As befits a man whose film The Survivalist pulls no punches, Enniskillen writer-director Stephen Fingleton has told TEN that he was in bed on Friday morning when he received the news that he had been nominated for the BAFTA award for Best Debut.
Taking place after civilisation has collapsed, The Survivalist stars Martin McCann (Killing Bono), Mia Goth (A Cure for Wellness) and Olwen Fouéré (This Must be the Place) and sees a loner's code tested when a mother and daughter arrive at his cabin seeking food.
Filmed in Ballymoney, Co Antrim on a tight budget, The Survivalist mixes savagery and beauty and the film saw Fingleton win the Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director at the British Independent Film Awards in December.
He now has the BAFTAs to look forward to on Sunday February 14 but he took his nomination on Friday completely in his stride.
Martin McCann in The Survivalist
"The awards were announced at 7.35 in the morning so I was in bed," the Fermanagh man told TEN.
"I'd like to say I was up, writing a blockbuster or whatever people think filmmakers do in the morning, like ritually watching an Ozu film or something as some form of preparatory meditation. But I wasn't - I was in bed.
"I'd set my alarm for 7.30 and didn't have the head clear by the time I got the live feed for the nominations going. And then they didn't mention the award I might have been up for!
"Then my distributor texted me and I heard. I might have well slept for another 15 minutes, then got woken by the text. But these are the things you learn."
Stephen Fingleton on the set of The Survivalist
Fingleton paid tribute to those who had helped him make his film, which from its early stages was supported by Northern Ireland Screen.
"It's a huge honour to be nominated for this award," he said. "So many of its past recipients are filmmakers I deeply admire. I think it's a tremendous credit to my wonderful cast and team who were so generous and creative in helping me make the film.
Stephen Fingleton with The Survivalist stars (L-R) Mia Goth, Martin McCann and Olwen Fouéré at New York's Tribeca Film Festival last April
"I really like the recognition that they're getting because people weren't getting paid a lot of money. They were doing it for the craft and their work is so invisible because they've done their jobs well."
The Survivalist is released in cinemas and on demand on Friday February 12.
