Ireland Selects Heist Thriller Aontas for 2027 Oscars

The Irish Film and Television Academy has selected the Irish-language heist thriller "Aontas" to represent Ireland in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. The announcement, made on August 28, 2026, confirms the film as the country's official submission for the Oscars ceremony scheduled for March 14, 2027, in Los Angeles.

Directed by Damian McCann, "Aontas" is a reverse-chronology story that opens in the aftermath of a botched robbery at a rural Irish credit union. It then unfolds backward to reveal the events leading to the crime, following three unlikely thieves led by a woman on the verge of a breakdown. The film stars Carrie Crowley, Bríd Brennan, and EvaJane Gaffney, with additional performances by Seán T. Ó Meallaigh, Marcus Lamb, and Art Parkinson.

The selection was made by an IFTA committee that included filmmakers Lee Cronin, Lisa McGee, Brian Kirk, and Kathryn Ferguson, among others. IFTA Chief Executive Áine Moriarty praised the film as "an intriguing and clever twist on the classic bank heist narrative, with powerful female performances at its core." She noted that the film is resonating with audiences worldwide.