Documentary Production: Creative Co-Production

About the Funding

This funding is for documentary feature films (documentary series are not eligible) originating outside Ireland in which an Irish producer (ROI) is involved as a creative collaborator, not merely a service producer and provider of a minority of the finance needed.

The film must be structured as an official co-production with third party funding from the leading territory in place and must employ key Irish talent. 

Priority will be given to projects with an Irish theme, Irish subject matter or Irish diaspora inclusion, and where a number of key Irish HOD's are employed. Reciprocity from funding agencies in other jurisdictions will be sought in appropriate circumstances. 

Enhanced funding will be considered in the following circumstances:

• the film was shot entirely in Ireland and tells an Irish story
• the Writer and/or Director is Irish
• where major international distribution is attached at application stage

Funding may be limited, in cases of documentary co-production where: 
•    the Irish creative elements are limited to one or two HOD's working outside Ireland
•    only a part of post-production is taking place in Ireland 
As a matter of principle, films supported by Screen Ireland Creative Co-Production funding must be approved as official co-productions under the relevant bilateral treaty or the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production. Where in exceptional cases Screen Ireland agrees to waive this requirement, the film must still be structured as a bona fide co-production in which ownership, rights and revenues are shared among the co-producers. Screen Ireland will not waive the requirement for official status in respect of co-productions with the UK. 

Films funded under the Creative Co-Production programme may be made in any language. 

Creative Co-Production funding is available to Irish producers. Funding is available to co-produce and collaborate creatively on a documentary feature film originated outside of Ireland which is structured as an official co-production having secured third party funding from the leading territory. Clear access to the necessary rights in any material that is to be adapted for the screen and an agreement in place with the writer and director must be obtained before submitting an application.

How to Apply

Applicants must consult the Production Funding Guidelines in advance of making a submission. Applications which do not meet the criteria set out in these guidelines will automatically be deemed ineligible for consideration. Please read these guidelines carefully before each submission as they are updated regularly.

If this is an application for a project that is currently in development with Screen Ireland, please contact the relevant Project Manager before submitting. If this is an application for a new project, please submit directly through the online application portal.

Please note that the application portal closes at 1pm on the day of the application deadline.

You can find the Production Funding Guidelines here.

This page was last updated on 24.02.2025.