Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland commits to initial measures to support the Irish creative screen industries impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Posted: 18th March 2020
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland has been monitoring the rapidly evolving COVID-19 (Coronavirus) global pandemic on a daily basis and recognises that this represents an unprecedented challenge for the Irish creative screen industries. As the impact of the virus continues to grow rapidly and significantly affect all sectors, we want to highlight Screen Ireland’s commitment to supporting the Irish film, television and animation industry during these unprecedented times.
The health and safety of our wider community is our primary concern. We continue to follow government guidelines and are taking all appropriate action to limit the spread of the virus. In response to the current situation, we advise all industry professionals to consult HSÉ and DFA websites listed below for the most accurate and up-to-date information on health and travel advice.
We are currently working with our international partners, key stakeholders across the industry and Minister Josepha Madigan TD and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to assess the potential scale of the impact. Our aim is to provide continued support for Ireland’s creative screen industries during this challenging period. As part of our commitment, Screen Ireland has announced an initial range of measures, all of which we hope will assist those working within the sector.
These measures are as follows:
- We will provide 90% funding upfront on all development loans to Irish screenwriters and production companies through to 31st May 2020.
- Existing development and production loan offers which are due to expire in the coming months will all be extended to 31st May 2020.
- We will provide additional marketing and distribution support for upcoming Irish film and TV releases during this period.
- We will continue to provide skills development opportunities for industry practitioners, with Screen Skills Ireland delivering some of its planned activity for 2020 online free-of-charge over the next 6-10 weeks.
From an operations perspective, Screen Ireland and Screen Skills Ireland staff continue to work remotely and all funding schemes will continue to be made available. We are supporting our filmmakers and current productions on a case-by-case basis due to the numerous complexities and variables involved. The funding application process across all areas from development, production, distribution and publicity will continue as normally as possible.
During these exceptionally challenging circumstances, Screen Ireland will continue to work with our partners to monitor the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and will review and update these measures in response to further developments. Please contact us with any COVID-19 related queries or concerns at info@screenireland.ie.
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