MINISTER O’DONOGHUE ANNOUNCES NEW IRISH FILM BOARD
John O'Donoghue, T.D., Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, today announced the new appointment of James Morris as Chair to Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board. The other new Board appointments are Lesley McKimm, Kevin Moriarty, Tristan Orpen Lynch and Kirsten Sheridan. Alan Gilsenan and Margaret McCarthy MacIntyre have been reappointed to the Board for a second term.Minister O'Donoghue said, "I am pleased to announce the members of the new film board and it is my hope that they will continue to develop the Irish film industry and to enrich the cultural environment of our nation. Film has a unique ability to convey to a wide global audience the stories and atmosphere of any local community and it is my intention to continue to support indigenous Irish filmmaking."
Minister O'Donoghue added "I'm especially pleased that Mr James Morris has accepted my invitation to become Chair of the new board and I wish to personally thank the outgoing members of the film board, and in particular Mr. Ossie Kilkenny, in their stalwart and rigorous commitment to developing a film industry in Ireland."
These appointments are effective until the 17th of January 2009.
A biography of each member is attached below.
James Morris (Chair) is a graduate of Trinity College and trained as a Film Editor in London. He founded Windmill Lane Pictures and Recording Studios on his return to Dublin. He led the Windmill Consortium to win the television franchise for TV3 in 1989. In 1990 he founded The Mill - Film and TV Post Production Company in London. He was appointed non-executive Chairman of TV3 in 1998. He joined the board of the International Dublin Film Festival in 2004.
Alan Gilsenan is an award-winning filmmaker and theatre director. Alan Gilsenan's films include THE ROAD TO GOD KNOWS WHERE, PROPHET SONGS, STORIES FROM THE SILENCE, GOD BLESS AMERICA, THE GREEN FIELDS OF FRANCE, ALL SOULS' DAY, PRIVATE DANCER, ZULU 9, THE IRISH EMPIRE, ROAD II, THE GHOST OF ROGER CASEMENT, SING ON FOREVER and TIMBUKTU. He is also the Chairperson of the Irish Film Institute and a member of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board since 2001 and has been reappointed by Minister John O'Donoghue for a second term.
Margaret McCarthy MacIntyre is a former secondary teacher and freelance journalist. She is Director of St. Mary's /Notre Dame's Ireland Programme at NUI Maynooth. She lectures in the History of Irish Culture and has been a member of the Irish Film Board since 2001. She has been reappointed by Minister John O'Donoghue for a second term.
Lesley McKimm is an independent Producer who has been working in television drama, film and documentary production for the last 14 years. Her producing credits include the drama series "Any Time Now" for BBC 1 & RTE 1, "No Tears" for RTE 1, 'Relative Strangers' for RTE & ZDF and the historical documentary series "In Search of Ancient Ireland" for PBS and RTE. She runs the production company Comet Films.
Tristan Orpen Lynch has been involved in the Irish film and music industry since 1989. With his company Subotica Films, Tristan has produced a major documentary on the Abbey Theatre for RTE and the feature film SONG FOR A RAGGY BOY starring Aidan Quinn and Iain Glen. His most recent production has been the RTE TV drama “Proof”.
Kevin Moriarty is Managing Director of Ardmore Studios. He is Chair of the Kerry Screen Commission and a board member of the Wicklow Film Commission and the Irish Film Institute. Kevin is also Chairman of the Media Desk Ireland.
Kirsten Sheridan is a writer, director and producer. After graduating with a distinction from Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, design and Technology in 1998. Kirsten followed her award winning college short "Patterns" with an Irish Film Board/RTE short cut "The Case of Majella McGinty". She directed her first feature, the critically acclaimed DISCO PIGS in 2001 and went on to co-write the Oscar and Golden Globe nominated IN AMERICA.