Important note: Please remember the extremely competitive nature of our funding rounds due to high application volumes and set budgets. This means we have to turn down many more projects than we are able to support. As such, it is very important to make a strong impact with your application.
About the Funding
Feature Film Development Loans enable Irish producers to commission screenplays with a view to developing feature films to production stage.
The maximum amount available at any one time is €50,000. The maximum total amount that Screen Ireland can provide to any one project is €100,000. Any amount of development funding above €50,000 provided to a project must be matched by third party funding from other sources. Applicants should note that in light of the pressure on Screen Ireland resources, awards considerably less than the maximum are likely to be offered.
Development funding is provided by Screen Ireland for the making of films predominantly in English or Irish, or a combination of the two.
Development funding is not a guarantee of Production funding at a later stage.
Screen Ireland are changing aspects of the development application process for feature film funding. The aim of these changes is to reduce the volume of material that film makers need to submit (and commission from writers), and that the project development team at Screen Ireland therefor need to assess. At the same time, we are also asking film makers to really interrogate the story idea, structure, character journeys and ultimately audience and market for their film from the earliest stages.
Please ensure you have read the Screen Ireland Principles & Criteria before submitting an application for funding.
Who Can Apply
Feature Film Development Loans are available to Irish producers (independent production companies registered in the Republic of Ireland which have an office and staff based in the Republic of Ireland) with a feature film project they wish to develop, clear access to the necessary rights in any material that is to be adapted for the screen, and an agreement (at least in principle) with the screenwriter they wish to commission. The commitment of a director can lend weight to an application but is not essential at the outset.
Application Requirements
- Logline
- A short (approx. 1 page) Synopsis with a Detailed Treatment (Minimum of 10 pages excluding images)
OR
- A longer (2-3 page) Synopsis outlining the full story with a Script Sample (20-30 pages only)
- Short character descriptions including character arcs
- Writer/Director/Producer Notes
- Development Budget (The Screen Ireland budget template must be used)
- Evidence of Ownership of Rights
Application Guidance Notes
The application requirements above allow applicants to present their project in a way that best showcases the potential for further development. We would urge you to think about the following when approaching each aspect:
- Logline – It is essential to be able to describe your story in one or two sentences. Think along the lines of an elevator pitch and what could ultimately be used in marketing materials.
- Long Synopsis - (2 pager) Given that this will be submitted with a partial script we need it to tell the full story of the film to the end – we want spoilers! Please make sure to pay extra care to the drafting of this synopsis as it is an essential element in Screen Ireland’s assessment of the project
- Treatment – This should be detailed and give a sense of the whole story. Treatments should try to communicate a strong sense of theme, characterization (i.e. arcs and relationships), and tone as well as plot. We would strongly encourage teams to submit a treatment if the script has not already been written. It can be much easier to interrogate the story in terms of the character journeys and structure at treatment stage and therefor allow for easier changes of gear prior to writing the script. Please note, we will assess shorter treatments than the 10 page minimum we are recommending here – however we have found it more difficult to gauge potential and get a full sense of the stories on these shorter page counts.
- Character descriptions and arcs: the descriptions do not need to be lengthy, a paragraph or two will do, and it maybe that you submit the arc for just the central character – not all characters.
- Writer/Director/Producer Notes – These do not need to be long but should convey why you want to tell this story. Writers should explain what are the main areas you think you will need to focus on as you approach first draft stage? Are there any key challenges (e.g. it could be an adaptation, there might be issues specific to genre or characterization)?
Producers should tell us what attracted you to this project? What is the development time frame and what do you see as the main challenges approaching the first draft? Who are you thinking of as a potential script editor? Directors, where attached, should feed into the producer & writer notes specific to development work needed on the script.
From these notes, we should be able to see a cohesive tone and vision for the film from the team.
- Adaptations and True stories: Proposals based on existing source material, such as plays or novels, are required to go beyond plot summaries and will need to provide a clear indication of the strategy for adaptation and include either a filmic treatment or a detailed synopsis with script sample. Where this essential element of an application is absent applications will be automatically withdrawn. Likewise, proposals based on real life people or events must go beyond a synopsis of research and clearly outline the filmic narrative.
Making an Application
Applications can be made online using the 'Make an Application' button on this page. Applicants must consult the Development Funding guidelines prior to making an application. Applications which do not meet the criteria set out in these guidelines will automatically be deemed ineligible for consideration.
If you wish to make an application for funding by post, contact 091 561 398 for the relevant application form.
Development Application Deadlines for 2024
- Thursday 29th February 2024 at 1pm
- Tuesday 30th April at 1pm
- Friday 28th June at 1pm
- Thursday 31st October at 1pm
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This page was last updated on 10.01.24.