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Dear Studio NI,
I am delighted to welcome you to this month’s edition of the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland’s newsletter. We are happy to share updates on the progress we have made in recent weeks to support our directors.
This week, Maurice Sweeney and I met with Screen Ireland’s CEO Desiree Finnegan, and Head of Feature Film, Keith Potter. Our discussions focused on supporting directors and ensuring that their voices and creative visions remain prominent in our industry. Screen Ireland is eager to strengthen its collaboration with directors and its Project Managers are offering to engage with directors individually on projects. They have extended an open invitation for directors to schedule in meetings with them.
Additionally, CEO Desiree Finnegan informed us that a new round of the Voice Directors scheme will be launched soon and that Screen Ireland is working on improving collaboration with directors on a creative level and ways to incentivise the involvement of Irish directors in projects.
In July, we held two meetings with producers and other guilds to discuss the interim guidelines for implementing S.I. 567 on Fair Contracts for Authors and Performers. Our next round of negotiations is scheduled for early September, and we are committed to achieving outcomes that benefit our directors.
Our directors are concerned about the implications of the recent Revenue Guidelines for Determining Employment Status for Taxation Purposes. These guidelines could potentially lead to many directors being classified as employees, which would in turn affect directors income and copyright status. We are actively seeking advice on this matter and we are writing to request a meeting with the Department of Finance to discuss these implications.
Best,
Birch
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SDGI ARRI ALEXA TAKE
We were delighted to announce the directors for the SDGI ARRI ALEXA TAKE, who will begin shooting in January 2025:
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- Nell Hensey - Displacement
- Róisín Loughrey - Lullula
- Conor McMahon - Gulp
- Paul Webster - Marguerite
The SDGI ARRI ALEXA TAKE supports the annual production of experiential and conceptual visual films that spark discovery and inspiration for directors. Incorporated into the broader ecosystem of support to directors at SDGI, the ARRI ALEXA TAKE serves as a launching point for creative risk taking and new collaborations in the screen industry.
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Aoife Kelleher
Aoife Kelleher's Mrs Robinson will go on general release across Ireland on 23rd August 2024.
The documentary tells Mary’s story, in her own words, for the very first time - illuminating battles for justice and equality over half a century; on the streets, in the courts, at the ballot box, and in backroom corridors of power.
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Damian McCarthy
Damian McCarthy’s award-winning horror Oddity is released in Irish cinemas on 30th August 2024.
Oddity follows a blind medium who uncovers the truth behind her sister's death with the help of a frightening wooden mannequin.
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Aislinn Clarke
Aislinn Clarke's horror film Fréwaka will have its world premiere at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, which runs 7 - 17 August 2024.
Fréwaka (to be released in Ireland as Fréamhacha) revolves around care worker Shoo, who is sent to a remote Irish-speaking village to care for an agoraphobic woman, who fears both the neighbours and the Na Sídhe – sinister folkloric entities she believes abducted her decades before. As the pair develop a deep connection, Shoo becomes consumed by the old woman’s paranoia, rituals, and superstitions, eventually confronting the horrors from her own past.
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John Crowley
Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning Irish director John Crowley’s upcoming film We Live In Time will have its World Premiere at the 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival on 6th September as a special presentation at The Princess of Wales Theatre.
We Live In Time is coming to Irish cinemas on 1st January 2025.
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Luke McManus
Luke McManus directs The Locals, which goes behind the scenes of the 2024 local elections in one ward – Dublin’s North Inner City.
The Locals screened on RTÉ One in July and is available on the RTÉ Player.
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Diarmuid Goggins
Diarmuid Goggins directs all 4 episodes of a brand-new Channel 5 thriller series The Night Caller, which screened in July.
Tony, a lonely Liverpool taxi driver, begins to form a twisted world view and an unhealthy obsession with a late-night radio talk show host.
The full season is available on the Channel 5 Player.
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Declan Recks
Declan Recks directs #2.1 and #2.3 of Signora Volpe, which is screening on Acorn TV.
Sylvia, a disillusioned British spy turned detective starts a new life in the beautiful heart of Italy. She soon finds out trouble follows her wherever she goes.
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Cara Holmes
Cara Holmes directs Notes from Sheepland which is still in cinemas following its release on 26th July 2024.
Notes from Sheepland bursts with candid observations of lipstick wearing, always swearing, no nonsense, artist and shepherd, Orla Barry. Through her fields, her digital diaries, and the pedigree sheep she cares for, we discover how the art is in the doing.
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BFI Future Film Festival
Are you a filmmaker aged 16 to 25? Would you like one of your short films to be considered for inclusion in the 18th BFI Future Film Festival, in February 2025?
The BFI Future Film Festival is the UK's largest film festival for young people.and is open to filmmakers based in the UK and internationally.
The submissions deadline is 2nd August 2024.
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Pilot Digital Arts Mentorship Scheme
The Pilot Digital Arts Mentorship Scheme is an Arts Council scheme run by Cultural and Creative Industries Skillsnet. It was born out of the Arts Council’s Digital Arts Policy 2023. The policy highlights the urgent need to develop capacity both across the broader arts sector and within the Arts Council to support artists working in digital art in Ireland today. This is a pilot scheme.
The application deadline is 2nd August 2024.
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Clones Film Festival
Clones Film Festival features a competition of short fiction, short documentary, and short animation. The winner in each category will go home with a much sought after "Francie" Award. The Francie Awards are named after Clones Author, Patrick McCabe's, character, Francie Brady, from his much acclaimed novel, The Butcher Boy. The book was then adapted to a Neil Jordan screenplay and filmed in Clones in 1997.
The submissions deadline is 4th August 2024.
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OFFline Film Festival
OFFline Film Festival accepts short films from all over the world to be entered into its short film competition. Prizes include Best Irish Short which wins a guaranteed distribution deal to over 80 official film clubs across Ireland; Best International Short, the OFFline Audience Award and Best Irish and International Short Animations.
The festival also includes workshops on aspects of filmmaking given by industry professionals.
The submissions deadline is 5th August 2024.
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Application For Virtual Production Training
Learn the latest virtual production techniques and skills from industry experts working on virtual production projects for major broadcasters and international brands. Ensure your production skills are ready for the adoption of virtual production techniques by production companies, broadcasters and studios.
This ‘hands on’ Virtual Production training facilitated by Final Pixel Academy, the training arm of the award-winning global creative studio Final Pixel.
Training courses are geared for technicians, producers, directors and artists..
The application deadline is 6th August 2024.
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Queer Realities Director's Lab
Sheffield DocFest’s Queer Realities Director’s Lab is a development programme open to UK-based directors who are currently developing a queer documentary project. In this space, the 10 selected directors will have the opportunity to explore and play with the format of documentary through curated masterclasses and workshops with international and UK filmmakers, artists and other industry experts.
The application deadline is 9th August 2024.
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DCC Creative Residency at a Community Sports & Recreation Centre
The Creative Residency in Sport and Recreation Centres is a partnership between Dublin City Council Sports Section and Dublin City Council Culture Company. Through the residency, four artists will be selected and assigned to one sports or recreation centre each, for a period of 11 months. The residency is an opportunity to try out ideas, develop and share new ways of working, and facilitate the introduction of new audiences to Dublin’s sports and cultural offer.
Where artworks are made they may include (but are not limited to) exhibition, performance, publication, photography, film and music.
The application deadline is 12th August 2024.
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48 Hour Challenge
Applications for the Little Cinema & Galway City of Film 48 Hour Challenge are open.
This is the eighth annual 48 Hour Challenge and another chance for filmmaking teams from around the country to come to Galway City & County to test their filmmaking skills to the max! 10 teams will take part in the Challenge, with the task of conceiving, writing, shooting and editing a 5 minute film in just 48 Hours.
The applications deadline is 14th August 2024.
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Micro-credential in Entertainment Law with University of Galway
This University of Galway and National Talent Academy for Film & TV Drama course's objective is to give participants an understanding of the law governing audiovisual or entertainment media: broadcasting, film, TV, games, drama, music, etc., on traditional and online platforms.
The online course will run for Semester one of the Academic Year 2024/25.
Producers, Writers and Directors working in live action drama/fiction are now eligible to apply for one of NTA Film and TV designated placements on this course, with the course fee fully covered by the NTA for Film and TV Drama.
The deadline to apply is 15th August 2024.
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DOK Short n’ Sweet
DOK Short n’ Sweet is a short film pitch at the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film focusing on the financing and distribution of short documentary, animated documentary and animated films as well as series.
The deadline to apply is 15th August 2024.
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HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme
HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme invites artists and other art practitioners to apply for residencies in Suomenlinna and Cable Factory for the year 2025. This international open call is for artists who are not based in Finland. The HIAP Residency Programme focuses on visual art but is open to art professionals from other disciplines as well. The programme offers time and support for developing new work in dialogue with the local art scene.
The deadline to apply is 15th August 2024.
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e-flux Film Award
e-flux Film Award is a prize for artists’ films that push the boundaries of the aesthetic and critical potential of moving images in the age of planetary circulation of information. Selected by a jury of distinguished artists, filmmakers, and film selectors and curators from open submissions, it will be awarded annually, with three awards given: a first prize of $3000 USD, a second prize of $2000 USD, and an honorable mention. Awarded films will be screened at the e-flux Screening Room in New York..
The deadline to apply is 15th August 2024.
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Belfast Film Festival
The 24th Belfast Film Festival is looking for submissions from the island of Ireland for its shorts programme and NI Independents feature film strand. The festival only accepts fiction shorts either made on the island of Ireland, north or south - or made by an Irish writer/director.
The deadline is 16th August 2024.
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Dublin International Film Festival
Submissions are now open for Dublin International Film Festival 2025.
Taking place every spring, the Dublin International Film Festival is one of the most iconic events in Ireland’s cultural calendar. Each Festival offers an enticing mix of public and industry events, In Conversations, and playful and powerful cinema from around the world, including a growing programme of short films. The shorts selection will be curated thematically into programs of approximately 90 – 120 minutes in duration, which aim to bring together a diverse cross-section of contemporary cinema.
The deadline is 16th August 2024.
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Chronic Connections
Fire Station Artists’ Studios are working together with Chronic Collective for the second year of Chronic Connections, networking for artists who are sick and have a disability.
Visual artists at all stages of their careers are welcome to apply.
Each of the successful artists will participate in a speed curating event with four curators of the panel on 1st October 2024, 1-5pm, and a studio visit/meeting with one of the curators on the panel in the following weeks/months. Successful artists will receive a fee of €200. Curators will also receive a fee.
The deadline is 21st August 2024.
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Nailing The Pitch
You are sure your idea will set the screen on fire …but you can’t get anyone else to see this. Result: that idea never moves beyond your laptop. Pitching is a crucial part of the arsenal you need to develop as a film or TV professional, and one that is often overlooked.
This course will guide you through preparation for a pitch, the presentation skills required to convincingly sell your concept and the materials you will need to back up your in-person pitch.
The deadline is 22nd August 2024.
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Northern Ireland Screen Digital & Audio Content Call 2024
The aims of the Irish Language Broadcast Fund (ILBF) are to promote the production and broadcast of quality Irish language content for an audience in Northern Ireland and beyond and to help grow the Irish language production sector in Northern Ireland.
The Fund finances around 60 hours annually of Irish language content. Development and production funding is available for a wide variety of genres; and broadcast on BBC Northern Ireland, TG4 and RTÉ as well as various digital platforms.
The deadline is 23rd August 2024.
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International Film Festival Rotterdam
Submissions to the International Film Festival Rotterdam are open to feature films, creative documentaries, experimental films, short and mid-length films, and innovative visual productions for digital media.
The deadline for Short and Mid-length films (up to 63 minutes) completed before 1st July is 23rd August 2024.
The deadline for films (up to 63 min.) completed after 1st July is 13th September 2024.
The deadline for Art Directions and Immersive Media is 2nd September 2024.
The deadline for Feature films is 20th September 2024.
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Underground Cinema Films Awards
The Underground Cinema have been screening on a monthly basis a selection of some of the best independent short/feature films and music videos from filmmakers from around the globe.
At the end of their season in October they will be announcing the nominees for the 15th Underground Cinema Film Awards.
The deadline is 25th August 2024.
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Northern Ireland Screen New Shorts Focus
Applications are now open for the 2024-25 New Shorts Focus fiction development scheme, supported by Northern Ireland Screen and the BFI.
The annual scheme has been designed to support under-represented new and emerging writers and writer/directors residing in Northern Ireland by offering a well-organised development journey led by a development producer spanning six months, from October 2024 to March 2025.
The deadline is 30th August 2024.
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Áras Éanna
Áras Éanna Ionad Ealaíne is the most westerly arts centre in Europe, located on the small Gaeltacht island of Inis Oírr in Co Galway. The centre supports artists through its Artist in Residence programme. This open call offers artists the time and space to develop their practice and show new work in the unique environment of this island, which has a population of just over 300 people.
Áras Éanna are inviting applicants to apply for residencies on Inis Oírr for 2025. The successful recipient’s will be offered residencies that will be allocated on dates determined by the selection board. The Open Call residencies will be from January-May and from May-December.
Áras Éanna welcomes artists at all stages of their professional life from emerging to well-established.
The deadline is 30th August 2024.
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European Work in Progress
European Work in Progress is an independent industry event taking place during the Film Festival Cologne
European productions or co-productions with at least one European country involved that are currently in the shooting stage, later stages of production or post-production, can be now submitted for the 7th European Work in Progress Cologne (EWIP), which will take place from 14 to 16 October.
The deadline is 1st September 2024.
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CPH:DOX 2025
CPH:DOX, one of the world’s leading documentary film festivals, is now officially open for submissions for the 2025 edition. Filmmakers and creators are invited to submit their films to be considered for the festival programme.The festival, renowned for its celebration of innovative and thought-provoking documentaries, is seeking entries that push the boundaries of storytelling and provide fresh perspectives on contemporary issues.
Submissions are open to all international filmmakers, ensuring a diverse and global showcase of talent.
The deadline is 1st September 2024.
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MunichFilmUp!
MunichFilmUp! is a mentoring & residential lab founded to create an inspiring space for creativity and ideas, to enable young filmmakers to find their own personal way to evolve their stories into finished screenplays.
MunichFilmUp! seeks to turn six film visions/ideas into an equal number of feature-length debut films.
Open to film students & fresh graduates from all over the world.
The deadline is 1st September 2024.
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Cartoon Springboard
Cartoon Springboard is the pitching event for young talents of European animation schools.
Submissions are open to European young talents who want to develop and test their new animation project or property for the international market and/or to be distributed on several screens. And Young talents who are currently students or have graduated from animation/audiovisual schools for a maximum of 5 years (graduation date in Summer 2019 or after).
The deadline is 2nd September 2024.
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The Radharc Trust Awards
The Radharc Trust has announced a Call for Entries of documentary films of outstanding quality in the spirit of Radharc, to be honoured at the 2024 Awards Event.
The Radharc Awards recognise exceptional Irish works that examine national or global issues of Social Justice, Human Rights, Spirituality, Religious Faith or Heritage.
Category One: An award for television documentaries produced and broadcast in Ireland for the first time on any free to air channel on the island of Ireland between 2 September 2021 and 2 September 2024.
Category Two: An award for documentaries produced in Ireland for first time digital distribution on a publicly accessible platform between 2 September 2021 and 2 September 2024.
The deadline is 2nd September 2024.
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Berlinale Talents
Berlinale Talents is the talent development programme of the Berlin International Film Festival, with project development labs taking place digitally in late January and an onsite summit with panels, discussions and networking opportunities during the Berlinale each February.
Berlinale Talents is aimed at filmmakers, series and XR content creators with with an existing track record of work. They are currently open to 14 film disciplines, which you can explore below.
The deadline to apply is 4th September 2024.
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Canada-Northern Ireland Co-Development Incentive for Audiovisual Projects
The Canada-Northern Ireland Co-Development Incentive for Audiovisual Projects funds television projects in the drama, documentary, animation, entertainment, and education genres, or digital media content, including web series, video games, transmedia projects, and virtual or augmented reality.
The deadline is 5th September 2024.
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DocCeleratorGalway
DocCeleratorGalway, which takes place 14-15 October 2024, is a 2-day Documentary story and script development programme. If you are a documentary maker wanting a more focused story and a clearer dramaturgical structure for your project this format is for you. The workshop will help you define and develop the key structural narrative elements of your film.
The deadline to apply is 6th September 2024.
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Tús 2024 & Céim Eile 2024
TG4 and Fís Éireann have come together with the Irish Language Broadcast Fund, following the success of the investment made in the Cine4 and TG4/Fís Éireann Television Drama Development scheme, to reach the next generation of talented writers.
Tús 2024 is a Short Film Script Initiative for New Writers & Creators from Ireland.
Céim Eile 2024 is a Half- Hour Short Film Script Initiative for New Writers & Creators from Ireland.
The deadline to apply is 9th September 2024.
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Tourism Ireland’s International Programming Ireland Fund 2024
Tourism Ireland invites applications for Round 3 of its 2024 International Programming Ireland Fund.
Now in its fourth year, the funding scheme is designed to stimulate and support high-quality TV projects with the potential to positively showcase the island of Ireland to an international TV audience.
The deadline to apply is 10th September 2024.
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Glasgow Film Festival
Submissions for Glasgow Film Festival 2025 are now open.
Highly regarded as one of the UK’s most anticipated film festivals, Glasgow Film Festival has grown over the years to become one of the top two film festivals in the UK as well as cementing its place as the premier film festival in Scotland.
The deadline to submit is 13th September 2024.
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Impact of AI on the European Creative Community
The Federation of European Screen Directors (FERA) are one of a coalition of organisations representing the collective voice of hundreds of thousands of writers, translators, performers, composers, songwriters, screen directors, screenwriters, visual artists, journalists, and other creative workers that have signed a joint letter to Members of the European Parliament on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the European Creative Community.
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Content Development For Film & Television // Full Time Course // Kerry College // IFTA Affiliated
Would you like to write/develop your Film and Television projects with working industry professionals? Feature films, TV drama and Documentary?
Kerry College is currently seeking applicants for year two of this national full-time Content Development Course at Kerry College.
No fees. Training allowance paid. 40 weeks. 14 places.
This is an IFTA (Irish Film & Television Academy) affiliated course. Interviews are taking place soon, so if interested, please apply now.
Course starts September 2024.
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Culture is Democracy, Democracy is Culture
Last week, the Federation of European Screen Directors (FERA) and the Federation of Screenwriters of Europe (FSE) published a joint call to empower European audiovisual diversity.
The call is part of an eight-page booklet titled “Culture is Democracy, Democracy is Culture.”
FERA and FSE highlight how “film and television drama are one of the most potent ways in which our European societies interrogate and try to understand our world, its problems and their possible solutions.”
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European elections: Who wins?
In June, the European Parliament 2024-2029 was elected. In July, the Federation of European Screen Directors (FERA) took a closer look at the election results and at what it means for European filmmakers.
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Success & Survival in the Irish Film & TV Industry
Minding Creative Minds recently hosted a panel, Success & Survival in the Irish Film & TV industry, with Sinead O'Brien, Jennifer Davidson, Hannah Quinn, and Katie McNeice at Ireland's Creative Careers Summit 2024. The panel discussed:
- How can you make money from working in our screen industry?
- What is the sector like in Ireland now in 2024?
- How can you strike the right balance in this multi-faceted industry?
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Demystifying financing and legals for film
The UK ScreenSkills Film Skills Fund and Reclaim The Frame teamed up to offer 2 free webinars for early career filmmakers onwards. They were recorded in June 2024.
In the first session, Demystifying financing in film, funders and commissioners talked about the opportunities they offer and what they look for in projects, pitch decks and funding applications.
The second session, Demystifying legal, covered how to set up a deal and secure the rights you need, from how to option a book or screenplay, through to what’s involved in a writers, development or contributor agreement and at what stage to bring in a lawyer.
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ScreenSkills in the Nations: Spotlight on Northern Ireland
UK ScreenSkills Funds work closely with industry across the UK to deliver training, resources, and opportunities to crew in the Nations and regions.
In July they took a closer look at some of the investments made in Northern Ireland.and the training put in place to help develop the area’s workforce.
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In the Screening Room with Michael Mann: 25 Films That Inspire Him & His Work
Director Michael Mann (Heat, The Insider) sits down with Letterboxd at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica to talk about how some of his favorite films informed his movies, and the Michael Mann Archives.
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GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival
GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival is a queer film festival hosted in the Light House Cinema and Irish Film Institute every summer.
GAZE kicks off today and runs until 5th August 2024.
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Boyne Valley International Film Festival
Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Boyne Valley, the Boyne Valley International Film Festival (BVIFF) returns for its third year. Creating an environment for filmmakers and audiences to connect and celebrate film in the historical medieval town of Drogheda, located in the heart of the Boyne Valley Region, BVIFF will once again feature an extended festival over three days featuring screenings, events and a range of awards to help support filmmakers.
BVIFF takes place 9 - 11 August 2024.
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BFI NETWORK Shorts School
The BFI NETWORK Shorts School is a four day programme of free talks dedicated to short filmmaking. Running online from 19 – 22 August, Shorts School participants will hear insights from BFI NETWORK-funded filmmakers and meet other creatives.
Whether you’re working towards your first short or sixth, Shorts School is for emerging writers, directors & producers to explore case studies, creative process, navigating the industry with your short work. There will be Q&A’s, roundtables, the chance to view short work that’s come through the Short Film Fund, as well as a networking session to meet peers and potential collaborators.
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Fulbright-Creative Ireland Professional Fellowship
Join the Fulbright-Creative Ireland Professional Fellowship webinar on 26th August 2024.
Professionals with at least seven years’ experience working in the creative, cultural or heritage sector are invited to apply for the Fulbright-Creative Ireland Professional Fellowship.
Learn about the 2025-2026 Fulbright Irish Awards application process, and hear from Fulbright-Creative Ireland alumni speakers. The Fulbright Ireland Team will answer your questions in a Q&A session at the end of the webinar.
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Underground Cinema International Film Festival & Comic Con
Embark on a journey into the heart of independent filmmaking and the vibrant world of pop culture. In an era where technology grants unprecedented access to filmmaking tools, a rising tide of creative filmmakers are finding their voice through the art of cinema, using it as a conduit for profound expression and boundless exploration of creativity.
The 15th Underground Cinema Film Festival and Comic Con runs 31st August - 1st September 2024.
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Galway Film Fleadh
The 36th edition of the Galway Film Fleadh celebrated its awards ceremony on 14th of July. SDGI congratulates all the directors honoured on the night.
See More
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2024 StarGAZE
GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival has announced the 2024 starGAZE recipients, a unique professional development initiative to support emerging LGBTQIA filmmakers.
See More
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VFX Academy
Minister Catherine Martin and Minister Jack Chambers launched Screen Ireland’s new National Talent Academy for VFX in July.
See More
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Power Ballad
Lionsgate has acquired John Carney's new film Power Ballad, which recently wrapped shooting in Dublin and stars Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas and Jack Reynor,
See More
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The Surfer
Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions have acquired Lorcan Finnegan's The Surfer, which stars Nicolas Cage, for a North American release in 2025.
See More
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Festivals Support
Film festivals across the globe are in major need of further government support, according to a survey conducted by the UK’s Independent Cinema Office (ICO).
See More
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Our mailing address is:
Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, Curved Street South, Temple Bar, Dublin, D02 PC43, Ireland.
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