IFTA Nominations 2026 / 12 Projects Cast with the Help of Fishpond

41 nominations. 12 projects. A community full of talent.

The IFTA Awards are always a powerful reminder of the incredible talent coming out of Ireland’s film and television community, and this year, we’re feeling especially proud. Let's take a moment to celebrate 41 nominations across 12 outstanding projects that were cast with the help of Fishpond, spanning film, television, and short film.

We're proud to host the space where casting directors and actors can connect and collaborate more easily. To the nominees, the casts, the crews and casting directors behind these projects, congratulations.

And to everyone building their career one step at a time: keep going. If you’re an actor reading this, especially one still waiting for that breakthrough, that first big credit, that audition that feels like it matters, let this be your reminder:

These projects are being made. These opportunities are real. And the industry is paying attention.

The path can be unpredictable. The gaps between jobs can feel long. But moments like this show that incredible work is happening all around us, and casting teams are constantly searching for new voices, new faces, and new talent. World-class productions aren’t happening somewhere else. They’re happening here and they’re being cast every day.

The awards will take place on Friday 20th of February, and you can read the full list of nominees here. We're always rooting for you.



Báite
• Director Ruán Magan
• Casting Mairéad Campbell
• Starring Eleanor O'Brien / Moe Dunford / Oisín Mistéil
• About A woman's body is found under the waters of a lake in the countryside, and the arrival of a Detective from Dublin is the last thing Peggy, the owner of Casey's Pub, needs as she tries to save her business and her family.



Blue Moon
• Director Richard Linklater
• Casting Áine O'Sullivan / Olivia Scott Webb / Simon Higgins / Diane Mabbett
• Starring Ethan Hawke / Bobby Cannavale / Andrew Scott
• About Tells the story of Lorenz Hart's struggles with alcoholism and mental health as he tries to save face during the opening of "Oklahoma!".



Leonard and Hungry Paul
• Director Andrew Chaplin
• Casting Karen Scully / Louise Kiely / Elise Brennan / Fionnuala O'Shea / Cynthia Ogidan
• Starring Alex Lawther / Laurie Kynaston / Jamie-Lee O'Donnell
• About Two gentle friends, Leonard and Hungry Paul, navigate life's challenges as overlooked nice guys, their journeys unfolding through humorous and poignant moments exploring themes of inciting change versus acceptance.



No Time Wasters
• Director Tara O'Callaghan
• Casting Emma Gunnery
• Starring Ellie Mejia / Peter Coonan / Grainne Keenan
• About A student on the brink of homelessness seeks refuge with a seemingly kind couple, only to be confronted with an impossible proposition that threatens her safety and dignity.



Ready or Not
• Director Claire Frances Byrne
• Casting Alison Crosbie / Maureen Hughes / Laura Quinn / Alison Rainsford
• Starring Ruby Conway Dunne / Alex Grendon / Molly Byrne
• About Katie and her friends from a small housing estate explore teenage boundaries and premature maturity, testing their deep friendships amid major changes as they navigate the complex grey areas of growing up.



Saipan
• Director Lisa Barros D'Sa / Glenn Leyburn
• Casting Aine O'Sullivan
• Starring Éanna Hardwicke / Steve Coogan / Peter McDonald
• About On the eve of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the Irish captain Roy Keane forfeits his place in the squad at the team's preparation base in Saipan, following a heated disagreement with the Irish manager Mick McCarthy.



Showkids
• Director Hugh O'Conor
• Casting Shauna Griffith
• Starring Flynn Gray / Philippa Dunne / Killian Sundermann
• About 12-year-old daydreamer Sam Curtain is signed up by his parents to Miss Jessop's Drama Academy for talented kids, where he discovers that anything is possible, if you imagine it hard enough.



The Au Pair
• Director Oonagh Kearney
• Casting Shakyra Dowling / Ali Coffey
• Starring Sally Bretton / Kenny Doughty / Ludmilla Makowski
• About Zoe Dalton has it all-a thriving business, happy marriage, two beloved stepchildren, and a dream home. But a mysterious Au Pair's hidden agenda pulls her into a web of secrets that could shatter everything.



The Rainmaker
• Director Russell Lee Fine / Randy Zisk / Michael Seitzman
• Casting Deanna Brigidi / Andrea Bunker / Emma Gunnery
• Starring Milo Callaghan / Lana Parrilla / Madison Iseman
• About Based on the 1995 novel by John Grisham, the series follows a young lawyer who finds himself trapped by the dangerous firm that has hired him.



Trad
• Director Lance Daly
• Casting Sarah Hone / Hilary McCarthy
• Starring Megan Nic Fhionnghaile / Aidan Gillen / Sarah Greene
• About A gifted young fiddle player runs away with a group of traveling musicians.



Video Nasty
• Director Christopher Smith / Megan K. Fox
• Casting Thyrza Ging / Louise Kiely
• Starring Justin Daniels Anene / Cal O'Driscoll / Leia Murphy
• About Three teenagers set out on a quest to complete a cult VHS collection. However, they are involved in the investigation of a murder, becoming prime suspects and public enemies.



Wednesday
• Director Tim Burton / James Marshall / Gandja Monteiro / Paco Cabezas / Angela Robinson
• Casting Sophie Holland / John Papsidera / Florina Fernandes / Emily Bohbrink / Fiona Weir
• Starring Jenna Ortega / Emma Myers / Hunter Doohan
• About Follows Wednesday Addams' years as a student, when she attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a killing spree, and solve the mystery that embroiled her parents.