Irish film industry ready for its 2024 close-up

An Cailín Ciúin was one of the top productions filmed in Ireland in recent years and got an Academy Award nomination this year.

With Budget 2024 having increased the eligible expenditure cap of Section 481 from €70m to €125m, the Irish Film industry is looking to a strong 2024 of ‘Lights, Cameras, Action’ to help achieve the government’s Audiovisual Action Plan objective of doubling employment in the sector. 

With the busy soundstages at Ardmore and Troy studios now being added to by new production facilities at Greystones and West Cork, this burgeoning sector is clearly ready for its close-up in the year ahead. Screen Ireland’s capital budget for the year ahead will be €34.058m, and the administration budget will be €5.18m.

In a landscape where global film and TV production budgets have reached an all-time high, the increase in the eligible expenditure cap will allow Ireland to attract a wider range of high-quality, larger-scale production. 

Susan Bergin, Chair of the Board of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, said: “It will also create opportunities in the growing area of VFX and post-production, whilst maintaining our well-regarded global reputation. This in turn will allow Ireland to build a depth of production crew, creating jobs and skills development opportunities throughout the creative screen industry, as well as driving increased cultural and economic opportunities for screen tourism.” 

She added that funding for Screen Ireland and the Section 481 tax incentive have become the bedrock of the Irish screen sector’s success, supporting culturally Irish stories on screen, creating local and international job opportunities, increasing spend in the Irish economy and allowing for structured skills development for Irish crew. 

“Screen Ireland’s ambition for the future growth of the Irish screen industry is to ensure that both local and international production takes place throughout Ireland, bringing cultural and economic benefits to the entire country. This remains one of our key objectives for 2024.” 

This year’s budget will provide support to launch a new Creative Clusters Programme for 2024, targeting emerging screen talent and communities across the country, with a pilot scheme proposed for County Cork. The budget for 2024 will also support Sustainability Funding and Audience Development initiatives to ensure sustainable growth into the future.

Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, said 2023 has been a landmark year for the Irish film industry, with an unprecedented number of Irish Academy Award nominations, including the historic Best International Feature Film nomination for Irish-language film An Cailín Ciúin. 

“The global impact of Irish culture and creative voices in feature film, and the recent thriving development of Irish TV drama, has also demonstrated the worldwide reach and influence of Irish stories on screen.” 

Up to 47% of the local Irish feature film and TV drama in Screen Ireland’s 2023 slate were produced or filmed on location in regional areas, including Donegal (Obituary), Limerick (Double Blind), Clare (Smother), Galway and Mayo (That They May Face the Rising Sun), demonstrating the wide range of locations available outside of the Dublin/Wicklow areas.

Last month, Screen Ireland led a delegation of 39 Irish producers to attend Content London, the world’s leading TV development marketplace and conference, which attracts more than 3000 leading content executives from all over the world, with a focus on creating fresh partnerships. 

Since Screen Ireland introduced development funding for TV drama in 2015, production has continued to grow and established Ireland as a major player in the international television industry. Irish television drama has gone from strength to strength in the last few years, with a diverse array of new series and talent reaching international audiences, including Normal People, The Dry, Kin, Obituary, Northern Lights and Clean Sweep.