irish feature at the ceremony.

Second place went to Brendan J. Byrne’s Bobby Sands: 66 Days, about the IRA hunger striker depicted by Michael Fassbender in Steve McQueen’s Hunger.

The best Irish first feature will be announced today as the closing film of this year’s Fleadh.

Galway Film Fleadh Winners 2016

Best Irish Feature

Joint Winners

The Young Offenders
Director: Peter Foott
Producer: Peter Foott, Julie Ryan And Cormac Fox

A Date For Mad Mary
Director: Darren Thornton
Producers: Ed Guiney And Juliette Bonass

Best Irish Feature Documentary

Winner: It’s Not Yet Dark
Director: Frankie Fenton
Producer: Leslie Mckimm Kathryn Kennedy

Second Place: Bobby Sands: 66 Days
Director: Brendan J. Byrne
Producer: Trevor Birney

Best International Feature

Hunt For The Wilderpeople
Director: Taika Waititi

Best International First Feature

Moon Dogs
Director: Philip John
Producer: Kathy Speirs; co-producers: Suzanne Reid, Dominic Wright, Jacqueline Kerrin

Best International Feature Documentary

Winner:  Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
Director: Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack 

Best Human Rights Feature

The Wall
Director: David Kinsella
Producer: David Kinsella

Best Cinematography In An Irish Feature

Kate Mccullough for It’s Not Yet Dark

Bingham Ray New Talent Award

Seana Kerslake (actress, A Date For Mad Mary),

Galway Film Fleadh Pitching Award

Janet Hayes - Edges

The Galway Hooker Award

Jim Sheridan Presented By Ruth Negga

Shorts 

Best First Short Animation Award

Joining Dots
Director Fiona Ryan
Producer Iadt

Best Animated Sequence In A Short Film

The Lost Letter
Director Kealan O’rourke
Producer Brian Willis

Don Quijote Award For Best Animated Short Film

Second To None
Director: Vincent Gallagher
Producer: Damian Farrell 

Best First Short Drama Award

Groundless
Director Eimear Callaghan
Producer Anthony Mcdonagh 

Best Short Documentary Award

Séan Hillen, Merging Views
Director Paddy Cahill
Producer Tal Green

One Minute Film Festival

Winner: Carolyn Wagner with Something Borrowed

Oscar Qualifying Categories

Since 2011, the Fleadh has been recognised as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards. Recipients of the James Horgan Award For Best Animation and Tiernan Mcbride Award For Best Short Drama will qualify for consideration.

The James Horgan Award For Best Animation

Second To None
Director Vincent Gallagher
Producer Damian Farrell 

Tiernan Mcbride Award For Best Short Drama

Lily
Director Graham Cantwell
Producers Sharon Cronin, Indah Pietersz, Emma Carlsson, Ciaran Byrne

Donal Gilligan Award For Best Cinematography In A Short Film

Wifey Redux
Cinematographer: Daniel Katz