The Irish Film and Television Academy will welcome a stunning lineup of Irish and International talent stepping out onto the red carpet for the 5th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards at Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre on the 17th of February.
With the gala ceremony just two weeks away, IFTA has released some of the names of international guest presenters who will help celebrate the 5th anniversary of the IFTA ceremony and deliver top awards to this year’s winners. Proud of their Irish roots, these guest presenters will be familiar to their fans across the country through their roles on key International features and programmes broadcast on Irish television.
US actress Bo Derek, who was once described as the “most beautiful woman in the world”, will grace the red carpet on St. Stephen’s Green. Bo, who was born Mary Kathleen Collins, is a Golden Globe nominated actress and model who was immortalised in the 1979 feature film '10'. Bo will attend the ceremony with her long time partner John Corbett ('Sex and the City'). The two actors will present an award together at the show which will be broadcast on RTE One Sunday night.
Irish-American actress and two time Oscar nominee Mary McDonnell (Dances with Wolves, Passion Fish) will don her finest designer gown to present a top award at the IFTA ceremony. Mary currently stars as President Laura Roslin on Sci Fi Channel's 'Battlestar Galactica' and her film and television career history also includes roles in 'Donnie Darko', 'Sneakers', 'Independence Day' and the TV series 'ER'.
Another gifted US actor flying into Dublin especially to attend the gala event is the handsome actor Kevin Dillon. Kevin, whose grandparents are Irish, will be at ease on the IFTA red carpet given his starring role in the hit television series 'Entourage' and his 20 year career in Hollywood. He has starred in movies including 'Platoon', 'The Doors' and 'Poseidon'.
The Awards ceremony will be hosted once again by Ryan Tubridy, currently enjoying record ratings for his Saturday evening show Tubridy Tonight.
The IFTAs puts the spotlight on the nominees' lineup, and this year celebrating the wealth of Irish talent will be an easy task. A plethora of Ireland’s finest filmmakers will attend the ceremony, having already been honoured by their peers with a prestigious nomination. The Irish Film and Television Awards is one of the few awards ceremonies that span both television and feature film achievements and IFTA will welcome shortlisted actors including; Jonathan Rhys Meyers; Colm Meaney; Pat Shortt; Elaine Cassidy; Anne Marie Duff; Hugh O’Conor; Brendan Conroy; Donal O’Kelly; Don Wycherley; Fionnula Flanagan; Maria Doyle Kennedy; Dawn Bradfield; Amy Huberman; Denis Conway and Gary Lydon; to the red carpet. Behind the camera, filmmakers in contention include directors Lenny Abrahamson, Brian Kirk, Declan Recks, Tom Collins and Paddy Breathnach.
Other invited guests include top Irish actors Brendan Gleeson, Colin Farrell, David Kelly, last year’s Supporting Actor winner Liam Cunningham, 2007 Supporting Actress TV winner Ruth Bradley, 'Rome' star Allen Leech and rising Irish actress Sarah Bolger (soon to be seen in The Spiderwick Chronicles).
A host of television favourites will be led by IFTA lifetime member Gay Byrne and will also include Sony Bravia TV Personality of the Year nominees Kathryn Thomas, Lorraine Keane, Paul Dempsey, Julian Simmons, Síle Ní Bhraonáin, Kathy Hoffman, Stephen Nolan and Michelle Doherty. Hector O'Heochagan and Diarmuid Gavin, who front television titles in the running for Awards, will trade the open road and the garden shovel for designer suits at the glamorous event.
The IFTA Academy will shortly announce its exciting inaugural Award for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema which will be presented to a world renowned filmmaker at the ceremony, in this its 5th year.
www.ifta.ie.
