A new mural dedicated to Oscar-winning short film An Irish Goodbye has been unveiled in Belfast city centre.
The painting depicting cast and crew is at Winetavern Street in the Smithfield area.
It was created by street arts collective Peaball — the team behind the famous Derry Girls mural.
As part of the city council’s Belfast 2024 celebration of culture, Lord Mayor Micky Murray joined some of the film’s stars for the official unveiling.
He said: “Belfast 2024 is all about highlighting and showcasing our city’s creativity and we couldn’t let it happen without paying tribute to one of our greatest creative success stories, An Irish Goodbye.”
The short film is the story of two brothers from rural Co Tyrone following their mother’s passing.
The feuding siblings played by James Martin and Seamus O’Hara carry out their late mother’s last wishes with her ashes.
It won Best Live Action Short Film at the Academy Awards and Best British Short Film at the Baftas in 2023.
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Mr Murray added: “The film really put our local film sector on the map when it picked up both Bafta and Academy Awards last year, so this is a fitting tribute to a creative collaboration which has done so much to promote Belfast on a world stage.
“Well done to the Peaball crew on creating another really striking and memorable piece of art. The location is perfect too, directly overlooking the site of Belfast Stories, the new home for storytelling and screen in our city when it opens in 2030.”
As well as James and Seamus, the mural features directors Tom Berkeley and Ross White.
There are also nods to scenes in the movie, including the memorable balloons used by the brothers as part of their mother’s farewell.
Tom and Ross said: “All of us behind An Irish Goodbye are totally honoured that Belfast City Council have decided to pay tribute to the film’s success in this touching way.”
The pair met at university in England, where both studied to become actors.
Later they set up a theatre production company that toured the UK and Europe before making the jump to screenwriting in 2019.
They said they will always be thankful for the support they received from fans in the city.
“The people of Belfast were behind us every step of the way of this little film’s incredible journey, from its humble beginnings on a farm in Templepatrick, all the way to the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood,” they added.
“As surreal as it is for the team to see our faces 10ft high across a wall, Peaball’s wonderful artwork will hopefully go on to serve as a constant reminder of all the love, support and hard work that so many put into the filming of An Irish Goodbye,”
The Peaball artists have backgrounds in graffiti, street art, muralism, tattoo, graphic design, facilitation and print.
The team is based in Londonderry, but is eager to get involved in projects across the region.
The mural is the latest in a series of street art by the collective.
A spokesperson said: “An Irish Goodbye is a fantastic addition to Belfast’s street art scene, honouring the film’s Oscar win and showcasing the talent of our team at Peaball. It’s a proud moment for the city, highlighting this historic Oscar win and the city’s famous creative spirit.”