MAJOR TELEVISION DEAL SEALED WITH ITALY’S RAI-SAT FOR IRISH CONTENT
In the most comprehensive Italian television deal to date for Irish content, RAI-SAT CINEMA WORLD has licensed an extensive range of Bord Scannán na hÉireann (BSÉ/IFB) backed features, short films and documentaries.The deal, the largest ever to a European broadcaster for Dublin-based sales agent Network Ireland Television, is for RAI-SAT’s European Cinema themed programming, which in June highlights Irish content. The package compromises more than 18 features films, 20 shorts and 7 documentaries from leading Irish directors, including Peter Sheridan’s Borstal Boy, Cathal Black’s Korea, Paddy Breathnach’s Ailsa, Alan Gilsenan’s All Souls Day and Pat Murphy’s Maeve.
Sarah Share’s documentary If I Should Fall from Grace, on the life of Shane McGowan, is just one of the feature documentaries selected as part of this season. A large assortment of the shorts selected to be broadcast were chosen from the BSE/IFB successful Short Shorts scheme, including The Phantum Cnut, No, No, No and Hunted, all of which were released theatrically in Ireland last year.
RAI-SAT has sent a television crew to Ireland to shoot a magazine programme, interviewing the producers and directors involved with these films, which will be broadcast in conjunction with the season of Irish Films.
“It is fantastic to see Irish talent and programming being recognised and distributed by this significant deal with a prestigious European TV network,” commented BSE/IFB CEO Mark Woods. “Congratulations to the filmmakers and to Network Ireland Television.”
“This is the biggest single package that we have sold to any European broadcaster to date in our ten years of business,” said Network Ireland Television’s Derry O’Brien. “We are delighted with the diversity of films included in the deal and hope to continue this relationship.”