{made}" />
Industry Audience
Hit enter to search or ESC to close
Top Picks
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland Funding News: Funding Increase for Irish Feature Film Development

News

  • Home
  • News
  • Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland Funding News: Funding Increase for Irish Feature Film Development

Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland Funding News: Funding Increase for Irish Feature Film Development

Posted: 6th June 2024

Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland is delighted to announce an increase to the budget and funding loan thresholds for Irish Feature Film Development Funding. These increases will provide much-needed support for Ireland-based or Irish screenwriters and production companies to develop strong, original and creatively excellent screenplays.

New funding thresholds

Funding thresholds for Irish Feature Film Development have now been increased from a maximum available loan of €50,000 to €75,000, without any requirement for match funding. For loan awards over €75,000, match funding will need to be in place, and the overall cap of the award has been increased to €125,000.

These updates come shortly after the agency increased its funding thresholds for Irish Production funding in April – aiming to form a strong package of support for Irish feature film across the board.

‘Locked box’ development support

Screen Ireland is also delighted to announce a new feature in its Development process – a ‘locked box funding’ support system, similar to other national funds across Europe, that will further support the development of Irish screenwriters and production companies across Ireland.

Screen Ireland development funding loans are repayable on the first day of principal photography. In the new locked box funding system, this repayment will be held by Screen Ireland for that relevant production company to re-invest in the development of new Irish feature film projects. This re-investment is subject to project eligibility criteria – that is, projects that would normally qualify for Screen Ireland’s Irish Feature Film Development fund – and a maximum allocation of €75,000 per project.

The aim of this enhanced support is to incentivise and recognise success, ensuring that support can be re-invested into Irish writers and the screenwriting landscape in Ireland.

After enormous success for Irish film on the world’s stage, Screen Ireland’s remit and responsibility is to ensure the continued creative success of the Irish screen industry. These changes form part of ongoing improvements and adjustments to Screen Ireland's funding procedures. The agency is working to strengthen and complement support for domestic Irish filmmaking, particularly in response to global trends and changes across the Irish production landscape. 

Full criteria and guidelines on the new funding thresholds and locked box funding can now be read in the updated Development Funding Guidelines 2024 and via the further questions and answers below.

The next deadline for development is Monday, 1st July 2024 and this round is now open on the Screen Ireland Applications Portal. The new Irish feature film development funding thresholds will apply to any applications submitted for this round onwards, while the lockbox system will apply to any Screen Ireland development-supported Irish feature film projects that have not yet contracted for production.

All applications are, as always, subject to the usual development review procedures.

Questions & Answers

At the moment, the funding thresholds have been increased for Irish Feature Film Development Funding only.

Any changes or updates to Screen Ireland funding will always be published on the website and sent via the Irish industry email newsletter.

There is no requirement for match funding up to a maximum loan award amount of €75,000 for a single project. After this, any funding offers over €75,000 will require match funding. The maximum available funding is €125,000 for a single project.

No, these increases will only apply to new first stage applications made from the July 2024 round onwards. Existing development funding offers will remain the same, as set out in your funding offer letter and development funding contract.

Yes, existing projects can avail of the new ‘locked box’ support, if the project has not contracted for production and principal photography has not yet taken place. On the closing of contracts for principal photography for the project, the development loan should be repaid in the normal way, and this repaid amount will be allocated to the ‘locked box’, up to a maximum allocation of €75,000.

No - at the moment, the locked box development system is only in place for projects supported by Irish Feature Film Development funding. This is a pilot scheme, however, and may be reviewed in the future.

Please keep checking back on the Screen Ireland website and the Irish industry email newsletter for any updates.

To avail of the ‘locked box’ funding, the producer must complete and submit the Development Locked Box Application Form, a copy of which is available on request. No party other than the producer may make a claim under the Development Locked Box system.

The producer must provide Screen Ireland with a budget and finance plan (in the Screen Ireland templates) and a short synopsis for the proposed eligible new feature film development, the detail of which will be determined by the type and extent of the proposed activities.

Once approved, payment of funds will be made on receipt of a valid invoice and tax clearance details.

Once an Irish Feature Film development loan has been repaid into the ‘locked box’, it can then be used on the development of new projects that meet the criteria for Screen Ireland's Irish Feature Film Development funding. State Aid rules continue to apply to the ‘locked box’ funds.

These funds cannot be used to refinance expenditure already incurred by the producer or by any person connected with the producer.

No - currently, the funds can only be used to develop projects that meet the criteria for Screen Ireland's Irish Feature Film Development funding. This is a pilot scheme, however, and may be reviewed in the future.

Please keep checking back on the Screen Ireland website and the Irish industry email newsletter for any updates.

Yes – as long as the project fulfils the eligibility criteria for Screen Ireland's Irish Feature Film Development funding.

Yes, but the maximum allocation into the ‘locked box’ from any one Irish feature film that goes into production is €75,000.

No, the maximum allocation for re-investment of ‘locked box’ funds is €75,000 per Irish feature film project.

Yes, ‘locked box’ funds should be re-invested into the development of new Irish feature film projects within 24 months of the loan repayment date.