Trade Mission to Los Angeles to Raise Finance for Irish film
Oscar nominees Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, and director John Carney were the guests of honour at the Irish film industry reception which took place in Los Angeles to celebrate Irish film and promote Ireland as a film location. The event was part of the Irish trade mission to the US this week and the highlight of the evening was Glen and Marketa performing songs from the multi award winning film ONCE live to an enthusiastic audience of film industry professionals.
The event was attended by leading lights of US and Irish film industry and special guests included Irish Oscar nominee Peter J. Devlin, nominated in the category for Best Achievement in Sound for Transformers, Neil Jordan (Breakfast on Pluto), Mischa Barton (The OC), Kirsten Sheridan (August Rush), and the multi award winning costume designer Joan Bergin (The Tudors) as well as a host of US studio executives from Fox, Sony and Paramount amongst others.
Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland have partnered to facilitate the trade mission where over 25 Irish production companies have travelled to Los Angeles to meet with US studios executives and to promote the Irish film industry during Oscar week. The aim of the trade mission is to raise finance for their slate of film projects in active development, as well as identifying projects for shooting on location in Ireland.
"The US is so important for the Irish film business. It's a major market for Irish film and also provides essential direct foreign investment in the form of larger US film and TV drama shooting on location in Ireland. The timing of the Trade Mission is also relevant as there is a focus on the Irish film industry with five Irish nominees at the Oscars this week." said Naoise Barry, Film Commissioner, IFB.
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova will perform their Oscar nominated song Falling Slowly at the 80th annual Academy Award ceremony on which will be broadcast to millions of viewers worldwide on Sunday night.