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IFTA nominations for TG4 films Aontas & Báite highlight Irish talent

20.01.26

TG4 films Aontas & Báite receive nominations for IFTAs 2026

TG4 films have charmed the Academy Voting Members this year receiving 10 nominations for films Aontas & Báite. Aontas has received 6 nominations and Báite is named in 4 categories.
 

In Aontas we meet three unlikely thieves, led by a woman on the verge of a breakdown, rob a rural Irish credit union. Opening in the tragic aftermath of the heist-gone-wrong, the story uses reverse chronology to unravel the events that led to this point.
 

 
Aontas is about the choices that change our path, the moments we get trapped in, and how we’re prisoners of our memories. Starring Carrie Crowley, Bríd Brennan, Eva- Jane Gaffney, Seán T Ó Meallaigh and Marcus Lamb.  Produced by Púca Pictures through Gealán- the Irish Language drama initiative from Northern Ireland’s Irish Language Broadcasting Fund, TG4 and BBC Gaeilge with support from Yellowmoon. 

Aontas has previously won Best Film Feature at the following festivals; San Diego International Film Festival 2025, San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, Maryland International Film Festival, Three Rivers Film Festival, Manchester International Film Festival and Irish Film Festival London.
 

The full list of nominations for Aontas are: 

• Best Film
• Script Film – Sarah Gordon & Damian McCann
• Lead Actress in Film – Carrie Crowley
• Supporting Actor in Film – Seán T. Ó Meallaigh
• Supporting Actress in Film – Bríd Brennan
• Original Music – Daithí Ó Drónaí

 
 

Báite, a powerful Irish-language film produced under the Cine4 scheme, has received 4 nominations.
 

 
Báite is a haunting mystery, steeped in secrets long held beneath the surface. Set in September 1975, the film opens on what seems like an ordinary day for Peggy Casey as she readies her pub for a bustling fishing weekend—business she can ill afford to lose. But the calm is shattered when a body is discovered in the retreating waters of a nearby lake, sending shockwaves through the small Irish town and dragging the past back into the light.

Sent from Dublin to investigate, Detective Sergeant Frank Ryan soon uncovers truths that expose the valley’s troubled and unsettling past. Starring Eleanor O’Brien, Moe Dunford, Oisín Mistéil, Fionnuala Gygax, and Mark Mac Gearailt, and was filmed in Conamara in summer 2023. Produced by Siobhán Ní Ghadhra and John Brady of Danú Media, the film was supported by TG4, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Section 481, and Coimisiún na Meán. 

The film premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh 2025 where it won the Best Irish Language Feature Film. It also received the Audience Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival. 
 

The full list of nominations for Báite are: 

• Lead Actress in Film – Eleanor O’Brien
• Best Director in Film – Ruán Magan
• Script Film – Sheena Lambert
• Original Music – Eimear Noone, Craig Stuart Garfinkle

 

This is another great day for Irish language films and for TG4. The recognition of these films at the 2026 Irish Film & Television Academy Awards is a testament to the incredible talent and creativity within the Irish film industry.  

Mary Ellen Ní Chualáin, TG4’s Commissioning Manager, added: “TG4 is immensely proud of the recognition our films have received at this year’s IFTA Awards. It reflects the strength and creative talent of the Irish-language independent production sector, and the dedication of the TG4 team who support and champion this work. Comhghairdeas to all the nominees.”
 

The 23rd anniversary IFTA Awards Ceremony will take place on Friday, February 20th at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, where the winners will be announced.