Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund (ILBF) has announced its latest funding decisions for 2019. Funding was awarded across a wide genre of TV and online content with a total of 21 projects receiving funding.
The aims of the ILBF are to promote the production and broadcast of quality Irish language content for an audience in Northern Ireland and beyond and to help grow the Irish language production sector in Northern Ireland. Some of the funded projects in the first funding round of 2019 include:
Ar Ór is ar Airgead, a documentary from Macha Media, will tell the story of two remarkable Irish women; Mary Cunningham from Donegal who became the face of America’s Golden Dollar and Lady Lavery who graced the first banknote of a newly independent Ireland. Macha Media has also received funding for Nazi sa Ghaeltacht where Kevin Magee will investigate the Nazi plan to invade Ireland and how an Irish scholar from Berlin carried out research for an invasion in the Gaeltacht hamlet of Teileann.
Crawford McCann’s Beidh Aonach Amárach returns for a second series where we will meet more people going for glory at Ireland’s country shows and fairs. Crawford McCann has also received funding for Raw Ambition which will follow follow some young up and coming Irish and Scottish rugby players, male and female, as they try to make the big time.
Rian na gCos, a production by Imagine Media, will retrace the footsteps of the late Aodán Mac Póilin; a passionate and articulate advocate for the Irish language and a dedicated and tireless worker for the rights of the Irish speaking community of Belfast.
Below the Radar’s lively magazine show for BBC NI I Lár an Aonaigh returns for its 8th series as does Meon Eile, Below The Radar’s online platform. The company were also awarded funding for Paul Muldoon – Thiar agus Thallwhich will profile the poet, academic and musician Paul Muldoon as he comes under the gaze of director Alan Gilsenan at home in New York and back in his native Co. Armagh.
Paper Owl Films received funding for a 4th series of #Fadúda, the vlogging series that encompasses a myriad of topics.
Sonas Productions will produce a third series of traditional music series Trad ar Fad.
Clean Slate Television has received funding for Scéal Ghaeltacht Bhóthar Seoighe which will tell the remarkable story of the very humble beginnings of the urban Gaeltacht filmed across the 50th anniversary year.
Three former Mary from Dungloe contestants travel the length and breadth of Ireland using their pageant style and poise to help unlucky-in love men find a partner in Na Gael Marys which will be produced by DoubleBand Films.
Dearcán Media has received funding for Amuigh ar an Fharraige Mhór which will document a day in the life of Donegal Gaeltacht boats and crews as they trawl and fish for crabs and lobsters off the North West coast. The company will also revisit the landmark Northern Fiddler project from 1979 in the company of its author, Allen Feldman, and the modern day ‘Northern Fiddlers’ in The Northern Fiddler Revisited.
For further details and guidelines please visit the ILBF funding page.