Donegal artist and filmmaker Myrid Carten has received a second prestigious IFTA nod ahead of this Friday’s ceremony.
In January, Myrid learned of her nomination for Best Film Director for her deeply personal production, A Want in Her.
Now, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland has also put her forward for a Rising Star Award.
Selected by a special jury and sponsored by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, this Rising Star Award is a unique IFTA Award, in that it puts an international spotlight on Irish professionals who have honed their craft in their formative years and have excelled in their respective fields.
Myrid’s fellow Rising Star nominees also include actors Carolyn Bracken for Horseshoe and Oddity and Louisa Harland for The Walsh Sisters and Derry Girls, alongside director Brendan Canty for Christy and Gealtra.
Previous winners of the Rising Star Award include for example; Saoirse Ronan, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Dornan, Nicola Coughlan, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Boyle, Siobhán Cullen and Sarah Greene, all of whom have gone on to garner recognition and accolades both in Ireland and internationally.
On her selection, Myrid said: “I’m delighted to be nominated for this award – when you make a film like this, you don’t know where it’ll end up. Or where you’ll end up! I hope this nomination is a sign of things to come.”
Originally from the Donegal Gaeltacht, Myriad Carten trained in Artists’ Film at Goldsmiths University London and Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, UAL.
She received the Arts Council of Ireland’s Next Generation Artist Award 2018-19.
Her films have screened internationally and been supported by the BFI, Doc Society, Screen Ireland, NI Screen, New Dawn Fund and the Netherlands Film Fund. Meanwhile, her art has been exhibited at Hugh Lane Gallery, Lismore Castle Arts, Sadler’s Wells London and more, and is in the Arts Council of Ireland’s and Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s national collections.
A Want in Her is her feature documentary debut, for which she has received IFTA nominations for Best Director and George Morrison Feature Documentary, a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding Debut, and three British Independent Film Awards including Debut Director.
The multi-award-winning film, released in cinemas last October, is a raw, honest portrayal of Myrid’s relationship with her alcoholic mother.
The film asks the universal question: how can we be with those we love without losing ourselves?
The 2026 IFTA Awards Ceremony takes place on Friday, February 20th at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. The Ceremony will be hosted by Kevin McGahern, while iconic Irish actor Ciarán Hinds will be presented with IFTA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Donegal director’s delight at second IFTA nomination was last modified: February 16th, 2026 by Staff Writer
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