02/10/2008

Ireland’s Cultural Cinema Consortium (CCC) is in the process of setting up a new scheme to provide funding grants to cinemas to buy and install digital projection equipment.

Under the scheme grants will be offered to cover 85% of installation costs for up to 10 cinemas across Ireland with a maximum funding cap of €75,000 per screen. In order to avail the grant, cinemas must prove that they provide a majority of diverse programming annually.

The Digitisation Scheme is a partnership between the Arts Council (AC) and the Irish Film Board (IFB).

IFB Chief Executive Simon Perry said, “It is vital that public funding intervenes to ensure that cinemas offering Irish audiences a wider choice of film, than that available in mainstream commercial cinemas, are not left behind in the digital race.”

Fionnuala Sweeney, head of Film and International Arts at the AC, added, “The Arts Council is delighted to be offering this grant scheme in partnership with the Irish Film Board, through the Cultural Cinema Consortium. It will help arthouse cinemas play their part in the digital age and ensure that Irish audiences have access to a diverse range of cinema programming.”

So far, the CCC has supported the development of Smithfield’s Light House Cinema, Galway’s Solas Picture Palace and has also awarded smaller grants to film venues and organisations for buying of film projection equipment.

The CCC was established with the remit of supporting and developing a national infrastructure for cultural cinema in Ireland. The scheme endeavours to ensure that Irish audiences have access to a range of non-mainstream cinema programming by giving full time Irish cinema operators the opportunity to go digital.