Ronan & Brosnan Make Critics’ Circle Shortlist 21 Dec 2010 :

Both Saoirse Ronan and Pierce Brosnan have received Critics’ Circle Film Award nominations. Pierce has been nominated in the category of British Actor in a Supporting Role for ‘The Ghost’ whilst Saoirse has been shortlisted in the category of Young British Performer of the Year for ‘The Way Back’.

Though both actors are Irish, a note on the Critics’ Circle Film Awards website explains that the word ‘British’ in the title of the awards is simply to distinguish them from the general best actor/director/film awards. Irish citizens are eligible for these awards but the awards organisers are of the opinion that many Irish actors and directors work on what are technically British films. ”There is no intention to suggest that Irish talent is British should an Irish citizen be nominated in the "British" categories and all Irish nominees know this. It simply recognises the complex nature of film making, a collaborative affair often crossing national boundaries,”it concludes.

Golden Globe nominee Pierce Brosnan has been shortlisted in the category of British Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in Roman Polanski’s thriller, ‘The Ghost’. His fellow nominees include David Bradley for ‘Another Year’; Andrew Garfield for ‘The Social Network’; Tom Hardy for ‘Inception’ and Peter Wight for ‘Another Year’.

IFTA winner Saoirse Ronan is one of five nominees in the group of Young British Performer of the Year for her role in Peter Weir’s ‘The Way Back’. The other young performers shortlisted in the category include Jessica Barden for ‘Tamara Drewe’; Conor McCarron for ‘NEDs’; Will Poulter for ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’ and Thomas Turgoose for ‘The Scouting Book for Boys’.

The 31st Critics’ Circle Film Awards will be held for the first time at BFI Southbank on February 10th, to benefit the group’s new charity partner, the BFI Archive. For a full list of nominees visit www.criticscircle.org.uk/film