Arts Council funds seven new documentaries
Seven new documentaries exploring Ireland’s arts and culture were today granted almost a quarter of a million euro to begin filming.
The Arts Council said the funds were granted to encourage new and established film-makers to produce arts-based documentaries examining issues in a contemporary or historical context.
Mary Cloake, director of the Arts Council, said: “In leading this project, the Arts Council is pleased to support film-makers in this way.
“This scheme is a major step forward in chronicling the contribution of the arts and artists in our society. Given the level of interest, we hope to see the Documenting the Arts scheme become a regular funding option. We congratulate the successful film-makers and we hope their work reaches the widest audience possible.”
The production fund was set up as a collaboration between the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board to encourage the production of arts-based documentaries.
Around seven proposals were chosen from among the 130 applicants and granted a total of €230,000.
Around €40,000 was granted to Wildfire Films for a project based on the Druid Synge Cycle produced by Martha O’Neil, while filmmaker Johnny White also received the same amount for a project on the writer Padraic O’Connaire.
A film proposal on poet and Aosdana member, Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill, was granted €40,000 as was Cathal Black Films for a project called ’Learning Gravity’ on the poet and undertaker Thomas Lynch.
The €230,000 announced today was part of a stepped fund where awards of up to €40,000 were provided by the Arts Council.
The recipients of the funds may use their awards to fully fund or part-fund their projects and the seven film-makers may also move onto stage two and approach the Irish Film Board for further funding of up to €50,000 per project.
This money from the Irish Film Board automatically guarantees a commitment from a broadcaster to show the project.
The deputy chief executive of the Irish Film Board, Teresa McGrane said the board was delighted to be able to facilitate funding for new broadcast documentaries celebrating art in all its forms.
“Key to the success of the Documenting the Arts scheme will be the Arts Council, the Irish Film Board and the broadcasters working closely together with Irish documentary film-makers to ensure that these films find as large an audience as possible,” Ms McGrane said.
Other projects to benefit, included Comet Film’s ’One Healing with Theatre’, with the Pan Pan Theatre Company, which got €30,000 as did a Cinegael documentary entitled ’Contempo Goes West’.
The Film Corporation of Ireland’s documentary on the ceramist, John French, produced by David Shaw Smith, was granted €10,000.
Proinsias Ni Ghrainne of TG4 said: “Three of the seven awards went to Irish language projects. Such vivid and surprising stories will resonate with TG4 audiences and provide a real and open-minded reflection of the wealth that artists bring to our communities.”
