Irish film becomes early frontrunner at Bafta awards with 14 nominations

The Banshees Of Inisherin, the black comedy-drama written and directed by Oscar-winner Martin McDonagh and starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, has become an early frontrunner at this year's Baftas after being longlisted in 14 categories. 

These include best film, director and leading actor for Farrell.

The film, set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland, sees Farrell’s character devastated when his friend, played by Gleeson, puts an end to their life-long friendship.

However, the Netflix anti-war epic All Quiet On The Western Front nudges ahead of Banshees with 15 nominations. 

The film, directed by Edward Berger and based on the 1929 novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque, features on the lists for best film and director.

Quirky science-fiction thriller Everything Everywhere All At Once and Baz Luhrmann’s biopic of Elvis are both longlisted in 12 categories.

Top Gun: Maverick appears in eight categories, as do Babylon, Tar and Aftersun (starring Irish actor, Paul Mescal), which was the big winner at the recent British Independent Film Awards. 

Blockbuster action sequel Maverick, in which Tom Cruise reprises the role of US pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell nearly four decades since the original film, was recently announced as the biggest selling home entertainment movie in 2022, selling more than 1.2 million copies.

The longlists determine which films advance to the nominating stage of voting and are not the final shortlists.

The 24 longlist categories span best film, cinematography, casting, documentary, film not in the English language, and more.

Bafta Film Committee chairwoman Anna Higgs said: “The publication of the EE Bafta Film Awards Longlist is a very special moment to recognise the wide range of exceptional crafts, performances and productions that make the magic of films a reality.

“To be longlisted is a fantastic achievement amidst the phenomenal films released in the last year.

“Sharing the list ahead of the nominations will hopefully inspire the public to watch as many films as possible and join in the conversation as excitement builds for the awards.”

The final nominations will be announced via a livestream hosted by actors Hayley Atwell and Toheeb Jimoh on Thursday January 19 at midday, with the ceremony due to take place on February 19.