More than 400 professionals from the screen industry gathered in Dublin this week (4th October), as part of Screen Ireland’s first in-person industry events since the Covid-19 pandemic. The event at the Lighthouse Cinema was opened by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD.

On the back of the €1 million increase it received to its capital fund in Budget 2023, announced last week, Screen Ireland announced details of a number of new funding initiatives, worth a total of €3 million.

Addressing the industry representatives gathered, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, said:

“The screen industry demonstrated exceptional resilience throughout the pandemic and we were all grateful for the creative content developed by those of you in attendance that kept us entertained and inspired through those darkest of days. Nonetheless, I know that it was also a challenging time for many of you working in the industry, and I am delighted to have been in a position to provide €37.7 million in funding to Screen Ireland in Budget 2023, and an increase of €1 million in capital funding. Government recognises the value of the work that you do, from both a social and economic perspective, and Screen Ireland has exciting plans for the distribution of the funding that it is sharing with you today.”

Désirée Finnegan, CEO of Screen Ireland said:

“We are delighted to be able to announce a number of initiatives today, opening up new avenues of storytelling for the next generation. The Animation Innovation Fund will create opportunities for companies who want to explore new platforms and technologies, from virtual reality to interactive content. We are also delighted to be launching a new pilot gaming fund at today’s event.

Screen Ireland is also committed to regional activity and following the budget last week, we were pleased to announce that €3.5 million of the 2023 budget will be ringfenced for regional  activity.”

Further details here.