Reception at the Warner Bros Lot in Los Angeles for President McAleese
President Mary McAleese and her husband Dr. Martin McAleese were the guests of honour at a Bord Scannan nahEireann/the Irish Film Board and Enterprise Ireland hosted reception at the world famous Warner Bros lot in Los Angeles. The President’s visit coincided with the recent announcement by Minister Martin Cullen TD of enhancements to Ireland’s filming tax incentive, Section 481. Speaking at the reception, Jonathan Loughran of the Irish Film Board’s Los Angeles office noted that the Presidential visit come at an important and exciting time for the Irish film industry.
“Our indigenous film sector is booming with 25 feature films funded this year alone by the IFB and on the incoming production side, we hope to see Showtime's The Tudors return for a 4th successive season and look forward to welcoming more US feature films and television series to Ireland in 2009”.
He also went on to congratulate fellow guest Colin Farrell on his Golden Globe nomination for In Bruges, as well as fellow Irish Golden Globe nominees Brendan Gleeson, Martin McDonagh, Gabriel Byrne and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Also in attendance at the Hollywood event were legendary producer Joel Silver (Die Hard, The Matrix, Lethal Weapon and Predator franchises) and senior executives from Warner Bros, Disney, Universal, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Sony, Scott Free, Lionsgate, HBO and Showtime.
President McAleese highlighted Ireland’s long history in Hollywood referencing such films as The Quiet Man and The Informer, and more recent successes such as Saving Private Ryan, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Becoming Jane and the 2008 Oscar winning Once.
President McAleese concludes her visit to the US in Los Angeles.