Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, the national agency for the creative screen sector, has announced €3.2 million in strategic slate funding. Slate funding is an initiative to help Irish companies develop a slate of projects in-house across feature film, television, animation and documentary.
Originally announced earlier this year, this Strategic Slate Development Fund was customised to respond to the challenges the global pandemic presents. It is one of several practical and effective funding measures introduced since the onset of COVID 19, so that the industry can emerge from the current situation positioned to return to production activity with strong creative projects.
Overall, the fund has been awarded across 26 production companies with over 100 feature films and 65 TV series. The fund supports slates with projects that have strong creative ambition and a focus on diversity and inclusion.
Successful projects to emerge from previous slate funding schemes include the Academy Award® nominated Song of the Sea produced by Cartoon Saloon and The Favourite, produced by Element Pictures, which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards® in 2018.
Commenting on the fund, Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, said: “The Strategic Slate Development fund aims to support production companies, working closely with screenwriters and directors, to build a strong and diverse slate of film, television drama and animation projects. This funding enables production companies to build intellectual property and develop creatively ambitious projects for Irish audiences and the international marketplace.”
The Irish creative screen industries have grown significantly over the last ten years in terms of employment and economic contribution. Screen Ireland’s key priority is to support the sector during this critical time, to ensure that Irish creative screen talent can continue to play a key role within Irish cultural life and make a critical contribution to rebuilding the economy when this crisis is over.
The Strategic Slate Development Fund will come from Screen Ireland’s 2020 capital budget allocation and will be made available as quickly as possible over a one year period to allow Screen Ireland to respond to the anticipated increased need for production funding in 2021.
Funding Awards
| Blinder Films | €175,000 |
| Cartoon Saloon | €200,000 |
| Cluster Fox Films | €100,000 |
| Cowtown Pictures | €140,000 |
| Deadpan Pictures | €120,000 |
| Element Pictures | €200,000 |
| Fantastic Films | €120,000 |
| Gambit Pictures | €75,000 |
| Hell’s Kitchen | €120,000 |
| Mammoth Films & Feline Films | €120,000 |
| Moetion Films | €140,000 |
| O’Sullivan Productions | €140,000 |
| Pink Kong Studios | €100,000 |
| Ripple World Pictures | €120,000 |
| Saffron Moon | €100,000 |
| Samson Pictures | €140,000 |
| ShinAwiL | €140,000 |
| Subotica Ltd | €140,000 |
| Tailored Films | €120,000 |
| The Film Workshop | €100,000 |
| Treasure Entertainment | €140,000 |
| Treehouse Republic | €100,000 |
| Underground Films | €120,000 |
| Venom Films | €100,000 |
| Vico Films | €100,000 |
| Wild Atlantic Pictures | €120,000 |