International success spells 18% budget hike for IFB
In a positive response to the tremendous international success that Irish films have enjoyed this year, Seamus Brennan, the Minister of Arts, Sport and Tourism has announced an 18% increase in funding for Ireland’s national film agency, the Irish Film Board (IFB). In real terms this means that the IFB budget for 2008 has gone up to €23.2 m, compared to €19.6 m in 2007.
The year 2007 has been a landmark year for the industry with IFB funded films winning over 20 international awards. Once won the Audience Award for World Cinema at Sundance and went on to take about $10 m at the North American turnstiles. In addition, Garage [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ed Guiney
interview: Jean-François Deveau
interview: Lenny Abrahamson
film profile] won the CICAE Art and Essai Cinema Prize at Cannes, besides the recent Turin award.
Joan Bergin bagged an academy award nomination for her work on The Queen [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andy Harries
interview: Stephen Frears
film profile] and Kings was submitted as the Irish entry for the Best Foreign Film academy award. Irish films have also been routinely selected for practically every A-list festival across the globe.
IFB Chair James Morris said: “We welcome Minister Brennan’s decision to implement a substantial increase in the Board’s direct funding at this time. It is an endorsement of the IFB’s policies for promoting and developing Irish filmmaking talent and Irish film enterprises. We are confident that Irish films will continue to grow in success and international recognition with all the wider benefits to the economy that flow from this.”
IFB Chief Executive Simon Perry said: “We aim to provide more support for the sustained development of Irish stories with international reach, well funded schemes for the production of short films to reveal new Irish talent and to invest in new production at a level that will stimulate the making of bigger-budget films with potential to compete in the world market.”
IFB-funded projects contributed a total of approximately €63 million to the Irish economy in 2007.
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
