Hunger Gets Bafta Nomination

NI-based Steve McQueen's film 'Hunger', starring Michael Fassbender as IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands, is back in the full focus today with its nomination in the Outstanding British Film category of the forthcoming British Academy of Film & Televsion Arts (Bafta).

McQueen was nominated in a special achievement category for a first feature film, and Fassbender is in the running for a Bafta rising star award, which is voted for by the public. 'Hunger' has already scored success having secured eight Irish Film and Television Awards nominations.

Meanwhile, although today's anticipated nomination of not one, but two Irish interest movies - 'In Bruges' and 'Hunger' - for the Baftas comes as no real surprise, the host for the prestigious awards in London may raise eyebrows.

The Baftas - awarded on February 8th will be hosted by Jonathan Ross - just a fortnight after the BBC lifts his suspension over the Andrew Sachs phone calls row.

Ross' first official outing should ease him back into the media mainstream after last year's controversy as he takes the podium for what is the UK biggest movie and TV awards.

Ross was given a three-month ban from all BBC broadcasting, amid controversy surrounding prank phone calls made to 'Fawlty Towers' actor Andrew Sachs, on Russell Brand's radio show.

Ross - the BBC's highest-paid star with a three-year, £18 million contract - was suspended from his TV and radio shows without pay.

Russell Brand resigned from his BBC Radio 2 programme, saying he accepted "complete responsibility" for the incident.

Such controversy aside, the Baftas is set to be dominated by hit movie 'Slumdog Millionaire', although Martin McDonagh's comedy-thriller 'In Bruges', starring Irishman Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, was previously given four nominations, including one for Outstanding British Film and Supporting Actor for Gleeson.

Farrell is hotly tipped as he recently won Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) for 'In Bruges' at the Golden Globes.

However, director Danny Boyle's low-budget Indian drama 'Slumdog Millionaire' leads the Bafta field with 11 nominations, building on its success at the recent Golden Globes - where it won the four awards it was nominated for - and giving it a further impetus ahead of the Oscars next month.

See: Ross Suspended Over Prank Phone Call Furore

(BMcC)