Newstalk Reporter Henry McKean reports from the 98th Academy Awards, where all hopes are turned towards Jessie Buckley being the first Irish woman to win Best Actress.
The 98th Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, will take place in Los Angeles this evening, with the ceremony starting at 11pm Irish time.
Henry told The Pat Kenny Show that the buzz is already setting in.
“All eyes are obviously on St. Patrick's weekend and fingers crossed for Jessie Buckley.”
Irish hope rests on Buckley’s shoulders since she was nominated for Best Actress for her role in Chloe Zhao’s critically acclaimed Hamnet.
The actress became the first Irish woman to receive a Golden Globe for her role in the film last January.
With the backdrop of AI, giant streamers emerging and the war in Iran, these Oscars may be more tense than usual.
“Security is very, very tight with the backdrop of the Iran war”, Henry McKean told Pat Kenny.
“There are snipers on the roof to keep us safe, even yesterday, an alarm went off in the shopping center linked to the Dolby Theatre, and we were asked to leave.
“There's nerves as well. LA, in a way, never really covered from COVID or the writer's strike. My understanding is jobs are 50% down in the industry.”
Josh Wader from the Directors Guild of America said it was “just nice to see people working right now”.
“Thank goodness that this is one of those shows that is always here every year.
“I feel very bad for the writers. AI has been incredibly destructive to Hollywood.”
He explained that there were not enough jobs which makes things extremely difficult for people currently working or aspiring to work in the industry.
“I think we've lost a lot [work in Hollywood] due to the lack of tax incentives that Gavin Newsom has laid on,” Brian O'Hearn, a set maker on Venice Beach working on the upcoming Baywatch reboot.
“But his tax incentives just got implemented, which gave birth to this new set that we built and the sets at Fox Studios.
“I know a lot of my friends have been out of work for months and years. I've been very fortunate.
I'm in my 30th year of building movie sets.”
He said that 50% of the film and television industry was not as fortunate to find work.
“So many friends are struggling. Very, very much so struggling. This almost went to Australia.”
The short film Retirement Plan, which is directed by Dublin-based filmmaker John Kelly and voiced by actor Domhnall Gleeson, is up for Best Animated Short.
Irish Oscar nominee John Kelly has said he hopes the fact that the ceremony is due to be held two days before St Patrick’s Day is a “good sign”.
Mr Kelly’s short animation film Retirement Plans tells the story of a man, played by Domhnall Gleeson, who spends seven minutes discussing his looming retirement.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia, was nominated for Best Picture and is co-produced by Irish production company Element Pictures.
Richard Baneham has been shortlisted for Best Visual Effects for his work on Avatar: Fire and Ash.
