The Irish Film & Television Academy has chosen to honor Ciarán Hinds with the Irish Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement, a recognition that feels both inevitable and richly deserved for an actor whose five-decade career has left an indelible mark on screens both at home and around the world. The Belfast-born performer will receive the award at the 23rd Anniversary IFTA Awards Ceremony on February 20th at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, with comedian and actor Kevin McGahern hosting an evening that promises to gather industry colleagues, friends, and family to celebrate a truly remarkable body of work.
What sets Hinds apart is not merely the longevity of his career but the extraordinary caliber of collaborators he has attracted throughout it. An Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominee who has already claimed five IFTA awards, Hinds has worked with a constellation of cinema’s most celebrated filmmakers—Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Kathryn Bigelow, Paul Thomas Anderson, Kenneth Branagh, and John Boorman among them. These are directors who choose their actors with exacting care, and their repeated trust in Hinds speaks volumes about his craft. Similarly, his screen partners read like a roster of acting royalty: Judi Dench, Liam Neeson, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Frances McDormand, and Florence Pugh have all shared scenes with him, each collaboration adding another layer to an already rich tapestry of performances.
Hinds himself responded to the news with characteristic grace and humility, expressing deep gratitude to IFTA for the recognition and praising the organization’s support for the cinematic and televisual arts over more than twenty years. His journey began after training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, followed by formative years at the Glasgow Citizens’ Theatre before making his film debut in EXCALIBUR. That early role inaugurated a screen presence that would eventually culminate in an Oscar nomination for his deeply moving performance in BELFAST in 2022, a film that allowed him to return to his roots and draw upon the very streets and struggles that shaped him. Now, with upcoming projects including IS THIS THING ON?, MIDWINTER BREAK, and Netflix’s EAST OF EDEN on the horizon, Hinds shows no signs of slowing down, continuing to choose roles that challenge and illuminate, carrying forward a legacy that has made him one of Ireland’s most treasured exports to the world of international cinema.
@hozier and HAMNET actress Jessie Buckley have teamed up for FAIRY TALE OF NEW YORK.
As part of Shane MacGowan’s tribute album, 20th CENTURY PADDY, they join @u2, @springsteen and @kingfishrofficial on 36 tracks that span the length of MacGowan’s musical career.
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Brendan Gleeson is back, and he’s carrying a whole town on his shoulders🔥
In THE GOOD DAUGHTER, Gleeson plays Rusty Quinn, a rumpled, fearless defense attorney in rural Pikeville, Georgia, the man who defends the town’s outcasts and drives corrupt authorities mad.
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Jamie Dornan opens up to @latenightseth about the intense prep for the upcoming thriller 12 12 12.
He also looks back on hosting Saturday Night Live and shares his excitement about stepping into the Lord of the Rings universe. 💍⚔️
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Before the stage, before the screen, before FLEABAG, there was porridge.🥣
Andrew Scott joins @jimmykimmell and takes us back to his very first acting gig as a kid: an Irish porridge commercial. Yes, really.
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
DERRY GIRLS darling @nicolacoughlan returns to our TVs in I AM HELEN.
This critically acclaimed BAFTA-winning anthology series pairs Coughlan with PEAKY BLINDERS star Joe Cole!
Watch new trailer now via 🔗︎ in bio!
BROOKLYN fans, this one is for you 🎬
Caitríona Balfe is back in a Colm Tóibín adaptation, and A LONG WINTER lands in cinemas this January 2027. Based on Tóibín’s 2006 short story, the film casts Caitríona as Louise, a mother at the heart of a stark, emotional drama.
More details via 🔗︎ in bio!
Mayo`s own @philippa.dunne is pure joy!
On this week`s @latelaterte, Philippa shares childhood memories of growing up in Mayo that shaped her, and what it’s really like to bring unforgettable characters to life on screen.
If you love Irish screen stories told by the people who live them, watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Everyone`s favourite Andrew returns to the @britishfilminstitute London Film Festival with his new film ELSINORE.
Few actors of the stage and screen have attracted as much acclaim in recent years as Andrew Scott, both for the emotional depth of his performances and for the subtlety and nuance he brings to them.
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Like father, like son!
Aran Murphy is following in his father Cillian`s footsteps with a major role in the new @sharonhorgan show YOUTH.
The 19-year-old is relatively new to the acting world but has had a very busy few months as of late, stepping out on red carpets and giving plenty of interviews for his first roles.
Let`s hear it for Ireland`s next wave of amazing acting talent!
