Deis Nua Spreagúil do Scannánóirí Nua:
Scéim Léiriúcháin CATALYST Anois Oscailte d'Iarratais

Tá áthas ar Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (BSÉ/IFB) deis a thairiscint do thrí fhoireann de scannánóirí nua fadscannán ar bhuiséad íseal (€350,000) a léiriú le cuidiú ón scéim mhaoinithe agus mheantóireachta Catalyst. Beidh teagmháil ag na foirne le príomh-shaineolaithe na hearnála a thabharfaidh meantóireacht agus treoir phearsanta dóibh le linn an tréimhse. 

Is le cuidiú ón chéad scéim Catalyst, a láinseáileadh i 2007, a léiríodh na fadscannáin Rewind, One Hundred Mornings agus Eamon. Anois, tá an darna scéim Catalyst á oscailt ag BSÉ/IFB do scannánóirí uaillmhianacha spreagtha ar mhian leo fadscannán úrnua, spreagúil agus atá dírithe go mór ar an lucht féachana, a léiriú ar bhuiséad íseal ach gan aon chomhghéilleadh a dhéanamh ar na huaillmhianta.
 
Conas a fheidhmíonn sé?
 
Le bheith i dteideal dámhachtain mhaoinithe, ní mór do dhaoine ar mhaith leo iarratas a dhéanamh freastal ar sheimineáir thar dhá lá ar dtús báire, a thabharfaidh léargas dóibh ar scannánaíocht ar bhuiséad íseal. Beidh na seimineáir seo ar siúl Dé Sathairn, 30ú Mí na Samhna, agus Dé Sathairn, 14ú Mí na Nollag 2013. Ansin, beidh tréimhse trí mhí acu siúd a d'fhreastal ar na seimineáir chun pacáiste agus script scannáin a ullmhú le go ndéanfar measúnú air.

Beidh deis ag an trí fhoireann scannánaíochta a roghnófar (léiritheoir, scríbhneoir agus stiúrthóir nó scríbhneoir/stiúrthóir) a fadscannán féin a léiriú ar bhuiséad €350,000, le tacaíocht ó fhoireann BSÉ/IFB, agus le teacht ar phainéal de phríomh-shaineolaithe na hearnála. Déanfaidh na foirne a ndícheall le cinntiú go mbeidh deis ag gach ball den fhoireann theicniúil/chriú a oibríonn ar na scannáin grád níos airde a bhaint amach ina ngairm. Cuirfear traenáil agus/nó meantóireacht ar fáil don fhoireann aisteoireachta agus don chriú nuair is gá.

Cé atá i dteideal iarratas a dhéanamh chun freastal ar na seimineáir Catalyst?

Tá seimineáir Catalyst ar oscailt do dhaoine aonair as na disciplíní scannánaíochta seo leanas: léiritheoirí, scríbhneoirí, stiúrthóirí agus scríbhneoir/stiúrthóirí. Spreagfaí na rannpháirtithe chun teagmháil a dhéanamh le scannánóirí eile ag na seimineáir, le foirne nua a bhunú nó chun cur le foirne atá curtha le chéile cheana.

Ní mór go mbeidh creidiúint/ról ag léiritheoirí, stiúrthóirí agus scríbhneoir/stiúrthóirí ar ghearrscannán amháin agus/nó clár dramaíochta teilifíse amháin agus/nó fógraí agus/nó sraith ar-líne mhearscaipthe amháin ar a laghad.

Ní mór go mbeidh an chreidiúint sin ag scríbhneoirí ar ghearrscannán a léiríodh agus/nó dráma teilifíse agus/nó fógraí agus/nó sraith ar-líne mearscaipthe nó tionscnamh (fadscannán, clár drámaíochta teilifíse amháin, sraith ar-líne mhearscaipthe, dráma stáitse nó dráma raidió) atá coimisiúnaithe nó i bhforbairt mhaoinithe. Iarrfaí ar iarratasóirí seóspól nó sampla dá gcuid saothair léirithe a chur ar fáil.  
 

Beidh tosaíocht á tabhairt do na daoine seo leanas:

  Saoránaigh na hÉireann agus iad siúd atá ina gcónaí in Éirinn
  Scannánóirí nua le creidiúnt ar shaothar léirithe trí scéim mhaoinithe nó trí thionscnaimh choimisiúnaithe

Ní mór d'iarratasóirí a bheith18 mbliana d'aois ar a laghad. Ní féidir le mic léinn lán-aimseartha nó le fochéimithe iarratas a dhéanamh.

Ní féidir le daoine ar tugadh maoiniú dóibh sa chéad scéim Catalyst iarratas a dhéanamh.

Beidh diantheorainn ar áiteacha agus níl aon aisiompú ar chinneadh BSÉ/IFB.

Conas iarratas a dhéanamh chun freastal ar na seimineáir
 
Ní mór d'iarratasóirí próiseas iarratais Catalyst a líonadh ag 
www.screentrainingireland.ie roimh An Aoine, 1ú Mí na Samhna, 2013, sula roghnófar iad le freastal ar na seimineáir. Gearrfaí táille riaracháin €20 orthu siúd a fhreastalaíonn ar na ceardlainne. Gheobhaidh na hiarratasóirí a éiríonn leo ríomhphost faoi An Chéadaoin, 13ú Mí na Samhna, 2013. 

Leis na sonraí ar fad maidir leis na riachtanais agus próiseas an chomórtais a fháil, féach anseo.
 
Chun iarratas a dhéanamh le freastal ar cheardlainne Catalyst, téigh chuig www.screentrainingireland.ie

Scéim Léirithe Scannáin ar Bhuiséad Íseal í Catalyst, a bunaíodh agus a mhaoinítear ag Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board i gcomhar le Screen Training Ireland agus Filmbase. 

IFB-funded documentary Get the Picture, which tells the story of living legend of photojournalism John G. Morris, has won the Audience Award for documentary at the prestigious Warsaw International Film Festival.

Get the Picture also won Best Irish Documentary at JDIFF earlier this year and is currently doing the international film festival circuit at the Festival do Rio, Raindance in London, the Hamptons International Film Festival in New York, the Stockholm International Film Festival and Gijón International Film Festival in Spain, with many other invitations still arriving.

The film was directed and produced by Cathy Pearson in association with Ferndale Films. After over fifteen years in the film business, during which she worked mostly as a locations manager, this is Cathy's directorial debut. 

Get the Picture was funded through Indiegogo crowd funding, BSÉ/IFB and RTÉ and was taken up by US & UK sales agent Content Media Corporation in February 2013.

Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (BSÉ/IFB) is happy to announce the two projects chosen for the latest Gearrscannáin short-film scheme:

Rince, to be written/directed by Medb Johnstone and produced by Clodagh Ní Bhric. A glance at life in a family of dancers in the west of Ireland. As Mother prepares dinner, she reveals their innate competitiveness.

Céad Ghrá, to be directed by Brian Deane, produced by Eamonn Cleary and written by Matthew Roche. Best friends Colm and Donal have heard that the prettiest girl in their primary-school class "likes" them. But this isn't good enough for Donal — he wants to find out who she likes the most.

Gearrscannáin is a BSÉ/IFB funding scheme for the production of Irish-language short films that appeal to a general audience. The initiative encourages fresh, new directorial voices; filmmakers who are willing to take risks and challenge viewers.

Previous Gearrscannáin projects include Rúbaí, which won Best First Short Drama at the Galway Film Fleadh, and An Créatúr, winner of the audience award for Best Irish Short at the Cork Film Festival and the jury award for Best Short Film at the International Youth Festival of Rimouski in Canada.

For more information on the Gearrscannáin scheme, click here.

To watch a selection of Gearrscannáin, click here.

Tá áthas ar Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (BSÉ/IFB) an dá thionscadal a roghnaíodh don scéim Gearrscannáin is déanaí a fhógairt:

Rince, a bheas á scríobh/stiúradh ag Medb Johnstone agus á léiriú ag Clodagh Ní Bhric. Sracfhéachaint ar an saol atá ag teaghlach damhsóirí in Iarthar na hÉireann. Nochtaíonn an mháthair an cumas iomaíochta atá go smior iontu agus an dinnéar á réiteach aici.

Céad Ghrá, a bheas á stiúradh ag Brian Deane, á léiriú ag Eamonn Cleary agus á scríobh ag Matthew Roche. Tá cloiste ag dlúthchairde Colm agus Donal gur "maith" leis an gcailín is gleoite ina mbunscoil iad.  Ach ní leor seo do Dhonal — tá seisean ag iarraidh fáil amach cé is mó ar maith léi.

Scéim mhaoinithe de chuid BSÉ/IFB í Gearrscannáin chun gearrscannáin Ghaeilge a léiriú a mbeidh tarraingt acu do lucht féachana ginearálta. Spreagann an tionscnamh seo stiúrthóirí nua; scannánóirí atá sásta dul sa tseans, agus réidh le dúshlán a chur roimh an lucht féachana.

I measc na dtionscdal Gearrscannáin a léiríodh cheana, tá Rúbaí, a bhuaigh gradam An Chéad Ghearr-Dhráma is Fearr ag Fleadh Scannán na Gaillimhe, agus An Créatúr, a bhuaigh gradam an lucht féachana don Ghearrscannán Éireannach is Fearr ag Féile Scannán Corcaigh, agus gradam an ghiuiré don Ghearrscannán is Fearr ag Féile Idirnáisiúnta na n-Óg, Rimouski, Ceanada.

Le tuilleadh eolais a fháil ar scéim Gearrscannáin, cliceáil anseo.

Chun amharc ar rogha Gearrscannán, cliceáil anseo.

Tá áthas ar Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (BSÉ/IFB) an dá thionscadal a roghnaíodh don scéim Gearrscannáin is déanaí a fhógairt:

Rince, a bheas á scríobh/stiúradh ag Medb Johnstone agus á léiriú ag Clodagh Ní Bhric. Sracfhéachaint ar an saol atá ag teaghlach damhsóirí in Iarthar na hÉireann. Nochtaíonn an mháthair an cumas iomaíochta atá go smior iontu agus an dinnéar á réiteach aici.

Céad Ghrá, a bheas á stiúradh ag Brian Deane, á léiriú ag Eamonn Cleary agus á scríobh ag Matthew Roche. Tá cloiste ag dlúthchairde Colm agus Donal gur "maith" leis an gcailín is gleoite ina mbunscoil iad.  Ach ní leor seo do Dhonal — tá seisean ag iarraidh fáil amach cé is mó ar maith léi.

Scéim mhaoinithe de chuid BSÉ/IFB í Gearrscannáin chun gearrscannáin Ghaeilge a léiriú a mbeidh tarraingt acu do lucht féachana ginearálta. Spreagann an tionscnamh seo stiúrthóirí nua; scannánóirí atá sásta dul sa tseans, agus réidh le dúshlán a chur roimh an lucht féachana.

I measc na dtionscdal Gearrscannáin a léiríodh cheana, tá Rúbaí, a bhuaigh gradam An Chéad Ghearr-Dhráma is Fearr ag Fleadh Scannán na Gaillimhe, agus An Créatúr, a bhuaigh gradam an lucht féachana don Ghearrscannán Éireannach is Fearr ag Féile Scannán Corcaigh, agus gradam an ghiuiré don Ghearrscannán is Fearr ag Féile Idirnáisiúnta na n-Óg, Rimouski, Ceanada.

Le tuilleadh eolais a fháil ar scéim Gearrscannáin, cliceáil anseo.

Chun amharc ar rogha Gearrscannán, cliceáil anseo.

Exciting New Opportunity for Emerging Filmmakers:
CATALYST Production Scheme Now Open for Applications

Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (BSÉ/IFB) is delighted to offer three teams of emerging filmmakers the chance to produce a low-budget (€350,000) feature film through the Catalyst funding and mentorship scheme. The teams will have access to key industry experts who will offer individual mentorship and guidance along the way.

The first Catalyst initiative, launched in 2007, led to the production of the feature films Rewind, One Hundred Mornings and Eamon. Now BSÉ/IFB is opening up a second Catalyst scheme to ambitious, motivated filmmakers who want to make an original, exciting and audience-focused feature film on a low budget without sacrificing high ambitions.

How does it work?

To be eligible to apply for an award of funding, potential applicants must first complete two days of seminars which will give an overview of low-budget filmmaking. These seminars will take place on Saturday, November 30th, and Saturday, December 14th, 2013. Seminar attendees will then be given a three-month period to prepare a package and screenplay for consideration.

The three chosen filmmaking teams (producer, writer and director or writer/director) will be given the opportunity to produce their feature film on a budget of €350,000, with support from BSÉ/IFB personnel and access to a panel of key industry experts. The teams will endeavour to afford all technical personnel/crew working on the projects the opportunity to advance a grade in their profession. The cast and crew will be provided with appropriate training and/or mentorship where deemed necessary.

Who can apply to attend the Catalyst seminars?

Catalyst seminars are open to individuals from the following disciplines in filmmaking: producers, writers, directors and writer/directors. Selected participants will be encouraged to connect with other filmmakers at the seminars, to form new teams or to enhance existing ones.

Producers, directors and writer/directors are required to have that credit/role on at least one short film and/or television drama episode and/or commercials and/or viral-online series.

Writers are required to have that credit on a produced short film and/or television drama and/or commercials and/or viral-online series or to have a project (feature film, TV drama/episode, viral-online series, stage play or radio play) commissioned or in funded development. Applicants will be asked to provide their show reel or an example of their produced work.

Priority will be given to:

- Irish citizens and Irish residents
- Emerging talent with produced credits through existing funded schemes or commissioned projects

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Students in full-time or undergraduate education may not apply.

Those who were awarded funding through the first Catalyst initiative may not apply.

Places will be strictly limited and the decision of BSÉ/IFB is final.

How to apply to attend the seminars

Applicants must complete the Catalyst application process at www.screentrainingireland.ie before Friday, November 1st, 2013 in order to be considered for the seminars. An administrative fee of €20 will be charged to those attending the seminars. Successful applicants will be notified by email by Wednesday, November 13th, 2013.

Full details of the requirements and the competition process here.

To apply to attend the Catalyst seminars, please go to www.screentrainingireland.ie

Catalyst is a low-budget filmmaking initiative created and funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board in association with Screen Training Ireland and Filmbase.

This year, three of the seven films in the Professional Animation category of the Savannah Film Festival were funded through Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board's Frameworks short-film scheme: Irish Folk Furniture, The Missing Scarf and Fear of Flying.

The shorts programme screened on Sunday, October 27th, and it will be repeated on Friday, November 1st, when filmmakers Eoin Duffy (The Missing Scarf) and Tony Donoghue (Irish Folk Furniture) will also speak.

All three films have already enjoyed tremendous success on the festivals circuit: The Missing Scarf won Best Animation at the LA Shorts Fest 2013, the Galway Film Fleadh and the New Hampshire Film Festival; Irish Folk Furniture won Best Animation at Sundance and Best Short Documentary at the Global Visions Festival in Canada; and Fear of Flying picked up the International Audience Award at the Glasgow Short Film Festival, and Best Animation at the Galway Film Fleadh and the LA Shorts Fest 2012.

More about Frameworks:

The Frameworks short-film scheme is dedicated exclusively to the production of animated films. It was established to develop new talent and skills in the field of animation and has been extremely successful in encouraging innovative and novel work from Irish animators. Frameworks is co-financed by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, RTÉ and the Arts Council. Info on how to apply here.

More about the Savannah Film Festival:

Each year, more than forty thousand people attend the Savannah Film Festival, which is presented by the Savannah College of Art and Design to celebrate cinematic creativity from award-winning professionals and emerging student filmmakers. The festival is host to a wide variety of competition film screenings, special screenings, workshops, panels, and lectures. Find out more here.

The multi-awardwinning Irish feature What Richard Did, which was funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (BSÉ/IFB), will have its first TV screening tonight, Wednesday, October 30th, on RTÉ One at 9.35pm.

Directed by Lenny Abrahamson, written by Malcolm Campbell and produced by Ed Guiney, the film won five awards at the IFTAs this year, including Best Actor for Jack Reynor and Best Director for Lenny Abrahamson. It screened at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival and BFI London, among others.

The film follows Richard Karlsen, golden-boy athlete and undisputed alpha male of his privileged set of South Dublin teenagers, through the summer between the end of school and the beginning of university. The world is bright and everything seems possible, until one summer night when Richard does something that destroys it all and shatters the lives of the people closest to him.

“The characters are nuanced and brilliantly realised. . . . The clean, casual lines of David Grennan’s cinematography add to the sensation that we’re watching a greatly needed antidote to an entire hysterical history of delinquent youths on screen.” —The Irish Times *****

“Abrahamson doesn’t do morality tales — he’s much more serious and real than that and this is a beautifully constructed and acted example of his art.” —RTÉ *****

“An engrossing and intelligent drama that throbs in the mind for hours after the final credits.” —The Guardian ****

What Richard Did was produced by Ed Guiney for Element Pictures with Andrew Lowe executive producing and was funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (BSÉ/IFB) and Screen Scene.

At Dublin's Web Summit, it was announced that Wildcard Distribution has acquired the worldwide rights to Warrior Films's skateboarding documentary Hill Street, which was funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board. Skate legend Tony Hawk, who stars in the documentary, flew in for the Summit — he will take part in a "Fireside Chat" this afternoon at 4.20pm. 

Directed by JJ Rolfe and produced by Dave Leahy for Warrior Films, Hill Street premiered at JDIFF this year, and it also screened at the Galway Film Fleadh. 

Speaking about the acquisition, Patrick O'Neill, CEO of Wildcard, said, "Wildcard are thrilled to be working with JJ and Dave to bring Hill Street to audiences in Ireland and across the world in 2014. The filmmakers have shown fantastic vision, ambition and skill in bringing this story of skateboarding in Dublin to life. It's a fascinating film, with a cast of some of the world's top skateboarders — including living legend Tony Hawk."

The film, which looks at the evolution of skateboarding culture in Ireland since the late 1980s, is scheduled for worldwide release in early 2014. Watch the trailer here.

Hill Street was produced by Warrior Films with support from Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board. 

As of today, industry professionals can register online for the upcoming edition of the European Film Market (February 6th to 14th, 2014).

The European Film Market (EFM) runs for nine days as part of the Berlinale, one of the most important film festivals in the world. As the first major film event of the year, it is a magnet for international industry professionals, and is seen as a barometer for the upcoming year in film.

The next EFM takes place from February 6th to 14th, 2014, in the renaissance exhibition hall of the Martin-Gropius-Bau and in the EFM Marriott Offices and Stands, both close to the festival headquarters at Potsdamer Platz in the heart of Berlin.

The Irish Film Board will have a stand at EFM 2014 and will be organising a number of events to promote Irish film and Ireland as a film location.

More details about EFM and the Berlinale here.

The Irish Film Festival, Boston has announced its call for entries for the 14th annual festival, which will take place from March 20th–23rd, 2014. The early-bird deadline is November 15th, 2013, and the regular submissions deadline is December 30th, 2013. Discounts are available for Irish Film and Television Academy members. For full details, visit the festival website at www.irishfilmfestival.com; submissions will be accepted through www.withoutabox.com.

The festival handed out its inaugural IFF awards in 2003 to honour filmmakers whose work reflects the very best of Ireland and the Irish on screen — past, present and future. Submissions will be received in the following categories:

Best Breakthrough Feature
Most Inspiring Best Short/Animation
Global Vision Best Documentary

The winners in each category will receive flights and accommodation to attend the event as well as various other prizes awarded by festival partners and sponsors. Awards will be handed out during the festival, following a special screening of the winning films. Filmmakers will also have the opportunity to set up meetings with US distributors while at the festival.

About Irish Film Festival, Boston

Founded in 1999, the Irish Film Festival, Boston is the largest event of its kind outside of Ireland. The festival has screened over 400 Irish films in Boston including premieres, sneak peeks and distributor-sponsored screenings. The festival has played host to some of the greatest names in Irish cinema, including Jim Sheridan, Gabriel Byrne, Brendan Gleeson, Domhnall Gleeson, Terry George, Colm Meaney, Fionnula Flanagan, John Boorman, Aidan Quinn and Stephen Rea. More information at www.irishfilmfestival.com.

Screen Training Ireland has extended the application deadline for three upcoming seminars that will explore the screenwriting process. Places can now be booked through www.screentrainingireland.ie until Friday, November 15th.

Aimed at screenwriters, directors, producers, cinematographers, production designers, editors and development personnel, these one- and two-day courses will be led by Dara Marks, a leading script consultant who has worked with emerging filmmakers as well as top studio writers and executives for over two decades.

Dara is also the author of Inside Story: The Power of the Transformational Arc, about which filmmaker Abe Schwartz wrote in The Huffington Post, "[This book] blew me away. . . . A game-changer."

Inside Story
Date: December 6th
Duration: 2 Days
Venue: Dublin
Cost: €170.00

The Inside Story seminar aims to help writers with their approach to plot and character development, teaching them how to build a great screenplay from the inside out. More info here.

Mythological Archetypes in Screenwriting
Date: December 9th
Duration: 1 day
Venue: Dublin
Cost: €85.00

There is enormous power in a story that taps into archetypal characters or situations, because it enables the audience to identify on the deepest possible level. Participants will gain essential tools for decoding archetypes and building powerful, meaningful and marketable screenplays. Read more.

The Dara Marks Development Seminar
Date: December 10th
Duration: Half day (morning)
Venue: Dublin
Cost: Free

This course is for development personnel, directors and producers who have attended the lectures above. Dara Marks will share powerful tools to help navigate the layers of story structure and locate script issues at their source. Further information here.

To begin the application process, go to www.screentrainingireland.ie.

Colm Tóibín’s Brooklyn set for production with Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters attached to star

Project set to film in Ireland in 2014 with support from Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board

Domhnall Gleeson (About Time, Sensation), Emory Cohen (The Place Beyond the Pines), Jim Broadbent (Cloud Atlas, The Iron Lady) and Julie Walters (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) will join Saoirse Ronan (How I Live Now, Byzantium) on the Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) funded film Brooklyn.

Irish BAFTA-winning director John Crowley (Boy A, Intermission) will direct Nick Hornby’s adaptation of Tóibín’s acclaimed novel, which is being produced by Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey for Wildgaze (Quartet, An Education) and co–produced by Alan Moloney in Parallel Films (Albert Nobbs, Breakfast on Pluto, Intermission).

James Hickey, Chief Executive, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, said, “The Irish Film Board is delighted to be involved in the adaptation of Colm Tóibín’s awardwinning novel Brooklyn, which will feature Irish stars Saoirse Ronan and Domhnall Gleeson. We previously worked with John Crowley on his debut feature film, Intermission, and we are very much looking forward to the project filming on location in Ireland next year.”

The film follows Nora (Ronan), a young Irish woman who leaves her small town in Ireland hoping for a brighter future in 1950s Brooklyn. Despite her initial homesickness, she falls in love with Tony (Cohen) an Italian-American who opens her eyes her new surroundings. But a family tragedy leads Nora back to Ireland, where her American sophistication catches the eye of the charming Jim (Gleeson). 

Producer Finola Dwyer said, “We are honoured to be bringing Colm’s modern Irish classic to the screen with Parallel Films and the support of the IFB, and excited to be working with the home-grown talents of Saoirse and Domnhall, in the expert hands of director John Crowley.  Nick Hornby has masterfully captured Colm’s witty and insightful portrait of a young woman torn between two worlds, and we’re delighted by the international cast that has joined us, as well as our ambitious UK/Ireland distributor, Lionsgate.”

Brooklyn will be produced by Wildgaze Films and Parallel Films with finance from BBC Films and Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board. Hanway Films are handling international sales and Lionsgate will distribute in Ireland and the UK. The project was developed with funding from BBC Films and Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board.

For more information contact Louise Ryan, Marketing and Communications Executive, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, T: +353 86-329-7819 / louise.ryan@irishfilmboard.ie

After picking up several international awards, the Irish animated short film The Missing Scarf, directed by Eoin Duffy, produced by Jamie Hogan and co-funded by the IFB, is down to the final ten for the Academy Award® for Best Animated Short 2014.

The film, narrated by Star Trek's George Takei, was doubly eligible for an Oscar following its wins for Best Animation at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival and the Galway Film Fleadh. The final five nominees for the Animated Short Oscar will be announced on January 16th, 2014, with the ceremony taking place on March 2nd, 2014.

The Missing Scarf is a black comedy that explores some of life's common fears: the fear of the unknown, of failure, rejection and finally of death.

Commenting on the news, director Eoin Duffy said, "US reactions have been very strong to the film. Audiences have responded well to the ideas in the script. Without me giving too much away for those who have yet to see it, it explores our individual place in the universe in a fun and quirky way, and the audience is allowed to draw their own conclusions at the end. People really seem to enjoy it, so I think the universal appeal is there as the subject matter applies to anyone. We are very excited to have made it to the last ten for an Academy Award."

The Missing Scarf won Best Animation at the New Hampshire Film Festival in the US and Best European Short Film at the Seminci Valladolid International Film Festival in Spain. It is also officially nominated for Best European Short Film at the European Film Awards 2014.

And just last week, The Missing Scarf took Best Animation at the Savannah Film Festival, where it was in the company of two other films funded under the IFB's Frameworks scheme for animated short films: Irish Folk Furniture and Fear of Flying. These films have also enjoyed much success of late, with Irish Folk Furniture winning Best Animation at Sundance and Best Short Documentary at the Global Visions Festival in Canada; and Fear of Flying picking up the International Audience Award at the Glasgow Short Film Festival, and Best Animation at both the Galway Film Fleadh and the LA Shorts Fest 2012.

The Missing Scarf was directed by Eoin Duffy and produced by Jamie Hogan for Belly Creative Ltd. The film was funded as part of the Frameworks programme by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, RTÉ and the Arts Council.

Watch the trailer for The Missing Scarf the Irish Film Board's Media Hub.

More about the IFB's Frameworks funding initiative for short films here.

For more information contact: Louise Ryan, Marketing and Communications Executive, Bord Scannan na hEireann/the Irish Film Board, T) +353 863297829, louise.ryan@irishfilmboard.ie
 

FilmOffaly will launch its new vendor discount scheme, under which local businesses will offer discounts to production companies filming in the region, this Thursday, November 14th, at a celebration of FilmOffaly's fifth birthday in Filmbase, Dublin.

With the FilmOffaly Vendor Card, local businesses can offer discounts to production companies filming in Offaly as well as individual crew members working on those productions. In return, participating businesses will be advertised free of charge on www.filmoffaly.ie and included in a welcome pack given to the production company.

When a qualifying production comes to Offaly, crew members will be issued with a FilmOffaly Vendor Card, showing that they are eligible to receive discounts. They can then access the online database at www.filmoffaly.ie which contains the names of participating business, their contact details, the services they provide and the discount offered.

Actor Antonia Campbell-Hughes, who recently filmed The Other Side of Sleep in Offaly, will launch the scheme on Thursday. More information at www.filmoffaly.ie

Wildcard Distribution has just announced a release date for Moon Man, the IFB-funded animated feature from the Oscar-nominated producers of The Secret of Kells, Cartoon Saloon. It will be shown in selected Irish cinemas from December 27th.

This charming animated film tells the story of Moon Man, who has no idea how much the children (and especially the little girl) love him as they gaze up at the sky at night before going to sleep. He's just sitting there, bored stiff, in his lonely silver sphere. Then one night a shooting star appears, whizzing through outer space towards the moon. Moon Man seizes his chance, grabs the speeding comet by the tail and hitches a ride to earth.

Moon Man is adapted from the worldwide bestselling book by Tomi Ungerer. The film screened at the Cork Film Festival this week and had its premiere at the IFI Family Festival last year. It won the audience award at the Showcomotion Young People's Film Festival this summer.

Paul Young of Cartoon Saloon, producer of Moon Man, commented, "Cartoon Saloon is proud to bring Moon Man to Irish and UK audiences this Christmas. Tomi Ungerer is an inspiration to artists the world over, and his books for children have been celebrated for generations for their intelligent, entertaining stories and original characters."

Moon Man is an Irish/French/German co-production, produced by Ross Murray and Paul Young for Cartoon Saloon in Ireland along with Schesch Filmkreation and Le Pacte, with funding from Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, among other financiers.

We have had a wonderful response to our call for applicants for the two upcoming Catalyst seminars (see original press release here), with over 500 applications received. We have begun to notify applicants by email and hope to have let both successful and unsuccessful candidates know by the end of the week.

Those who do have a place at the seminars -- which will be held on November 30th and December 14th -- will be asked to pay the €20 fee by credit or debit card by November 22nd. Full instructions will be included in our notification emails.

About the Irish Film Board's Catalyst initiative

The IFB's Catalyst funding and mentorship scheme offers three teams of emerging filmmakers the chance to produce a low-budget (€350,000) feature film. The teams will have access to key industry experts who will offer individual mentorship and guidance along the way.

To be eligible to apply for an award of funding, potential applicants must first complete two days of seminars which will give an overview of low-budget filmmaking. These seminars will take place on Saturday, November 30th, and Saturday, December 14th, 2013. Seminar attendees will then be given a three-month period to prepare a package and screenplay for consideration. Full details here.

Bord Scannán na hÉireann /the Irish Film Board wishes to notify all producers of a change to the production and distribution funding application deadlines.

The deadline for receipt of applications for consideration at the next meeting in early December will be by close of business Friday, November 15^th, 2013. This will be the last production funding deadline of the year.

The next deadline for receipt of applications for consideration in early 2014 will be by close of business Wednesday, January 15^th, 2014.

The normal procedure still applies; producers should consult the How To Apply section on the relevant funding page on the website prior to making an application for further information.

Please note that this applies to applications for Production & Distribution Funding Only - Fiction Irish Production, Animation and Documentary, Creative Co-Production, Completion Funding and Distribution Funding.

It does not apply to Development Funding applications, the upcoming deadlines for which will be October 31^st 2013 and November 29^th 2013.  

Lance Daly's feel-good comedy Life's A Breeze, starring Pat Shortt and Fionnula Flanagan, will be available to buy and rent on DVD throughout Ireland from this Friday, 15th November.

The film also stars Kelly Thornton, who picked up the Bingham Ray New Talent Award at the Galway Film Fleadh earlier this year. Since its premiere at the Fleadh, Life's A Breeze has screened at festivals across the world including the Toronto International Film Festival and the Busan Film Festival. It will play later this month at the London Irish Film Festival and will be the Gala Movie at the Richard Harris Film Festival in Limerick on December 6th.

Life's A Breeze follows a family struggling to stay afloat and stay together through hard times in Ireland. Unemployed slacker Colm (Shortt), his aging mother Nan (Flanagan) and his niece Emma (Thornton) must overcome their many differences to lead their family in a race against time to find a lost fortune.

The film was produced by Dublin-based Fastnet Films (The Runway, Kisses), with the support of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board and the BAI. It is being distributed in Ireland by Wildcard Distribution.

Watch the trailer here.

Simon Fitzmaurice is an award-winning filmmaker from Dublin. While screening his short film The Sound of People at Sundance in 2008, Simon noticed a pain in his foot. A short time later he was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease (ALS). Now Simon lives on a ventilator and is physically incapacitated except for the ability to move his eyes and give a small smile.

Simon began writing the script for My Name is Emily — a project which is supported by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) — by typing with his hands, and as he lost all physical function, he persisted, finishing it by typing on an iris-recognition screen, with his eyes.

The screenplay is now complete, and production is set for spring 2014. Simon wants to direct My Name is Emily, but filmmaking with ALS is an expensive, challenging and time-consuming process. Donations made through the film's crowdfunding campaign will help pay for a support director and give the project the extra time which Simon and the team need, both in pre-production and production.

Commenting on the campaign, James Hickey, CEO of the IFB, said, "Simon's courage, passion and dedication to his work are remarkable. The Irish Film Board is delighted to be supporting My Name is Emily. I very much hope that the extra funding needed to enable Simon to be on set working as closely on the project as possible can be raised through this campaign."

To enable this dedicated and talented filmmaker to direct his feature film, click here. Donations can be made until December 7th. 

The crowdfunding campaign has received the backing of a host of international stars and filmmakers including Lenny Abrahamson, Jim Sheridan and Alan Rickman. Read their testimonials here.

And here is a short video in which Simon explains more about the project.

The third annual Irish Film Festival London starts this Wednesday, November 20th, with five days of Irish films and animation spread across three venues, plus Q&As, performances and exhibitions.

The opening-night screening will be the UK premiere of Alex Fegan's The Irish Pub at the Tricycle Cinema, followed by a Q&A with the director and a trad session at a local pub.

Among the other IFB-funded films showing are Silence, Life's A Breeze, Men at Lunch, Run and Jump, and the short films Rúbaí, Joyriders, Farewell Packets of Ten, Noreen and Irish Folk Furniture.

See the full programme and buy tickets here.