The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) has announced that the Irish-language feature thriller Aontas has been selected to represent Ireland in the International Feature Film category for the upcoming 99th annual Academy Awards.
It follows in the footsteps of the Oscar-nominated An Cailín Ciúin (2023) and the Oscar-shortlisted Kneecap (2024) in representing Ireland.
The shortlist for the International Feature Film Oscar will be announced on Tuesday, 15 December. The final five nominees will be announced on Thursday, 21 January 2027.
The Oscars take place in Los Angeles on Sunday, 14 March 2027.
Directed by Damian McCann (Doineann), the award-winning Aontas stars Carrie Crowley (An Cailín Ciúin, Smother), Bríd Brennan (Shadow Dancer, Doineann), and Eva-Jane Gaffney (Kin, Harry Wild).
Aontas is produced by Órfhlaith Ní Chearnaigh (Aonaracht) and Christopher Myers (Doineann) and written by Sarah Gordon and Damian McCann.
It is the first feature from the new bilingual company Púca Pictures and is available to watch on the TG4 player.
“Three unlikely thieves, led by a woman on the verge of a breakdown, rob a rural Irish Credit Union,” says the synopsis.
“Opening in the tragic aftermath of the heist-gone-wrong, Aontas unfolds backwards, chapter by chapter to unravel the events that led to this point.
“What starts as a poorly executed robbery becomes a portrait of a wilful woman trapped in her own past.”
Aontas was filmed in March 2024 in Glenarm, Co Antrim, and post-production was completed at Yellowmoon Postproduction in Holywood, Co Down.
It was funded by TG4, BBC Gaeilge, and Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund with support from Yellowmoon.
“Three unlikely thieves, led by a woman on the verge of a breakdown, rob a rural Irish Credit Union,” says the synopsis for Aontas
Áine Moriarty, IFTA Chief Executive, said: “IFTA is delighted to announce that Aontas will represent Ireland in the upcoming International Feature Film category at the Oscars.
“What an intriguing and clever twist on the classic bank heist narrative, with powerful female performances at its core by Carrie Crowley, Bríd Brennan, and Eva-Jane Gaffney.
“This wonderful Irish-language film is resonating with audiences worldwide – congratulations to the filmmakers, cast and crew.”
Director Damian McCann added: “It is such an honour that Aontas has been selected to represent Ireland at the 99th Academy Awards.
“Thank you so much to IFTA and to the committee for their support.
“I was bringing some soggy washing in out of the rain when the news arrived – what a turnaround of a day!
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the film’s journey so far – what feels like a very specifically Irish story seems to have really resonated with international audiences.”
Aontas (actor Art Parkinson pictured) is available to watch on the TG4 player
“My co-writer Sarah Gordon and I wrote the script in the attic of our house and we shot over 18 rainy days in the Glens of Antrim,” the director continued.
“We could never have imagined that this is where the journey might take us, but it’s a testament to the staggering graft and boundless optimism of our cast and crew.
“I’m particularly proud to follow the Irish-language films that have already blazed this trail – the result of a deliberate and ambitious decades-long investment in filmmaking as Gaeilge.
“In that spirit, I’d like to thank the film’s funders – the same people who have been backing my work for twenty years – the Irish Language Broadcast Fund, TG4, BBC Gaeilge, and Yellowmoon. Go n-éirí an bóthar linn!”
Aontas was selected as Ireland’s International Feature Film entry by IFTA’s 2026 selection committee of writer Lisa McGee (Derry Girls, How to Get to Heaven from Belfast), actor and filmmaker Aisha Tyler (Friends, I Hope We Can Still Be Friends), actor Fionnuala Flaherty (Kneecap, Foscadh), directors Brian Kirk (Game of Thrones, 21 Bridges), Kathryn Ferguson (Nothing Compares, Nostalgie), and Lee Cronin (Evil Dead Rise, The Mummy), and Áine Moriarty, IFTA Chief Executive.