Screen Ireland Promotes the Irish Creative Screen Industry in LA ahead of the Academy Awards
Posted: 7th March 2024
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, the development agency for the Irish film, television and animation industry, is meeting with US studios this week to promote the Irish screen industry, ahead of Irish talent in the spotlight at this year’s Academy Awards. Irish talent will take centre stage at this year’s award ceremony, with Element Pictures-produced Poor Things the second-most nominated film at the awards, and Cillian Murphy, who stars in the most nominated film, Oppenheimer, up for the coveted Best Actor Award.
Meeting with international studios and production partners allows Ireland to grow and maintain these already strong relationships – and to underline the Irish Government’s strong support for the country’s screen industry. The 2024 Budget brought improvements to Section 481, the film and television tax incentive, by increasing the eligible expenditure budget ceiling from €70 million to €125 million.
Screen Ireland will also focus on the Irish animation and VFX industry in particular, as VFX artist Richie Baneham is honoured at this evening’s Oscar Wilde event.
Extending her congratulations and best wishes to the nominees, Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive of Screen Ireland, said:
“Screen Ireland is incredibly proud of the international recognition and acclaim Irish artists and creatives have garnered again this year. This week provides a significant business opportunity to promote the Irish industry and further strengthen our relationships with US studios and partners. It ensures that Ireland can develop the talent, skills and infrastructure to support the next generation of Irish storytelling on screen.
Creative talent development is a central priority for Screen Ireland. Last year, 38% of Screen Ireland supported productions were led by emerging directors and screenwriters, and the number of short films funded almost tripled. This is designed to support new, original voices that are representative of contemporary Ireland, right across the country.”
The Board and staff at Screen Ireland extend the best of luck to the Irish nominees this year – Cillian Murphy, Robbie Ryan, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe, and all the team at Element Pictures. Screen Ireland has been proud to support projects from these artists and story makers since the very beginning of their careers: across short film, feature debuts and the growth of Irish TV drama.
The now so-called ‘Green Wave’, that has become a regular feature at the Academy Awards, is a result of the ongoing achievements of homegrown screen talent, which has been supported by sustained investment by consecutive Irish Governments since Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland was established just over 30 years ago.
When Bord Scannan na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board, as it was then known, was established by Michael D Higgins in 1993 after Neil Jordan’s The Crying Game won Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars, the vision was to support the industry to achieve its full potential. At last year’s awards, 30 years later, Irish film and filmmakers received a record 14 nominations across the Academy Awards, ranging from acting and editing to VFX, and also the first nomination for an Irish language film in the Best International Feature Film.
More milestones have already been achieved for Irish stories on screen in 2024, with Kneecap becoming the first ever Irish language film to be selected for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and Small Things Like These the first Irish film to open the Berlin International Film Festival.
In 2019, Ireland was one of the first countries in Europe to link its filming tax credit Section 481, to skills development, as part of its strategy to support sustainable growth nationwide. As Ireland’s development agency for film, TV and animation, Screen Ireland has always deliberately maintained a dual strategy, of supporting Irish production and attracting inward international projects, given the importance of one, for the other.
2024 will also see some of the biggest productions ever to film in Ireland, offering more opportunities across spend in the Irish economy and further skills development for Irish crew and filmmakers.