Irish language feature film Union It is Ireland’s nomination for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2027 Academy Awards. The Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) revealed the selections for the 99th Academy Awards on Friday.
“The film follows in the footsteps of the Oscar-nominated film The silent girl (The quiet girl) (2023) and shortlisted Oscar winner Patella (2024),” IFTA said.
Directed by Damian McCann, Union It is a heist thriller film starring Carrie Crowley (The quiet girl/The silent girl), Brid Brennan, Eva-Jane Gaffney, Sean T. Millay, Marcus Lamb and Art Parkinson. Narrated in reverse chronology, the film follows three unlikely thieves, led by a woman on the verge of collapse, who rob a rural Irish credit union, beginning with “the tragic aftermath of a heist gone wrong,” as the film’s synopsis states. “What begins as a poorly executed robbery becomes a portrait of a willful woman trapped in her past.”
“Union” means “Union”.
Written by Sarah Gordon and Damien McCann, the film is produced by Órfhlaith Ní Chearnaigh and Christopher Myers for Púca Pictures, with funding from TG4, BBC Gaeilge and Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcasting Fund, with support from Yellowmoon.
“What an interesting and clever twist on the classic bank robbery story, with strong female performances at its core by Carrie Crawley, Brid Brennan and Eva-Jane Gaffney,” said IFTA Chief Executive, Annie Moriarty. “This wonderful Irish-language film resonates with audiences around the world.”
Director McCann added: “I was getting some rain-soaked laundry when the news arrived – what a turn of the day! We’ve been overwhelmed by the film’s journey so far.”
He added: “My writing partner Sarah Gordon and I wrote the script in our attic and filmed over 18 rainy days in the Antrim Valleys. We never imagined this would be where the journey would take us, but it’s testament to the incredible earnestness and boundless optimism of our cast and crew.”
The quiet girl (The silent girl) is the only Irish-language film to date to receive a nomination in the International Oscars category.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will reveal the 15 films shortlisted for Best International Feature Film on December 15. The five nominees will be announced on January 21, 2027. The 99th Academy Awards will be held on March 14, 2027.
