Deadline has arrived for participation in the Stranger Than Fiction Market
If you are an independent Irish documentary producer and haven't yet applied to participate in this year's Stranger Than Fiction market, you need to act fast as the deadline for applications is the end of this week.
The market runs parallel to the STF Documentary Film Festival and will take place on the 14th and 15th September at the IFI, Temple Bar, Dublin and is co-financed by Bord Scannan na hEireann/the Irish Film Board. It offers a unique opportunity to meet with and pitch potential projects to leading Commissioning Editors, Sales Agents, Distributors and Buyers on a one-to-one basis.
These one-on-one meetings are a key aspect of the market and are an opportunity not to be missed. They allow producers the chance to secure funding, make links and build relationships with guests such as Mairead Ni Nuadhain and Kevin Dawson from RTE, Michael O'Meallaigh from TG4 and Alan Maher, Production Executive with Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board (IFB).
With international guests including Kate Beetham and Greg Sanderson from the BBC, Anne Baumann and Laurene Mansuy from ARTE and Margaret Murphy from SBS Independent in Australia to name just a few, these meetings will be a chance to gain knowledge and expert advice from professionals in the documentary broadcast world with international financing and commissioning power.
The Market is organised by Screen Producers Ireland (SPI) who are still accepting applications for the one-to-one meetings until the end of the week. All independent producers who wish to participate must be a member of SPI or have a programme screening in the festival.
As part of this year's market, the IFB will also host panel discussions entitled ‘Feature Docs on the Big Screen'. These will take place on Thursday, 13th September from 10am - 1pm and will discuss how Irish documentaries can find a way to the big screen, focusing on the production, financing and distribution of feature length docs.
The event will be introduced by Simon Perry, Chief Executive of the IFB and panellists will include guests from Storyville, SBS Factual and First Hand Films as well as other commissioning editors, distribution companies and key decision-makers from RTE and the IFB. It promises to be an informative event and of great benefit to producers involved in or interested in documentary making.
The Stranger Than Fiction Festival will screen 24 feature-length documentaries over four days (13th - 16th September) with almost one third of the films featured produced by home-grown talent. These include the opening film The Undertaking which was directed by Cathal Black, as well as Dublin Day, directed by George Morrison and Saviours, directed by Ross Whitaker and Liam Nolan, all of which received funding from the IFB.
More information:
Emer Mullarkey
Screen Producers Ireland
Tel: +353 1 6621114
Email: emer@screenproducersireland.com