Fiction: Creative Co-Production

Important Note: Please remember the extremely competitive nature of our funding rounds and high application volumes. This means we have to turn down more projects than we are able to support. As such, it is very important to make a strong impact with your application and ensure it is as close to production ready as possible at the time of application. 

About the Funding

This funding is for live-action or animated feature films (live-action or animated TV projects 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 that utilise Ireland as a film location, depict Ireland for Ireland, and where a number of key Irish HOD's and/or Irish cast are employed. Reciprocity from funding agencies in other jurisdictions will be sought in appropriate circumstances. 

Funding is unlikely to be given, or it will be limited, in cases of co-production where: 

• the eventual film will have little or no visual Irish content or no apparent cultural connection with Ireland 
• no principal photography is taking place in the Republic of Ireland 
• the Irish creative elements are limited to one or two actors and one or two HOD's working outside Ireland
• only a part of post-production is taking place in Ireland (full digital visual effects productions in Ireland will be positively regarded) 

Enhanced funding will be considered in the following circumstances:

• the film was shot entirely in Ireland, shows Ireland for Ireland on screen, and tells an Irish story
• the film is an adaptation of a work of Irish cultural importance
• the Writer and/or Director is Irish
• where major international distribution is attached at application stage
• where Irish talent have been cast in key roles

As a matter of principle, films supported by Screen Ireland Creative Co-Production funding must be approved as official co-productions under a 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. 

Please ensure you have read the Screen Ireland Principles & Criteria before submitting an application for funding.

Who Can Apply

Creative Co-Production funding is available to Irish producers defined as independent production companies registered in the Republic of Ireland which have an office and staff based in the Republic of Ireland). Funding is available to co-produce and collaborate creatively on a live-action or animated 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 screenwriter and director must be obtained before submitting an application.

How to Apply

Applicants must consult the Screen Ireland 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.