[caption id="attachment_69447" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Rooney Mara will face tough opposition in the Best Actress category."]
Irish Oscar fans will be keeping an eagle's eye on this year's 84th Academy Awards.
Irish American actress Rooney Mara came out of the hat Tuesday with a nomination for best actress for "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," the Hollywood remake of what is already a Swedish classic.
Mara is a former Irish Echo 40 Under 40 Award
winner.
Belfast native and New York resident Terry George, together with his daughter Oorlagh, have been nominated in the Live Action Short Film category for "The Shore."
George has been twice nominated in the past.
"The Shore," produced by the investment company Lough Shore Investments in association with Northern Ireland Screen and Tourism Ireland, was shot entirely on location in Coney Island, County Down and tells the story of Jim Mahon's return to Belfast with his daughter, Patricia, after 25 years in exile during the Troubles.
"Terry has produced a beautifully crafted film that captures all that is great about this part of the world and we're delighted to see this film recognized as such," said Danny Moore, Lough Shore Investments founder
Speaking from Los Angeles, George said: "A crucial element in getting 'The Shore' off the ground was the financial investment made by Lough Shore Investments. It was a brave and innovative move for a private entity to take a chance with a short film, but Lough Shore was willing to take that risk.
"The company's commitment allowed us to reach the budget we knew we needed to make "The Shore" a professional, world class film that would showcase the beauty of Northern Ireland and the warmth of its people."
Another Irish nominee in the Live Action Short Film category is Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane's "Pentecost."
Belfast-born Kenneth Branagh is also a nominee in the Best Supporting Actor category. Glenn Close is nominated in the Best Actress category for her role in Albert Nobbs, which was filmed in Ireland and which she co-wrote with Irish writer John Banville.
Irish American favorite George Clooney is also nominated, in the Best Actor category.
