Irish Oscar nominees Andrew Freedman and John Kelly took off for Hollywood on flight EI069 for Los Angeles, where their film Retirement Plan is nominated for Best Animated Short at the 98th Academy Awards.
Aer Lingus is flying Irish nominees for the 98th Academy Awards to Los Angeles for the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday 15 March 2026. The airline has a policy of supporting outstanding achievements in filmmaking with dedicated transport from Dublin.
This year’s nominations feature six Irish individuals alongside two Irish production companies, continuing a proud tradition of Irish success at the Oscars that includes a record-breaking 14 nominations in 2023 for films such as The Banshees of Inisherin and the groundbreaking inclusion of the first Irish-language film, An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl).
Among the standout nominees is Jessie Buckley, the Killarney-born actress recognised in the Best Actress in a Leading Role category for her portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet. Maggie O’Farrell, originally from Northern Ireland, earned a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for her work co-adapting her own novel Hamnet alongside director Chloé Zhao. Richard Baneham, a Dublin visual effects specialist, received his third Oscar nod in the Best Visual Effects category for his contributions to Avatar: Fire and Ash, building on his previous wins for the first two films in the Avatar franchise.
Producers Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe secured a Best Picture nomination as key figures behind Bugonia, a film that also brought four nominations to their Dublin-based company Element Pictures. In the Best Animated Short category, John Kelly and Andrew Freedman were nominated for Retirement Plan. Additionally, Wild Atlantic Pictures earned recognition through its involvement in Blue Moon.
The nominations on Ireland’s recent Oscar milestones, including Cillian Murphy becoming the first Irish-born actor to win Best Actor for Oppenheimer in 2024, Saoirse Ronan’s four career nominations across films such as Atonement, Brooklyn, Lady Bird, and Little Women, and Daniel Day-Lewis holding the record for three Best Actor wins while holding Irish citizenship. With the ceremony approaching, Irish cinema enthusiasts and industry figures alike are celebrating the depth of creative achievement from the island.
John Kelly, director of Retirement Plan, said: “Making short films is a labour of love, to have the support of Aer Lingus allows us fly the flag for Irish animation and storytelling on the international stage. We really want to make the most of this experience – so we’ll attend as many events as they’ll let us into. For starters we have an exhibition at the Academy Museum on Saturday March 7th, and the Oscar Wilde awards on Thursday 12th.”
Andrew Freedman, Producer and founder of Antidote Films, said: “Oscar week is looking incredibly busy. There are screenings, events, parties and meetings. Having an opportunity to meet the other filmmakers and nominees at events organised by the Oscars is particularly appealing. The scale of the operation is hard to describe and we want to try and make the very most of our time in LA. A huge thank you to Aer Lingus for getting us to LA—literally! It’s incredible to have this chance to celebrate our nomination and to represent Ireland on the word stage.”
