Actor Expresses Pride as Belfast Film Wins IFTA Award
An actor involved in a Belfast-based short film has expressed pride following the production's success at the Irish Film and Television (IFTA) awards.
"I'm so proud to be a part of it,"said Jessica Reynolds, who is among the many local actors featured in the film.
The film Nostalgie won the Best Short Film award in the live action category on Friday night and has also been nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award, with the ceremony scheduled for Sunday.
"It's a big thing for Belfast,"Reynolds added, noting that international audiences are increasingly interested in stories from Northern Ireland due to their uniqueness.
Nostalgie stars Dublin actor Aidan Gillen and tells the story of a faded 1980s pop star on his first visit to Northern Ireland.
The production is based on a short story by Belfast author Wendy Erskine and directed by Kathryn Ferguson, also from Belfast.
"I'm a very small part of Nostalgie but I'm just so thrilled for Kathryn,"Reynolds told NI.
"I think she is someone to really look out for. What she's created from her first fiction film is quite astounding, it's such a beautiful short."
What is Nostalgie about?
Nostalgie narrates the fictional tale of Drew Lord Haig, an ageing English pop star who experienced success in the 1980s but has since faded from the public eye.
He is drawn out of retirement by an unexpected invitation to perform at an anniversary event in Northern Ireland.
Hoping to revisit his past fame, Drew accepts the offer without many questions. The invitation comes from a Belfast paramilitary group commemorating its centenary.
After performing his most famous hit, the audience remains unmoved. However, when he begins playing the long-forgotten B-side track "Nostalgie de la Boue," the crowd reacts enthusiastically.
Drew later discovers that the battalion had adopted this song during the Troubles as a rallying anthem.
The film features original music by Dan Smith, the lead singer of Bastille.
'What would Tina Turner think?'
Wendy Erskine, the author of Nostalgie, said she was intrigued by the concept of music and its ownership.
She cited Tina Turner's song "Simply The Best," which has been used by loyalist groups in Northern Ireland, as an example.
"What would Tina Turner think? Did she ever know how that song might have been reappropriated?"Erskine reflected.
While authors often relinquish some control when their stories are adapted for the screen, Erskine expressed enthusiasm for the film adaptation of her story.
"It's better than I had imagined it in my mind when I was writing this story,"she said.
She also noted that having a core cast and crew from the local area was beneficial in capturing the appropriate look and authentic dialogue for the film's characters.
"You could get a very exceptional person who is not from here but who is able to pick up on the nuances of things, for sure that could happen.
But... I knew it would be in really good hands with everybody who is from here, who would understand the atmosphere that I was trying to get,"Erskine added.
"For me it was brilliant that it was able to work out like that."
'Englishman's view' of Northern Ireland
Director Kathryn Ferguson has been pleased with audience responses during screenings of Nostalgie in Great Britain.
"They actually get the stoic Belfast humour,"Ferguson said.
"There was a concern, I guess, that that might be lost on people, but that seems to have landed which is great."
Ferguson, who has lived in England for over 20 years after leaving Belfast, was drawn to Erskine's story because it explores the perspective of an Englishman encountering modern-day Belfast.
She remarked that Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland as a whole currently enjoy significant cultural prominence, especially abroad.
"It seems to be very much culturally based on our music and our art and our writers and our filmmaking, but without really understanding where it's coming from and what's driving it,"Ferguson explained.
The director described a perceived apathy toward Northern Ireland and its post-conflict histories, with Nostalgie offering a nuanced exploration of this theme.
"I guess all of that to me was very potent to explore as a filmmaker. It's been fascinating showing the film in England."
Actor Feels Fortunate Amid Northern Ireland's Growing Film Scene
Jessica Reynolds, who grew up in Holywood, County Down, has appeared in productions such as Outlander, The House of Guinness, and Kneecap.
She commented on the recent growth and success of Northern Ireland's film and television industry.
"It's great to be alive and a working actor at this time because 10 years ago, even five years ago, it just wasn't really a thing and so yeah, I feel I've struck lucky."
Reynolds praised shows like Derry Girls for attracting international audiences and helping to dismantle previous barriers for local talent.
"Because there is a lot of complexity and nuance to our country, I think people almost didn't get the depth and the kind of humour that we have – I think it can be quite a complicated thing,"she said.
"It just took a while for people to catch up to it and realise the heart and the depth that is underneath."
The BAFTA Awards 2026 are scheduled for Sunday, 22 February. A full list of BAFTA nominations is available online.
