Stars Descend on Ireland as Production Levels Reach Record High
The last twelve months has seen records levels of production in Ireland with stars including Colin Farrell (Ondine), Eva Green (Cracks), Connie Nelson (Battle in Seattle), Jim Broadbent (Perrier's Bounty), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges), Cillian Murphy (Edge of Love) and Aidan Quinn (Shine of Rainbows) descending on Ireland to work on a wide range of feature films.
TRIAGE directed by Oscar winner Danis Tanovic (No Man’s Land) starring Colin Farrell; PERRIER’S BOUNTY directed by Ian FitzGibbon starring Cillian Murphy and Brendan Gleeson; A SHINE OF RAINBOWS directed by Vic Sarin starring Connie Nelson and Aidan Quinn; CRACKS directed by Jordan Scott starring Eva Green; LOVE AND SAVAGERY directed by John Smith and the thriller DOROTHY directed by Agnes Merlet were all shot in Ireland over the past twelve months and will reach cinema screens later this year.
This co-production activity can be attributed to a number of factors including the abundance of diverse locations Ireland has to offer. Factors include our experienced and flexible Irish producers, the availability of talented Irish cast and crew, increases in Irish Film Board funding and improvements to the Irish tax incentive Section 481, which now delivers up to 28% of qualifying expenditure on the first day of principal photography.
Filming took place all over Ireland with projects shooting in Donegal (Dorothy and A Shine of Rainbows), Clare (Love and Savagery), Louth and Meath (Perrier's Bounty) as well as a host of projects shooting on location in Dublin and Wicklow (Cracks, Triage).
These productions required a range of both urban and rural locations with a contemporary and period look, all of which they were able to find in Ireland. The proximity of theses locations and Ardmore Studios to Dublin Airport (less than 45 minutes away) were also very attractive to the filmmakers.
CRACKS directed by Jordan Scott, daughter of award winning producer/director Ridley Scott (American Gangster, Gladiator) filmed in Ireland for seven weeks. . It was co-produced by Dublin’s Element Pictures (Garage, Five Minutes of Heaven) and the UK’s Scott Free and Future Films and stars Eva Green, Juno Temple (Atonement), Imogen Poots (28 Weeks Later) and Maria Valverde (La Flaqueza del Bolchevique). Killer Films and Industry Entertainment who developed the project were also producers.
The production team behind CRACKS, which was set in a girl’s boarding school in 1930’s England, used locations such as Kilruddery House which is a renowned location for internationally successful television productions such as The Tudors, Far and Away, Becoming Jane and My Left Foot along with Luggala which was a location for King Arthur and Excalibur and Cabinteely House. These stunning locations proved important backdrops for the film and could easily double for 1930’s England.
Information about the films:
TRIAGE, a drama directed by which stars Colin Farrell, Paz Vega (The Spirit, Sex & Lucia) and Christopher Lee (Lord of the Rings, The Golden Compass) is an Irish/French/Spanish co-production. It was produced by Irish production company Parallel Films (Intermission, Breakfast on Pluto) and ASAP Films in association with IFB, Aramid Entertainment, Tornasol Films/Freeform and HanWay Films. It filmed on various locations throughout Dublin city centre for five weeks and in the Ciudad de la Luz studios in Alicante in Spain for three weeks last year. HanWay are responsible for worldwide sales.
PERRIER’S BOUNTY directed by Ian Fitzgibbon (A Film With Me In It) shot on location in Dublin, Louth, Meath and London last November. Written by Mark O'Rowe (Boy A) and starring Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson and Jim Broadbent. The film was also produced by Parallel Films and Number 9 Films (How To Lose Friends and Alienate People) with support from IFB, Film4, Limelight, Premiere Picture and the U.K. Film Council. HanWay Films is handling worldwide sales and Optimum Releasing has acquired U.K. and Ireland rights.
The Irish/Canadian co-production LOVE AND SAVAGERY stars Irish actress Sarah Green (Eden). Directed by John N. Smith (Dangerous Minds) and written by Des Walsh, it is a love story set in 1960’s Ireland. It is co-produced by Subotica Films in Ireland and Morag Productions in Canada with funding from the IFB, Telefilm, the Newfoundland Film & TV Commission and Mongrel Media. In particular, this production benefited from the IFB Regional Support Fund.
Another Irish/Canadian co-production is A SHINE OF RAINBOWS which stars Aidan Quinn and Connie Nelson and was directed by Vic Sarin and co-written by Denis Foon, Catherine Spear and Vic Sarin. It is co-produced by Octagon Films in Ireland and Sepia Films in Canada with funding from IFB, Telefilm, Corus Family Feature Fund, Shaw Rocket Fund and Harold Greenberg Fund. Seville Pictures International is handling sales. The film recently screened as part of the European Film Market at the Berlin International Film Festival.
DOROTHY is an Irish/French co-production which is also produced by Octagon Films in Ireland, this time with Fidelite Films in France. Directed by Agnes Merlet, it stars newcomer Jenn Murray in the title role alongside British actor Gary Lewis (Billy Elliot, Gangs of New York) and Irish actor David Wilmot (Intermission). With a total budget of €5million, its Irish budget was €3.1 million it was funded by the IFB, Coficiné, Wild Bunch, Canal Plus and Eurimages. North American distribution has been picked up by the Weinstein Company.