The Irish language feature film, created as part of the CINE4 initiative from TG4, Screen Ireland, and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI),picked up five awards at the festival including Best Feature Film.
Elsewhere, Tom Sullivan and Kate McCullough won for Best Director and Cinematographer respectively, whilst Saise Ní Chuinn picked up the Best Child Actress award and Dónall Ó Héalaí was given the Honourable Mention for Best Lead Actor.
Produced by Cúán Mac Conghail for Macalla Teo,Arracht is set in Ireland in 1845, and centres on Colmán Sharkey, a fisherman, a father, a husband, who takes in a stranger at the behest of a local priest. Patsy, a former soldier arrives just ahead of ‘the blight’, a crop disease that caused the Great Plague, killing and displacing millions of Irish people.
Alan Esslemont, Director General at TG4 says:
“TG4 congratulates Macalla and Arracht on yet another set of awards for this wonderful film from the Cine4 scheme. Bringing Irish language content to all screens has been at the heart of TG4’s vision for audiences, and the Cine4 funding brings world class Irish language film to a global audience. Arracht has been gaining critical acclaim since it premiered at the Tallinn Film Festival last November.
Arracht had its world premiere at the 23rd PÖFF Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, in Estonia in November 2019, its Irish premiere at the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival in February and its UK premiere at Glasgow Film Festival in March. Arrachtwas awarded Best Irish Film at the Virgin Media International Film Festival and picked up the Audience Award at the Glasgow Film Festival.
