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Irish-language heist thriller Aontas has been selected as Ireland’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2027 Academy Awards.
The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) announced the selection on Friday for the 99th Academy Awards.
Directed by Damian McCann, Aontas stars Carrie Crowley, Bríd Brennan, Eva-Jane Gaffney, Seán T. Ó Meallaigh, Marcus Lamb and Art Parkinson. The film is told in reverse chronology and follows three unlikely thieves, led by a woman on the verge of a breakdown, who rob a rural Irish credit union.
The story opens with the aftermath of the robbery going wrong and gradually explores the circumstances that led to the crime. The title Aontas means “union”.
Written by Sarah Gordon and McCann, the film was produced by Órfhlaith Ní Chearnaigh and Christopher Myers for Púca Pictures. It received funding from TG4, BBC Gaeilge and Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund, with additional support from Yellowmoon.
IFTA said the film follows the path of Irish-language productions An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl), which received an Oscar nomination in 2023, and Kneecap, which was shortlisted in 2024.
IFTA CEO Áine Moriarty praised the film’s unconventional take on the bank-heist genre and highlighted its leading female performances.
McCann said he and co-writer Gordon wrote the screenplay in their attic and filmed the movie over 18 rainy days in the Glens of Antrim.
The selection marks another significant step for Irish-language cinema as Aontas begins its campaign for a place among the nominees for the 2027 Oscars.