Ireland is sending The Quiet Girl to the Oscars

The Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) has selected Colm Bairéad’s Irish language film The Quiet Girl (‘An Cailín Ciúin’) as Ireland’s entry for the Oscars in the Best International Feature Film category at the 95th Academy Awards.

Set in rural Ireland in 1981, the coming-of-age film follows Cáit (Catherine Clinch) who is sent from her overcrowded, dysfunctional household to spend the summer with distant relatives. It recently became the first Irish language film to win the Irish Academy Award for Best Film, receiving seven awards including Director, Actress, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design and Original Score.

The film was selected by IFTA’s 2023 Irish Selection Committee, which includes producer and Emmy-nominated actor Roma Downey (“Ben-Hur”), Oscar-nominated actor John C. Reilly (“Chicago”), producer and Paramount TV Executive Vice President of International Strategy includes David Flynn (“Bodkin”), Oscar-nominated director Jim Sheridan (“My Left Foot”), director Aisling Walsh (“Maudie”) and actress Fionnula Flanagan (“The Others”). The committee was chaired by the Academy’s CEO, Áine Moriarty.

Moriarty said: “This is such a unique and beautiful film that captures your heart from the start and leaves you deeply moved. How proud we are to submit this outstanding Irish language film to the Oscars competition to compete with the best in the world as we know this story will resonate with international audiences beyond language borders and no doubt members as well of the American Academy.”

Inscéal’s Bairéad and producer Cleona Ní Chrualaoi added: “We are incredibly honored that An Cailín Ciúin/The Quiet Girl has been chosen to represent Ireland. Our heartfelt thanks go to the IFTA and its selection committee. We have always believed in the idea that an Irish language film could stand side by side with the best of world cinema and we are so proud to represent our country and language in this way. It has been an extraordinary privilege to adapt Claire Keegan’s Foster for the big screen and we can’t wait to introduce our film to more and more members of the Academy as The Quiet Girl continues its roll-out on the international stage. ”

‘The Quiet Girl’ was produced by Ní Chrualaoí under the Cine4 support scheme for Irish language films in association with Screen Ireland, TG4 and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and the film will also benefit from the Irish Government Department 481 tax incentive.

The international film contenders will next be shortlisted from 15 finalists on December 21st. These will then be finally shortlisted on January 24, 2023 among the last five Oscar nominees in the category. The 95th Academy Awards ceremony is currently scheduled for March 12, 2023 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

Bankside Films will handle worldwide sales of The Quiet Girl.