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The amount of grant-in-aid made available for 2013 to Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board (BSÉ/IFB) by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for capital funding purposes is €11,898,000 (a 10% reduction on the 2012 allocation).  An additional €2,000,000 of recouped investment will be added to this bringing the total figure for 2013 to €13,898,000.  Of this, the majority will be used to to enable the development, production and distribution of new Irish films for cinematic exhibition and/or exploitation of television and/or online, the remainder will be deployed to support training and a variety of ancillary film industry activities. There is a separate administration budget paying for the overhead and staff of BSÉ/IFB which in 2013 is €2.4m.

Funding for development, production and distribution is provided through a range of programmes, as follows:

A. DEVELOPMENT

Project Development Loans:
Funding for producers to enable them to commission screenplays and undertake all practical work including the bringing together of the talent and the financial arrangements then necessary to prepare feature film or TV project for production.

Screenplay Development Loans:
Funding for writers, or writers and directors, to enable the writing of first draft feature film screenplays.

Animation Development Loans:
Funding for animation companies to enable them to undertake all concept, design and story work necessary for the development of an animated feature film or TV series.

International Development Loans:
Funding for Irish Producers to enable them to participate in the development of high profile feature films and TV projects initiated by overseas producers.


B. PRODUCTION

1.     Fiction

BSÉ/IFB provides funding for feature film production (and in addition high quality television drama and television animation production but not documentary, for which see below) across their distinct categories as follows:

• Irish Film Production
  Films (live action and animation feature films) and high quality television drama (including English and Irish language drama) and animation television series originated and creatively led by Irish talents - directors, writers, producers - the content of which will generally express Irish culture in some way, and the practical management of which is primarily in Irish hands.
• Creative Co-production
  Films originated outside Ireland in which an Irish producer is involved as a creative collaborator and provider of a minority of the finance needed; where the film is structured as an official or recognised co-production creatively driven with significant production activity occurring in Ireland and where in certain cases there is a commitment by a funding body in the principal producer's country to provide reciprocal support for an Irish film.
• International Production
  Feature films and TV drama originating and principally managed from outside Ireland which use Ireland as a location and involves Irish creative elements, with local services provided by an Irish based producer.

 

2.    Documentary

Funding to enable the production of documentary films, with a clear emphasis on feature-length creative documentaries capable of reaching an international audience through theatrical and festival exposure.

3.    Short Films

BSÉ/IFB currently has five schemes for the production of short films:

• Signatures (live-action, max 12 minutes)
• Frameworks (animation, 5-6 minutes)
• Reality Bites (documentary, max 12 minutes)
• Virtual Cinema (online short films 3 - 5 minutes)
• Gearrscannán (live-action, up to8 minutes in the Irish language)

Note: Films for schemes other than Gearrscannán may be made in the Irish or English language.

4.    Completion

Funding to enable the completion of a fiction, animation or documentary film (but not a short film) which has reached post-production stage or later without BSÉ/IFB support, but which has run out of money.

C. DISTRIBUTION

1.    Print Provision

Funding to enable (a) the making of theatrical prints of feature length and short films (whether or not production has been supported by BSÉ/IFB) for the purpose of official screening at one of a list of approved festivals, and (b) the making of theatrical prints of BSÉ/IFB supported short films (and occasionally features) which are offered a release in Ireland

2.    Distribution Support

Funding for recognised Irish distributors to cover the great majority of the marketing and promotion costs (as distinct from the costs of physical distribution and creation of materials) of feature films supported by BSÉ/IFB when released in Ireland

3.    Direct Distribution/Exhibition Support

Funding for Irish producers to help defray the costs of a limited theatrical release in Ireland (including Northern Ireland) for feature films already in receipt of BSÉ/IFB production funding, that have been unable to secure suitable theatrical distribution by a bona fide Irish distribution company

4.    International Publicity

Guidelines will be published in due course

 

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