By Sean O’Driscoll

Hotel Rwanda, the latest film from Belfast-born director Terry George, and Kinsey, starring Ballymena, Co. Antrim native Liam Neeson, have been nominated for Best Drama at the Golden Globes.

Both films have emerged as strong contenders in a very strong field this year. 

Other nominees include the penetrating relationship movie, Closer, the biopic of Peter Pan creator JM Barrie and the sluggish boxing saga Million Dollar Baby, with Hilary Swank. 

Former Irish Voice journalist George is a strong contender to pick up an award for Hotel Rwanda. The film stars Don Cheadle as a hotel manager sheltering refugees during the Rwandan genocide in 1994 in which nearly one million people were murdered. 

Both Cheadle and Neeson are nominated in the Best Actor category, Neeson for his portrayal of controversial sex researcher Alfred Kinsey.

George also wrote the screenplay for the Oscar-winning Gerry Conlon biopic In the Name of the Father and also directed the IRA hunger strike movie, Some Mother’s Son.

Hotel Rwanda, with a $16 million budget, won strong cooperation from Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager who saved hundreds of people from Hutu militia. 

The signs look good for Neeson’s chances of picking up a Globe, which in itself if often a good indicator for the Oscars. He has already won a Best Actor award for Kinsey from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.