THE long standing vacuum at the head of the Irish Film Board was finally resolved last week with the announcement that Englishman Simon Perry will take over as CEO on January 9, 2006, a position vacant since Mark Woods’ departure last April.

The Screen Producers of Ireland (SPI) organisation has claimed that the Government’s decision to extend tax breaks for the film industry will pay off in the coming years.

THE country’s top film-makers and screenwriters appealed to the Government yesterday not to axe the valuable tax incentives enjoyed by the Irish film industry.