Session 1: Innovative and Creative Storytelling
Chair: Sheila de Courcy
Panelists: Andrew Byrne, Head of Television, Eimear Markey, Development Manager and Niamh Fagan, Film Project Manager and Louise Ryan Head of Marketing & Communications.
The Creative and Innovative Storytelling panel focused on the opportunities to access funding for the industry and deliver high value innovative storytelling for a global audience.
Five Funding Principles were outlined to describe Screen Ireland’s review process, and the key criteria that the industry must consider into 2023 when submitting applications. This comes with a new application system also launching in the new year. All applications will continue to be benchmarked against Screen Ireland’s key principles.
These Funding Principles are:
- Creative Excellence (Clarity, Authenticity, Originality)
- Talent Development
- Accessing Audiences
- Culture and Additionality
- Ambition and Industry growth
“Don't imitate, create.”
“Don’t imitate, create”, reminds Development Manager, Eimear Markey, who hopes to see even more truly original and authentic scripts submitted to the agency in 2023.
“We’d love to see more stories reflective of Irish culture across all schemes, genres and formats.”
To support these principles, a new team structure was also announced with a focus on the newly formed Development Unit led by Eimear Markey.
Celine Haddad, Head of Film, and Andrew Byrne, Head of Television, will oversee the Screen Ireland slate, driving stakeholder engagement and policy.
Niamh Fagan, Film Project Manager who has recently been joined by Greg Martin will review and manage late-stage development and production applications as well as seeing projects through to the final edit.
“We like to see ambition in every project.”
- Niamh Fagan, Film Project Manager
Niamh Fagan, Film Project Manager also encouraged filmmakers to:
“Look at, and analyse your projects, both as a creator and as an audience”.
New funding opportunities were announced to support a wider range of talent and content on screen, from Film & TV Production increases to further supports in TV Drama, Documentary and Animation Development & Production. Animation Innovation and a new pilot Gaming fund were also highlighted following the announcement of the government’s new digital gaming tax credit.
Andrew Byrne, Head of Television, highlighted the agency’s ambition to support the industry in delivering high value, well developed innovative content across all genres that reach global audiences.
Marketing, Distribution and Audience Development
Head of Marketing & Communications Louise Ryan also outlined a new range of Marketing and Distribution supports which the agency is working on, as she acknowledges how difficult it can be to prioritise marketing assets when trying to close a production.
2023 marketing supports will include a brand new Marketing Assets Fund, as well as increases to the existing International Publicity Fund, continued support for Academy Award campaigns, the National Film Festivals Support Fund, and Funding for Awards programme. On the distribution side, updated and existing supports will include a Full Test Screenings Service, Distribution Support Fund, Direct Distribution Fund and the Structural Marketing & Distribution Fund.
Finally, Louise Ryan emphasised the work that Screen Ireland is currently doing to bring back audiences to the cinemas after the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a devastating effect on the film industry.
“We are seeing that audience behaviour has changed."
During the pandemic, Screen Ireland launched the Building Back Audiences Cinema Stimulus Fund, and will soon launch a brand new Audience Development Fund.
The agency will keep developing two platforms that they have recently launched: the Short Film Player, which allows schools and festivals to watch Screen Ireland-supported short films, and Where To Watch, a new platform designed to help people discover where they can find Irish film in cinemas and on streaming services, wherever they are in the world.
