Belfast at The Oscars

The NI Film & TV sector has been absolutely buzzing with the news that Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast, has been nominated for not one, but a record-breaking seven Oscars at the 2022 Academy Awards.

Whilst the film was not shot in Belfast (save for some establishing shots), it did receive funding from Northern Ireland Screen and has brought new, positive attention to Northern Ireland’s capital city on the world-wide stage of the Oscars, BAFTA’s, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the Golden Globes, to name just a few.

Belfast-Born writer-director of the film has broken an Oscar record having now received seven nominations in seven different categories throughout his career (the previous record being 6 nominations in six categories held by George Clooney & Walt Disney)

Whilst this is brilliant, record-breaking news for Northern Ireland, it’s certainly not the first time the city has been recognised in the Film & Television sector on this level of prestige and scale. 

Ballycastle-Born Sound Mixer Ronan Hill has taken home 5 Emmy’s (from 7 nominations) for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series for his work on Game of Thrones

And let’s not leave out Twinbrook native Terry & Oorlagh George, who are the only father & daughter duo to ever take home an Oscar in the 'Best Short Movie' category for their short ‘The Shore.’

Back to the talk of the town at the moment, Belfast, I have to say that I am absolutely delighted at how the film has been received globally.

Even though the majority of it was shot in England, (Northern Ireland’s studios & crews were booked & busy at the time of filming, as well as issues with COVID and locations) I believe that Belfast’s success on the worldwide stage of the Oscars & Golden Globes is a fantastic thing for this country.

My interpretation of Belfast is that it’s ultimately a story about a family, and I love that it acknowledges Northern Ireland’s history of conflict without dwelling on it. I thought it was a very warm & affectionate representation of Northern Irish people, family and community dynamics. 

In my book, any positive attention on Northern Ireland is a great thing, especially when it comes to Oscar Buzz, as I hope to be the one bringing it someday.

Stacey Xx