Film Galway Partnership Launched
An exciting new partnership promoting and supporting film and television production in Galway, The Film Galway Partnership was launched today in Galway by Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
The Film Galway Partnership is a group of organisations based in Galway city and county who work together to encourage, market, support and facilitate Film and Television production in Galway. It is spearheaded by Galway Film Centre in cooperation with Galway County Council
and Galway City Council and aims to encourage, support and facilitate Film and Television production in Galway.
New Chief Executive of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, James Hickey, speaking at the launch said,
"We welcome the Film Galway Partnership which will ensure that Galway remains a film friendly location and which will in turn bring many benefits to the city and county. The film and television industry creates jobs and spend on local goods and services in counties all over Ireland, as well as playing a major role in attracting tourists to holiday in Ireland. Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board incentivises expenditure in the regions of Ireland through our Regional Support Funding. As a result many films with IFB support have chosen to film in Galway including THE GUARD starring Brendan Gleeson which filmed on location in Galway last year."
At the launch in Galway on Thursday, Minister Deenihan said:
"Galway is the second largest audiovisual region outside Dublin and is home to many award winning companies. In order to take full advantage of such a strong sector, there is a need to support the local industry with a view to attracting national and international production companies to shoot here. Film and television production in Ireland translates into increased international investment in the Irish economy, increased employment and positive spin-off
effects for promoting Ireland as a tourist destination. The Government shows its support for the Irish audiovisual industry through the Irish Film Board and the Section 481 film tax relief scheme which is in itself an endorsement for the excellent work by the Irish audiovisual sector."
The Partnership has been endorsed by both the Galway County and City Development Boards and is made up of all of the key agencies who can support incoming productions. Included in the Partnership are The Irish Film Board / Bord Scannán na hÉireann, Galway County Council, Galway City Council, An Gárda Siochána, Galway Chamber of Commerce, Galway Airport,
Fáilte Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Enterprise Ireland, Galway City & County Enterprise Board, Galway Film Centre, Galway Harbour Company, Coillte, National Parks & Widlife Service, and the Office of Public Works, National Monuments Section.
About Film Galway Partnership
What is the Film Galway Partnership?
The Film Galway Partnership is a group of organisations based in Galway city and county who work together to encourage, market, support and facilitate Film and Television production in Galway. Through the collective resources of the core organisations the Partnership aims:
- To provide production support through the provision of
information and contacts to both indigenous and incoming film and
television productions. - Have a key senior person in each organisation who can
help fast-track requests from incoming production companies and help
productions overcome any logistical challenges they may encounter. - To actively promote Galway as a well-resourced location
and to organise events and promotions to market the West nationally and
internationally. - To encourage member organisations to offer attractive
and competitive rates to incoming productions especially in the areas of
accommodation, catering and local transportation. - To ensure that Galway remains a "film friendly"
location and that this is widely acknowledged throughout the industry. In
a nutshell the message is Galway is open for business. - Develop a Film strategy for the West to
ensure that all of the involved agencies have the positive promotion and
facilitation of filmmaking as a core part of their policy.
Who are the members?
Membership is made up of the key organisations and agencies that are essential for incoming productions to contact in terms of gaining access to local infrastructure, facilities, permissions and personnel. Working through the structures of both the Galway County Development Board and the Galway City Development Board the following organisations have been identified as potential lead partners: The Irish Film Board / Bord Scannán na hÉireann, Galway County Council, Galway City Council, An Gárda Siochána, Galway Chamber of Commerce, Galway Airport, Fáilte Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Enterprise Ireland, Galway City & County Enterprise Board, Galway Film Centre, Galway Harbour Company, Coillte, National Parks & Widlife Service, and the Office of Public Works, National Monuments
Section.
Galway Film Centre set up the website http://www.screenwest.ie/ in 2009, with support from Galway County Council and Údarás na Gaeltachta, as an information resource for incoming film productions listing all of the expertise, locations and facilities that we have on our doorstep. The site lists over 20 production companies, many of whom are based in Gaeltacht
regions, with an impressive slate of productions and experienced professionals.
These would include Abú Media (1916 Seachtar na Cásca), Telegael (Aifric), Eo Teilifis (Ros na Rún), Magma Films (Jack Taylor) as well as the national broadcaster TG4. Galway also boasts a large number of experienced film and television professionals who have learned their trade through the many productions that have been shot here. The website lists over 100 trained
professionals with the ability to fill many of the key roles demanded by any incoming production.
In addition to this there is a state of the art studio space in Studio Solas in Inverin housing 8000 sqft and 6000 sqft studio facilities with onsite accommodation, offices and equipment. As well as all of this expertise and facilities, Galway also has some of the finest and most spectacular landscape in the country providing unique locations for a huge variety of film
productions.
A recent PriceWaterhouseCoopers report on the industry states that two audiovisual clusters, Dublin and Galway, are at the heart of the industry with 10% of Irish companies based in the Galway area. In 2010, the Irish film and television sector had a record year in terms of production, generating €225 million in spend in the Irish economy creating jobs and spend on local goods and services. The sector also has an enormous positive impact on cultural tourism. In 2009, 18% of all tourists visited Ireland as a result of having viewed Irish Film. €312 million in tourist expenditure can be attributed exclusively to this.