An Irish Goodbye: Oscar winners greeted by loved ones at Belfast homecoming

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James and Ross met 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 arriving back in Northern Ireland.

It won best live short action film at the star-studded ceremony on Sunday.

Co-director Ross White and star James Martin met family and friends at their official homecoming party with gold statuette in tow.

Among attendees was Ivan Martin, James' father, who unveiled his 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 their mother's death, was filmed on location in Londonderry, Templepatrick and Saintfield.

Martin, who stars as Lorcan, said it was "amazing" to come back and share his awards with his family and friends.

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Image caption,

James Martin and his father, Ivan, rocked up to the homecoming event in matching leopard-print jackets

"Not just a Bafta, but an Oscar too," he told BBC News NI.

"It has just been fantastic.

"To win the two awards that's big."

Martin was serenaded by the star-studded audience at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for his 31st birthday.

He said he plans to bring the statuette to his Belvoir drama club 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 the Oscar and Bafta were the result of two years' work coming to fruition.

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Image caption,

An Irish Goodbye co-director Ross White celebrated his back-to-back win with his parents

"It is one thing to have this [Oscar] in LA, but when you are driving past Lisburn and you have got this in the car, it feels a bit bizarre.

"But it is back where it belongs."