NEW APPOINTMENT MADE TO IRISH FILM BOARD OFFICE IN LOS ANGELES
Jonathan Loughran has been appointed to manage the Irish Film Board’s new office in Los Angeles. Confirmation of the establishment of the Irish Film Board’s first overseas office was announced earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival by Minister for Arts Sport and Tourism, John O‘Donoghue.The office will be called the Irish Film Commission US and will focus on the promotion of Ireland to the US audiovisual industry, with the aim of attracting an increased range of US feature film and television drama to locate in Ireland.
Jonathan has previously worked with Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Government's Trade and Technology Agency in Los Angeles. In the role of Marketing Executive, he focused on helping new-media Irish companies develop relationships with entertainment industry leaders including Disney, Warner Brothers, Sony and MTV. During his time in LA Jonathan built up a large network of contacts in Hollywood and brought many leading US executives to Ireland to meet with Irish companies. Jonathan holds an M.Sc. in Marketing Practice from the UCD Smurfit School of Business and a B.Sc. in Management and Marketing from DIT Aungier St.
“Our new office in the heart of Hollywood will enable us to better compete for mobile US film and television production, creating new business opportunities for the Irish film industry. Jonathan’s central focus will be targeting US producers and building on existing relationships that have already been established over the past ten years" said Naoise Barry, Film Commissioner, Irish Film Board.
US projects which have shot in Ireland this year include THE TUDORS, a major television series for Showtime, and feature film PS I LOVE YOU starring Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby) and Gerard Butler (Reign of Fire) based on the novel by Cecilia Ahern.
The Irish Film Commission US will open in mid-November.