IDA and IFB collaborate to drive investment

Academy Award nominee Michael Fassbender

Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) and the IDA Ireland are collaborating to leverage the potential opportunities for Ireland in Los Angeles in the next week ahead of this year’s Academy Awards to further build Ireland’s international reputation as a creative and innovation hub.

Delegations from both agencies will undertake a heavy schedule of meetings with US studios, distributors, talent agents, content platforms, film financiers and entertainment technology companies.

The IFB and IDA have a long-standing and successful track record of working together to attract international productions to Ireland.

Both agencies will utilise the success of Ireland at the Academy Awards to highlight Ireland’s leading film talent, to bring international film production and creative technology businesses to Ireland with immeasurable benefits for tourism and the wider economy.

Star Wars, Vikings and Penny Dreadful are recent examples of global international hits which are produced in Ireland bringing significant economic benefits to the country and creating opportunities for Irish talent.

“For a country of our size to feature so prominently in the Oscar nominations is unprecedented. It is a watershed moment for Irish film with Brooklyn and Room now achieving global status,” said James Hickey, chief executive of the Irish Film Board.

“The eyes of the film world truly are on us and in Hollywood next week our message will be clear – the Irish film sector is a world player in creativity and technical skills. Ireland is at the nexus of technology and innovation; we can offer international productions access to attractive incentives, unrivalled landscapes, developed infrastructure and a pool of wonderful and experienced creative talent. The opportunity to work with the IDA opens up additional networks to those we already have and brings further strength to our proposition about the benefits of Ireland and Irish creative talent.”

Martin Shanahan, CEO of the IDA, commented: “The currency of today’s creative industries is skilled talent. Digitisation has disrupted and is driving the industry particularly in the graphics, post production, visual effects, content capture and content distribution areas. Ireland is at the crest of these technology changes and its education system is producing world leading graduates in relevant computer and IT disciplines. Several award winning and leading animation and VE companies have originated from Ireland and the industry is at a critical inflection to build on the recent big and small screen successes.”

He continued: “We are working with the Irish Film Board to ensure that we maximise every opportunity presented by this unprecedented Irish showing at the Academy Awards.”

The Academy Awards features seven nominations for films supported by the Irish Film Board, and a total of nine nominations for Irish creative talent. It will be televised in 200 countries and watched by an estimated 960 million viewers worldwide.

Photo: Gage Skidmore