Industry: Irish Film Board to be renamed as Screen Ireland

Here’s some fairly big news for the Irish film industry…The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD, has today announced her intention to put legislation in place to change the name of the Irish Film Board to Screen Ireland.

[quote title=”Heather Humphreys – Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht”]The Irish Film Board is our premier agency for promoting and supporting the audio visual sector. Its work extends far beyond the traditional realm of ‘film’ and encompasses the domestic and international TV sector, as well as our growing animation sector. The Irish audio visual sector has been going from strength to strength in recent years, and I believe there is huge capacity for growth. I want the agency tasked with expanding the sector further to have a name that easily communicates its responsibilities.[/quote]

[quote title=”Dr. Annie Doona – Irish Film Board, Acting Chairperson”]We very much welcome Minister Humphreys’ initiative in proposing to change the name of the Irish Film Board to Screen Ireland. We look forward to this new phase in the development of the agency and we are grateful that Minister Humphreys has acknowledged the great potential for growth in the audio visual production sector and the expanding role of the agency within it. I know that our late Chairman Bill O’Herlihy would very much have appreciated what the Minister is doing and it is a fitting tribute to him.[/quote]

The name of the Irish Film Board will be changed in legislation by way of amendment at Report Stage to the National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) Bill 2015 which is currently before Dáil Éireann.

Any costs involved with the name change and associated rebranding will be met from the existing resources of the Irish Film Board.