Northern Ireland short film Boogaloo and Graham receives Oscar® nomination
Date Posted: January 15, 2015
Northern Ireland short film, Boogaloo and Graham, directed by Michael Lennox, produced by Brian Falconer and written by Ronan Blaney has received an Academy Award® nomination in the live action short category.
Boogaloo and Graham, filmed entirely on location in Northern Ireland, is set in 1970s Belfast and follows two young boys who discover the facts of life, aided by the help of their pet chickens. Martin McCann (The Survivalist, Jump, Whole Lotta Sole), Charlene McKenna (Jump, Ripper Street) and Jonathan Harden (Five Minutes of Heaven, Fifty Dead Men Walking) star. Boogaloo and Graham was made with funding from Northern Ireland Screen as part of the BFI NET.WORK.
On learning of the nomination, Director, Michael Lennox said: “I first heard about being on the long-list the night before I started filming my first feature. It gave me such a boost! Now that the film is actually nominated, it is really overwhelming and such an honour for all the cast and crew involved to be recognised by the Academy. It’s a great time for us, there’s a fabulous, creative vibe in Northern Ireland right now and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Producer, Brian Falconer said: “The news today that our film Boogaloo and Graham, which we made over 4 days in Belfast in April 2014 is Oscar nominated is hard to believe. When we received the Bafta nomination I thought I could die happy and now for our team to ‘do the double’ is amazing. But in saying that, the first thing I said to Michael was “if we do this right, we could win the Oscar”. The quality of the script from writer Ronan Blaney, accompanied by the amazing crew and directed by the incredible Michael Lennox, I always thought this film was destined for greatness.”
Richard Williams, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Screen, said: “We are incredibly proud of Michael Lennox, Ronan Blaney and Brian Falconer and all the talented crew that made Boogaloo and Graham. An Oscar nomination is such an amazing endorsement for these young filmmakers. This is a wonderful short film and is made all the more special because Michael has just finished filming his first feature film. With new filmmakers breaking through on shorts and first features, we’ve got a lot to be proud of, and much to look forward to. We must also acknowledge the continued support of the British Film Institute, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland and DCAL. Together we’re creating an eco system that can allow our finest talents to fly.”
The 87th Academy Awards nominations were announced live this morning at 5:30am PT by directors Alfonso Cuarón and J.J. Abrams in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theatre. The Oscars® will be held on Sunday 22nd February, at the Dolby Theatre® in Hollywood, and will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
Michael Lennox is currently in post-production on his debut feature film A Patch of Fog. The gripping psychological thriller written by local men Michael McCartney and John Cairns filmed in Northern Ireland at the end of last year. It stars Stephen Graham (This is England, Boardwalk Empire), Conleth Hill (Suits, Game of Thrones), Arsher Ali (Four Lions, The Missing) and Ian McElhinney (Game of Thrones, The Fall).
The story involves a celebrated novelist and TV personality who finds his reputation on the line and his life invaded by a lonely security guard when caught shoplifting. The script was a winner of Northern Ireland Screen’s New Talent Focus scheme in 2011.
