Bord Scannán na hÉireann/ Irish Film Board (IFB) launched its Five-Year Strategic Plan – ‘Building on Success’ – detailing its ambitious vision and plans for the role of the IFB within the thriving Irish film, television and animation industry. The strategy was developed by the Board of the IFB following extensive consultation and engagement with stakeholders from all parts of the industry. The publication of the strategy is timely in that it follows a year of unprecedented critical and commercial success for the Irish film and animation, with international global recognition at the industry’s high profile award ceremonies as well as record breaking box office takings. It also follows recent improvements to the Irish tax incentive Section 481, and we believe this is the moment to line up all the drivers of growth, to scale the industry to the next level.
On the back of major global hits including Room, Brooklyn, Sing Street, Love & Friendship, Song of the Sea and The Lobster, Irish films have taken to date an impressive $140 million at the worldwide box office alone in 2015/16, with audience figures estimated in the region of 18 million admissions. This does not include DVD, TV or the growing VOD market which will generate further audiences for Irish film. The wider audio-visual sector employs some 6,000 people in Ireland at present, generating over €0.5 billion to the economy.