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#Industry: Irish Film Board re-opens International Production Fund

Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) has announced the reopening of the Fiction: Live Action International Production Fund, to assist Irish producers in attracting major international film and television projects to undertake production in Ireland.  The fund will place a particular focus on the development of production activity across regional Ireland.

Large scale productions which have previously shot in Ireland as a result of the IFB International Production Fund include Vikings (History Channel US), Ripper Street (Amazon Prime/BBC), Penny Dreadful (Showtime) and Tudors (Showtime). The fund has proven to deliver a strong return to the Irish economy on IFB investment. These four shows alone have invested over €430 million in the Irish economy in terms of total spend on jobs and local good and services.

To date, the fund has also resulted in creating important opportunities for Irish talent to produce work that builds on their world-class reputation with an emphasis placed on the employment of Ireland’s highly qualified personnel in front of and behind the camera and high levels of total spend on Irish facilities and services.

For more information on the Fiction: Live Action International Production Fund as well as details on how to apply, please click here.

About the Funding

This funding is for feature films and TV drama originating and principally managed from outside Ireland which uses Ireland as a location and involves Irish creative elements, with local services provided by an Irish-based producer.

As a guide, BSÉ/IFB normally expects a 40:1 spending ratio (reducible in specifically agreed circumstances particularly where production is taking place outside the Dublin/Wicklow region to 30:1) between eligible Irish expenditure as defined in Section 481 and the BSÉ/IFB investment, but each project will be treated on a case-by-case basis. The minimum budget for a project applying for funding should be €30 million and the minimum eligible expenditure should be €20 million, reducible to €15 million for regional production. The BSÉ/IFB can only support projects which have 90% or more of their finance in place, are greenlit to go into production within the calendar year that the application is made, and which involve Irish creative elements.

Provided the Irish producer and the overseas producer have a good track record and the creative elements are acceptable, assessment by BSÉ/IFB will be based primarily on consideration of the economic ‘multiplier’ effect of its funding, and of the opportunities for Irish personnel to be employed in key positions.

As a general rule, and particularly when demand outstrips the funding available, BSÉ/IFB will place an emphasis on:

  • Irish employment in all grades
  • Projects that can offer employment in lead creative roles including director, key cast, director of photography, production designer, costume designer, editor and composer
  • Production taking place outside the Dublin/Wicklow region
  • Contribution to Irish audiovisual infrastructure
  • Projects that will utilise serviced film studios and post-production facilities
  • Spend in the Irish economy
  • Projects that will deliver significant economic activity additional to that generated by other Irish funding including Section 481 (tax-based incentive funding)

Because BSÉ/IFB support for international production is directly linked to consideration of a film or TV programme’s economic effect within the Irish industry, the majority of this funding is released progressively during the course of the production upon receipt of cost reports showing that targets of Irish expenditure have been met.

Who Can Apply

BSÉ/IFB funding for International Production is available to established Irish production companies who are seeking to provide production services to co-produce a feature film or TV drama (single or series) originated and principally managed from outside Ireland, which will use Ireland as a location and/or production and post-production base.

How to Apply

Applications can now be made online. Visit the IFB Online Application System. Please consult with the BSE/IFB Inward Production Manager prior to making an application.