- By Jessica Lawrence
- BBC News IS
James and Ross met up with family and friends at their official homecoming party with gold statuette in tow.
Two of the faces behind Academy Award winner An Irish Goodbye have received a Belfast hello after returning to Northern Ireland.
Co-director Ross White and lead actor James Martin met up with family and friends at their official homecoming party with gold statuette in tow.
Among those in attendance was Ivan Martin, James’ father, who unveiled his very own leopard print blazer to match his son.
“We’re like twins,” the younger Martin said as the pair embraced.
An Irish Goodbye, a black comedy about two estranged brothers who come together after the death of their mother, was filmed on location in Londonderry, Templepatrick and Saintfield.
Martin, who plays Lorcan, said it was “great” to come back and share his awards with his family and friends.
James Martin and his dad, Ivan, rocked to the homecoming event in matching leopard print coats
“Not just a Bafta, but an Oscar,” he told BBC News NI.
“It’s just been fantastic.
“To win the two prizes, that’s big.”
Martin was serenaded by the star-studded audience at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theater for his 31st birthday.
He said he plans to take the statuette to his drama club Belvoir in Belfast.
‘Back where it belongs’
White, who co-directed and co-wrote the film with Tom Berkeley, said it had been a remarkable journey.
He added that the Oscar and the Bafta were the result of two years of work coming to fruition.
An Irish Goodbye co-director Ross White celebrated his back-to-back win with his parents
“It’s one thing to have this [Oscar] in LA, but when you drive past Lisburn and you have this in the car, it feels a bit bizarre.
“But it’s back where it belongs.”