Screen Ireland and Film Fund Luxembourg launch a female-driven co-development fund
- The common goal of the two countries’ film bodies is to reduce gender disparity in the film industry
Screen Ireland and Film Fund Luxembourg recently announced the creation of a new, female-driven co-development fund. This dedicated funding initiative aims to co-develop a wide range of new features written and/or directed by women, and will support the careers of female screenwriters and directors during the crucial development stage of a film project. The main goals of this joint provision are to reduce gender inequality in the film sector and marketplace, as well as to enhance female representation in the screen industry. In parallel, the fund aims to encourage and facilitate further co-production opportunities between the two countries.
Eligible projects may receive a development grant of €40,000. The total value of the funding available is €120,000 for the pilot year (to be continued for two years, if both parties agree). Both film agencies will contribute equally to the development of the selected features.
Submitted projects must have producers attached from Ireland and Luxembourg to allow them to access development funding in both countries. The first call will be announced soon, and the final funding decisions will be disclosed in September. A selection committee composed of representatives of Film Fund Luxembourg and Screen Ireland, who may consult international experts, will assess all of the applications.
James Hickey, outgoing CEO of Screen Ireland, warmly welcomed the creation of the fund: “This new development partnership with Luxembourg is part of a wide range of programmes that reflect our commitment to addressing the issue of gender inequality in Irish filmmaking and screen content, in particular the roles of writers and directors. Luxembourg is a long-term co-production partner of Ireland’s, and we are very excited to be launching a new co-development fund with them.”
Guy Daleiden, head of Film Fund Luxembourg, added: “It is no secret that women in the film industry are underrepresented, and this is also the case in Luxembourg. This incentive is specifically designed to tackle this issue. I am looking forward to this collaboration with our Irish friends and to seeing exciting projects from our two countries.”
The creation of this new co-development fund is certain to strengthen the partnership between the Irish and Luxembourgish film industries. Recent award-winning co-productions between the two countries include Lance Daly’s box-office hit Black ’47 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lance Daly
film profile] (2018), Nora Twomey’s The Breadwinner [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (2017) and Tomm Moore’s Song of the Sea [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tomm Moore
film profile] (2014).
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