Donegal-born artist and filmmaker Myrid Carten has received her first IFTA nomination.
Carten is up for Best Film Director for her deeply personal production, A Want in Her.
The multi-award-winning film, released in cinemas last October, is a raw, honest portrayal of Myrid’s relationship with her alcoholic mother.
The true story goes back to the summer of 2020 when Nuala Carten, Myrid’s mother, goes missing from Derry.
Myrid returns from London to Gortahork to begin a search that takes her into a feuding family, a contested house; and a history that threatens to take everyone down, including herself.
Intimate, surprising, and often darkly funny conversations with her mother and other family members reveal the trials of loving someone who struggles with addiction and madness.
The film asks the universal question: how can we be with those we love without losing ourselves?
A Want in Her, which premiered at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) last year, has already picked up the Audience Award and the Documentary Award at the Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF).
It also won big at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) for Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary, Best Feature Documentary and The Raindance Maverick Award, which honours independent films made on tight budgets.
In the IFTA Director film category, Carten is up against Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn for Saipan, Brendan Canty for Christy, Lorcan Finnegan for The Surfer, Ruán Magan for Báite, and Edwin Mullane and Adam O’Keeffe for Horseshoe.
Cork-set coming-of-age drama Christy leads the IFTA 2026 film categories with 14 nominations, including in the Best Film, acting and directing races. Saipan follows with 12 nominations.
Award winners will be announced at the 23rd anniversary IFTA Awards Ceremony taking place on Friday, February 20th, 2026 at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, hosted for the second year running by comedian, actor and broadcaster Kevin McGahern.
This prestigious event will welcome Irish and international industry luminaries, celebrating artistic and technical brilliance while spotlighting the profound impact of Irish filmmaking craft and storytelling both domestically and globally.
This year, beloved actor Ciarán Hinds will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising his extraordinary contributions to cinema and television.
The Oscar-nominated actor has spent time in Donegal of late filming projects including In the Land of Saints and Sinners with Liam Neeson in 2022, and returning again in 2025 for The Man with the Urn.
Donegal director scoops IFTA nod with powerful film debut was last modified: January 20th, 2026 by Rachel McLaughlin
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