01/10/2007

Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism Séamus Brennan has announced additional funding of €2m for the Irish Film Board’s (IFB) International Production Fund.

The Fund has brought in more than €60m worth of incoming production investment to Ireland over the past two years. Large scale productions which have shot on location in Ireland as a result of the Fund include Becoming Jane [+see also:
trailer
film profile] starring James McAvoy and Anne Hathaway, My Boy Jack starring Daniel Radcliffe and Kim Cattrall and The Escapist starring Joseph Fiennes and Liam Cunningham.

Brennan said, “I am strongly of the view that there is still a large amount of untapped talent and opportunity in Ireland, especially given our rich history of great writers and wonderful storytelling ability. I want to work with the Irish Film Board and others involved in this area to shape the policies and incentives that will allow this county tap further into that rich international seam of investment in film and television productions. In the short term, this additional €2m in 2007 will allow the Film Board to go aggressively into the market and seek to secure further prestigious projects over the coming months.”

The IFB ensures that in return for its investment a strong emphasis is placed on the employment of Irish talent in all grades, the use of Irish goods and services, and a high level of spend in the economy. Last year’s projects provided employment for four Irish directors, 733 Irish crew, 141 Irish cast, and 3,223 Irish extras. In addition, four of the productions were based in Ardmore Studios.

IFB Chairman James Morris, “This fund, together with the Irish tax incentive Section 481 and our first class Irish production companies, will help create a strong package with which to promote Ireland as a location for film and television. We look forward to identifying major new projects to shoot on location in Ireland.”