Oscar winners swap Hollywood fizz for Belfast tea and traybakes

  • UTV's Marc Mallet attends the tea and traybakes reception alongside the Oscar winners in Belfast


What a difference a week makes.

Last week, they were partying with the Hollywood glitterati at Elton John's and then Vanity Fair's post Oscars bashes.

Today, it was tea and traybakes in the Lord Mayor's parlour at Belfast City Hall.

Star James Martin said: "Meeting the Lord Mayor for the second time is just amazing and I'd like to thank her for hosting today.

"It's just nice to be here now, representing Belfast and Northern Ireland."

Martin was joined by, co-star Paddy Jenkins and one of the film's directors and writers, Ross White, to celebrate their recent Oscar and BAFTA success.

White said the last week has been the maddest of his life.

"It's just been so surreal," he said.

"We stayed in LA for the first three days after the Oscars, just celebrating there with our friends and family.

"Then to come home, to feel the buzz around the place about this. And people are watching it now.

"And that's the dream as a filmmaker to get eyeballs on the film. And this helps that."

'An Irish Goodbye' star James Martin shares a joke with Lord Mayor of Belfast, Cllr Tina Black Credit: UTV

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tina Black, is a big fan of the short film.

She said: "Absolutely comedic genius. But also those touching moments that I think are really unique to our place where we meet sadness with humour.

"The film is absolutely phenomenal. It's a creative gem.

"I don't think I've ever watched one better and to have the guys in the parlour here - it's totally made my year".

Paddy Jenkins, who also stars in the short film, says the movie has helped to shine a positive light on Northern Ireland.

He said: "It's a lovely part of the world to be from. And the world is now getting to see this lovely part of the world.

"We're in a very special place at the moment".

The Lord Mayor thinks it's the right time for Northern Ireland to build on the success of 'An Irish Goodbye'.

She said: "The guys had to crowdfund to create this masterpiece, so hopefully there'll be more funding going towards the creative industries.

"We're developing Studio Ulster at the minute with Ulster University, but there are also some funding streams here to help individual artists and the creative sector as a whole.

"I really do think the next few years we should be streamlining processes to ensure that support is focused among the creative sectors."

The team will continue to bask in their Oscar glory for a few more weeks.

A number of cinema screenings of 'An Irish Goodbye' will take place throughout the country. After that, it's back to the day job.

"I'll keep doing my day job, hopefully" says James.

"And get back to my normal week - my drama club on a Monday night and meeting my Mencap family."

"I think a lot of people now are understandably, quite eagerly anticipating what is coming next" according to Ross.

"You've just got to try and block out that noise. We didn't set out to make an Oscar-winning film.

"That was never the plan. We just wanted to make something we loved.

"So we've just got to keep making things we love!"


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