Two Irish Films Win Competitive European Co-production Funding Prize
Two Irish films ‘Life's a Breeze', the next up and coming film from Dublin director Lance Daly (Kisses) and ‘Dark Touch' an Irish French co-production to be produced by Irish company Element Films (The Guard) have both been awarded competitive Eurimages funding awards of €300,000 and €390,000 respectively.
The Eurimages fund aims to promote the European film industry by encouraging the production and distribution of films and fostering co-operation between professionals. Delegates from over 35 Eurimages member countries representing the Board of Management for the Council of Europe's Eurimages Fund, descended on Dublin last week for a four day meeting to discuss the latest round of funding decisions.
Commenting on their arrival Jimmy Deenihan, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht said:
"We were delighted to welcome the Eurimages Board of Management to Ireland. It is a very fitting location for Eurimages as Ireland has become one of Europe's leading co-producing countries. Irish producers remain committed to European co-production having built up a strong reputation in this area. Board Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board's Creative Co-production Fund is also evidence of the Irish national film agency's commitment to developing our European co-production activities. We are particularly pleased to have two successful Irish projects in the latest Eurimages funding round including Lance Daly's feature ‘Life is a breeze' and ‘Dark Touch' a minority co-production with France and Sweden."
Previous Irish co-productions which were awarded Eurimages support include the Oscar nominated The Secret of Kells, As if I'm not there, Ireland submission for the Academy Award Best Foreign Film prize this year, This Must be the Place starring Sean Penn which filmed in Dublin last year and the multi award winning Song for a Raggy Boy.
Ireland is a member of the Council of Europe's production support fund, EURIMAGES. The fund supports the production of feature films, documentaries and animated films that are intended for cinematographic exhibition and are co-productions between at least two member states. EURIMAGES was established in 1988 and Ireland has been a member since 1992.
The list of films which have received Eurimages funding in the latest round of funding is below. ‘Life's a Breeze' and ‘Dark Touch' are expected to go into production in the next few months.
Domestic - Adrian Sitaru (Romania) (Romania, Germany)
Life's a breeze - Lance Daly (Ireland, Sweden)
Pigeon on a Branch - Roy Andersson (Sweden) (Sweden, France, Norway, Germany)
The Fifth Season - Peter Brosens (Belgium), Jessica Woodworth (USA) (Belgium, Netherlands)
Baby Blues - Alina Marazzi (Italy - Switzerland) (Italy, Switzerland)
Wednesday 04.45 - Alexis Alexiou (Greece) (Germany, Greece)
Layla Fourie - Pia Marais (Sweden - Germany) (Germany, South Africa, France, Netherlands)Lupu - Bogdan Mustata (Romania) (Romania, Germany)
Populaire - Regis Roinsard (France) (France, Belgium)
Seagull - Chaika - Miguel Angel Jiménez (Spain) (Spain, Georgia, Russia, France)
Pioneer - Erik Skjoldbjaerg (Norway) (Norway, Germany, Sweden)
Dark Touch - Marina De Van (France, Ireland, Sweden)
La Religieuse - Guillaume Nicloux (France) (France, Germany, Belgium)
Hannah Arendt - Margarethe Von Trotta (Germany) (Germany, Luxembourg, France)Woman and Man - Asli Ozge (Turkey) (Turkey, Germany, Netherlands)
The Hunt - Thomas Vinterberg (Denmark) (Denmark, Sweden)
Watchtower - Pelin Esmer (Turkey) (Turkey, France, Germany)
Il venditore di medicine - Antonio Morabito (Italy) (Italy, Switzerland)
Vanita - Giorgio Diritti (Italy) (Italy, France)
The deadlines for submission of applications for support will be the following:
- 13 January 2012
- 20 April 2012
- 27 August 2012
- 22 October 2012