Academy Members

Academy Award winner Neil Jordan has been making celebrated films for four decades, directing some of the big screen's most iconic stars, including Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Michael Caine & Peter O'Toole.

Jim Sheridan is an award-winning Irish writer and director. He has directed iconic Irish films (working in collaboration with Daniel Day Lewis) such as My Left Foot which won Oscars for Daniel Day Lewis and Brenda Fricker.

With an inspirational career spanning almost five decades, John Boorman has been nominated for five Oscars, three BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, two Golden Bears and won the Cannes Best Director award twice.

John Crowley is an award winning director, currently nominated for Outstanding British Film for ‘Brooklyn’.

Selected as one of Variety's top ten directors to watch in 2011 based on the critical success of her first feature As If I am Not There, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Lisa Mulcahy is an award winning writer and director. Having directed numerous TV dramas and documentaries including On Home Ground, Raging Bulls, The Clinic and Dan Dan, Dad & Me.

Peter Foott is one of Ireland's leading screen talents in comedy, most notably with his debut feature film 'The Young Offenders', which has earned him international celebration.

Terry McMahon is an Irish director, producer, writer and actor, best known for his roles in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins as well as writing and directing the Irish films Charlie Casanova and Patrick's Day.

John Butler is the writer and director of the Irish box-office hit The Stag (2013) and Handsome Devil (2017). Butler also created the IFTA-winning TV sketch show Your Bad Self .

Mark O'Connor is an Irish director known for such films as 'Stalker' and 'Cardboard Gangsters'. He has been nominated for an IFTA for his work on 'Cardboard Gangsters'.

Aisling Walsh is an Irish screenwriter and director. Her work has screened at festivals around the world and she has won several accolades, including a BAFTA TV Award and an IFTA Award.

Cathy Brady is a three-time IFTA-winning director, having won Best Short in 2011 for her first film 'Small Change' and again in 2013 for 'Morning', before going on to win Best Director - Film for 'Wildfire' in 2021.

Dearbhla Walsh is an award-winning Irish film and television director who has worked on drama series for several television channels in Ireland and the UK.

What Richard Did' is Lenny Abrahamson' third feature; past work includes the critically and commercially acclaimed Adam & Paul and Garage, the latter of which won the CICAE award

David Caffrey gained critical acclaim with his feature directorial debut Divorcing Jack, released in 1998, marking his successful transition from award-winning short films.

Director Gerard Barrett won the IFTA Rising Star Award in 2013 for his writing and directorial feature film debut Pilgrim Hill.

After starting off her career directing episodes of the long-running RTC drama Fair City, established herself in the UK directing popular shows including Casualty and Holby City.Her direction on drama Happy Valley earned her an IFTA Award in 2016.

Lorcan Finnegan has risen to acclaim at home and internationally with his genre-defying thriller 'Without Name'.

Ciaran Donnelly is an Irish film and television director who is primarily known for his direction of major international series such as Camelot, The Tudors, Titanic: Blood and Steel and Vikings.

Terry George is a writer and producer, known for Hotel Rwanda (2004), In the Name of the Father (1993) and Some Mother's Son (1996).

Anthony Byrne is an Irish writer and director, best known for directing large scale international dramas.

Frank Berry is a writer and director who has received awards for his films 'I used to Live Here' and the IFTA winning 'Michael Inside'.

Paddy Breathnach is an IFTA Award-winning director and producer from Dublin. Paddy has directed 'I Went Down', 'Man About Dog', and IFTA-winning 'Rosie'.

Hannah Quinn is an IFTA Award-winning director who has directed 'Fate: The Winx Saga', 'Eastenders', and IFTA-winning 'Vikings:Valhalla'.