Celebratory mood at Oscar parties even before results

THE IRISH went to Hollywood en masse last night for the Oscars and a little bit of Oscar night came to Ireland.

A life-size statue of Oscar stood sentinel at the entrance to the Residence club in St Stephen’s Green as one of the nominated Irish film companies settled in for a nervous night to party and watch the ceremony.

For those from Brown Bag films who couldn’t make it to Los Angeles, the mood was celebratory. They arrived in their tuxedos and party dresses and handed out fake Oscars to each other.

“The morale of the whole team has gone through the roof just by being nominated. There is such a buzz. It means that all the long hours have paid off,” said Gillian Higgins, head of TV production at Dublin-based Brown Bag.

Brown Bag was assured one vote from academy member David McCamley, now a director in the company. He said the nomination, following on from one eight years ago for Give Up Yer Auld Sins, has attracted work offers from all over the world.

Luckily, the future of Granny is secure irrespective of last night’s awards. Brown Bag is in development with RTÉ for a half-hour Christmas special and there is huge interest overseas in the old lady with her twisted take on well-loved fairy tales. The short film has already won 11 national and international awards.

Last night saw five Irish nominees from five different films, a vintage year by any standards.

The Irish in Los Angeles promised to party come what may after the ceremony at Dillon’s Irish Pub near the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles where the Oscar ceremony took place.

Up to 150 people from Cartoon Saloon in Kilkenny, including family and friends, gathered in the Set Theatre in Kilkenny city to celebrate the surprise inclusion of The Secret of Kells in the best animated film category. They too had red carpet arrivals and a mock Oscar ceremony in the run-up to the main awards.

Art director Ross Stewart, who stayed behind in Kilkenny, said: “Just to see a clip of our film being shown to a worldwide audience is enough for us. That’s the best exposure you could possibly hope for.”

The director of The Doors, the other homegrown film up for a nomination, admitted she was “sick with nerves” ahead of last night’s event. The film, about the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, has been made by Bray-based Octagon Films.

In her Oscar blog, Juanita Wilson said being nominated for the best short film was “life changing in terms of making more movies.” Another Irish nominee Richie Baneham, who went to Ballyfermot College of Further Education (BCFE), was hopeful of an Oscar for visual effects on Avatar. He has already won a Bafta.

The other Irish nominee was Peter J Devlin, who was nominated in the best sound category for his work on Star Trek.