Screen Ireland Launches Its 2024 Slate of over 40 Film, TV Drama, Documentary and Animation Projects
Posted: 24th January 2024
Highlights this year include Small Things Like These starring Cillian Murphy, TV thriller The Boy That Never Was, and Bring Them Down, starring Barry Keoghan.
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland (Screen Ireland) – the national agency for the Irish film, television drama, animation, and documentary industry – today launched its slate of more than 40 productions coming to audiences and international markets this year. Showcased in the Production Slate funded by Screen Ireland are: 20 feature films, 8 TV dramas, 7 animated series, 10 documentaries, 3 RTÉ Storyland projects and 31 short films.
Highlights from the upcoming slate of film, television, animation and documentary include the feature film adaptation of Claire Keegan’s award-winning novel, Small Things Like These, written by Enda Walsh and directed by Tim Mielants. Starring Cillian Murphy and Eileen Walsh, the film was announced as the first Irish feature film selected as the Opening Film for the prestigious Berlinale (Berlin Film Festival), and will receive its World Premiere there on Thursday, 15th February. The film is produced by Alan Moloney and Cillian Murphy for Big Things Films.
Cillian Murphy, actor and one of the producers of Small Things Like These, said:
I’m delighted for Small Things Like These to be part of the Screen Ireland Slate for 2024. Working on this film with director Tim Mielants and screenwriter Enda Walsh – as well as the film’s outstanding cast and crew in Wexford, Wicklow and Dublin – was an incredible experience. It’s a wonderful time for Irish filmmaking, and I’m proud to be part of putting Irish stories on the screen that tell us about ourselves: our past and present.”
Other film highlights include Bring Them Down, a crime thriller starring Barry Keoghan, the Irish language film Kneecap, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last Thursday, European co-production The End, the latest project from acclaimed director Joshua Oppenheimer, and Darren Thornton’s Irish drama Four Mothers, starring Fionnuala Flanagan.
Barry Keoghan, star of upcoming Irish film Bring Them Down, said:
I can’t wait for audiences to see Bring Them Down very soon, and delighted the film is part of the Screen Ireland slate. It’s an amazing time to be telling Irish stories. Being able to shoot at home with an Irish crew - who are some of the best in the world - is always incredibly special to me. I’m so proud to see how many new filmmakers and actors are coming out of Ireland, ready to take on the world.”
Irish TV drama promises eight brand new Screen Ireland-supported series this year working with RTÉ Virgin Media, TG4 and a range of international broadcasters. These include; The Boy That Never Was, a thriller directed by Hannah Quinn, adapted from Karen Perry’s novel by crime author and screenwriter Jo Spain coming soon to RTÉ; The Hardacres, a period drama with Channel 5; and the return of a new season of comedy/drama The Dry for RTÉ and ITV.
Screen Ireland continues to be a leading funder of Irish animation, with 2024 animated projects on the Slate including Maddie + Triggs, Doodle Girl, and interactive multi-platform project Where The Wild Geese Go. Irish documentary also promises a range of stories, from the tongue-in-cheek Housewife of the Year to true crime investigation from Charlie Bird, Ransom ’79.
New voices and first-time filmmakers are key themes across Screen Ireland’s 2024 Production Slate, with several directorial debuts across feature film including Claire Frances Byrne’s Ready or Not, Brian Durnin’s Spilt Milk, Brendan Canty’s Christy, and Eva Birthistle’s Kathleen Is Here.