The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, in association with the Directors Guild of America, has announced the Directors Finders Series 2018. The Finder Series award presents a unique opportunity for Irish directors to engage with the US film industry.
The purpose of the series is to spotlight independent Irish directors and their films. The SDGI will launch the selected Irish film in LA, screening to US distributors, agents and press in the prestigious DGA Theatre on Sunset Boulevard. The award will be open to feature length films in fiction, documentary and drama.
The Directors’ Finder Series, initiated by the Independent Directors Committee of the DGA, has, since its inception, screened more than 100 independent films. Of those films, approximately 29% have gone on to secure distribution. Participating filmmakers have directly acknowledged the Director’s Finder Screening Series as providing the key screening which eventually led to their films being picked up.
An international panel of experts will select the winning film. The film and the director will then travel to LA, where an official screening will take place on the 26th October. The event will be attended by key industry figures. The Director will then participate in a Q&A after the film.
This year, SDGI will also celebrate the beginning of the series with a celebratory PR launch party at the Conrad Hotel in Dublin. The date will be confirmed shortly.
The Directors Finders Series award is an opportunity of great cultural significance for Ireland. However, while the main focus will be on the chosen Director and their film we also see this as a PR opportunity for Irish film related bodies.