TG4, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/The Irish Film Board (BSÉ) and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) have joined in launching the Cine4 Development Scheme, a new joint-funding initiative to support the development and production of feature films in the Irish language.
Open to live-action feature-length drama film projects in the Irish language, Cine4 will encourage strong storytelling, visual flair and high production values appropriate for the big screen. Projects seeking funding must offer a story-line that has a strong credibility as Gaeilge, prove potential to appeal to Irish and international cinema audiences and demonstrate Irish language capability and gender balance across the creative team being proposed.
Applications for feature-length projects with budgets of up to €1.2million that meet these criteria will first be assessed by a panel of assessors from TG4, BSÉ and BAI. Five applications annually will be offered development budgets up to €25,000. Developed projects will then be assessed further with two of these chosen for consideration in the next appropriate round of the BAI Sound & Vision scheme for production funding. The two resulting films produced annually will be given a full festival life and theatrical release prior to their broadcast premiere on TG4.
Full details of the scheme, including terms, conditions, deadline dates etc are available from http://www.tg4.ie/ga/leiriuchan/coimisiunu/
The new scheme was launched today at the 2017 Celtic Media Festival currently taking place in Douglas, Isle of Man, the annual conference attended by 300 TV, film and radio professionals from the audio-visual sector in the Celtic nations and regions.
Since TG4 launched, drama in Irish has been at the heart of our vision for audiences and our drama producers have consistently won international and national awards. This important new partnership scheme brings Irish language film-making to a new level and will extend TG4 content into another central and natural home – the cinema. For independent Irish producers it offers an opportunity to showcase their talent and skills at the highest level and we hope that the scheme will also open doors for them in the increasingly global audio-visual market for drama content.
Alan Esslemont – TG4, Director Genera
We are delighted to be working with TG4 and the BAI on this new initiative to develop original feature films in the Irish language. Working in partnership with Irish broadcasters across feature film production is a key part of the IFB Five Year Strategy 2016 to 2020 and we believe that public service broadcaster investment in Irish creative film talent is central to ensuring the future growth of the sector. I’m looking forward to Irish and international audiences engaging with the feature films that are produced under the scheme, both in cinemas and at film festivals as well as on TG4 when broadcast.
James Hickey – Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, Chief Executive
BAI is very pleased to support the Cine4 initiative, as it has particular resonance with the BAI’s strategic objective to foster, promote and increase the availability of quality Irish language programming to audiences. I believe that the involvement of the BAI, TG4, and the IFB is particularly important in highlighting the value of engaging in a partnership approach towards the achievement of common goals that are ultimately in the interests of viewers.
Michael O’Keeffe – Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Chief Executive