This could be the next Academy Award winner for Best Picture.

Inspired by his own childhood in Northern Ireland, writer / director Kenneth Branagh‘s latest film is Belfast, a coming-of-age story about a boy growing up against the backdrop of ethnic and religious tensions during the late 1960s.

Newcomer Jude Hill stars as the Branagh boy-proxy, Buddy, with Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades of Gray) and Caitriona Balfe (TV’s Outlander) as Pa and Ma. Brit legends Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds co-star as Granny and Pop.

Filmed primarily in black-and-white, this nostalgia trip has drawn enthusiastic raves from critics and audiences alike during its fall festival film run. Its fest popularity peaked when it became the Audience Award Winner at the Toronto International Film Festival. Receiving that honor is essentially a precursor for being an Oscar favorite. 11 of the last 12 TIFF Audience Award winners have received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, and 5 have won (Slumdog Millionaire, The King’s Speech, 12 Years A Slave, Green Book, and Nomadland).

As a filmmaker, Branagh is certainly no stranger to Oscar accolades, becoming one of the youngest people ever to receive a Best Director nomination for his debut feature Henry V. His other big screen Shakespeare adaptations include Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing, plus he’s helmed popular blockbusters such as Marvel’s original Thor and Disney’s live-action adaptation of Cinderella.

A surefire crowd pleaser and Awards Season contender, Belfast opens exclusively in theaters on November 12, 2021.

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A family goes to the movies in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Jude Hill stars as Buddy in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Caitriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan co-star as Ma and Pa in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Judi Dench, Jude Hill, and Ciarán Hinds co-star in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Jude Hill stars as Buddy in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Jude Hill and Lewis McAskie star in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Jamie Dornan co-stars as Pa in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Caitriona Balfe co-stars as Ma in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Judi Dench co-stars as Granny in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

A barricade in 1960s Belfast, in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Residents of Belfast gather on the street in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Jude Hill and Jamie Dornan star as Buddy and Pa in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Caitriona Balfe co-stars as Ma in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Jamie Dornan and Jude Hill co-star as Pa and Buddy in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Jude Hill stars as Buddy in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds co-star in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

A family enjoys Christmas morning in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Jude Hill stars as Buddy in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds and Jude Hill star in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

A family dances in the streets of Belfast, in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Caitriona Balfe co-stars as Ma in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan and Jude Hill star in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Jamie Dornan co-stars as Pa in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Caitriona Balfe co-stars as Ma in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

A family gathers in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

Writer/Director Kenneth Branagh directs young actor Jude Hill, in his semi-autobiographical childhood film BELFAST (2021)

One Sheet Poster for Kenneth Branagh’s BELFAST (2021)

One Sheet Cast Poster for Kenneth Branagh’s BELFAST (2021)