Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) welcomes the announcement by the Minister of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan, T.D. of the commencement date of our new name. The agency will be known as Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland with effect from today, Monday 18th June 2018, following the announcement of this date at the launch of Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018-2027, published as part of Project Ireland 2040 on 10 April 2018.
The change of name to Screen Ireland recognises and encompasses the widening remit of the agency and gives a greater voice to Irish creative storytelling talent on screen. The name change reflects the vision which the Government has for a vibrant film and screen content production sector in Ireland; bringing more Irish stories to more audiences across all platforms.
The way in which audiences see and hear stories on screen has evolved rapidly over the last number of years and with that evolution, the opportunities to have stories and voices seen and heard across a host of platforms has increased exponentially. Screen Ireland will support and nurture Irish talent by funding the development, production and distribution of feature films, feature documentaries, short films, TV animation series and TV drama series. Our objective is to ensure that Irish stories are represented on emerging digital platforms, alongside the existing, traditional and much-loved cinema and television formats.
Speaking about the name-change, Annie Doona, Chair of FÉ/SI said: “Screen Ireland reflects the evolution of screen storytelling as well as our ambition and vision for the future of Ireland’s film and screen sector. It is indicative of a more inclusive and representative name for both the Irish creative talent working on storytelling in screen and audiences for this work.
“Earlier this year, the Irish Government announced their commitment of an investment of €200 million in media production and the Irish audio-visual industry and this unprecedented commitment will further consolidate Screen Ireland’s efforts to fully realise the ambitions of Pillar 4 of Creative Ireland, which is to make Ireland a global centre of excellence for media production.
“Operating under Screen Ireland allows the agency to wholly fulfil its expanding remit and to support Irish creative talent in new and exciting ways, so that our uniquely Irish stories can reach further than ever before.”
James Hickey, Chief Executive of FÉ/SI added: “The driving force behind the Irish Film Board was to support and nurture diverse Irish creative filmmaking talent and this is something to which Screen Ireland will remain strongly and unequivocally committed. Supporting the development and production of creative talent telling stories in cinemas, on television and online remains the agency’s number one priority.
“There is an international revolution happening within the audio-visual sector and the traditional, clear distinction between feature films in cinemas and drama on television has now evolved into a more complex environment, largely driven by a host of new internet platforms, alongside the continued success of the traditional film and TV industry. Thanks to the increased Government support for the Irish audio-visual industry, announced as part of Project Ireland 2040, Screen Ireland will be able to facilitate and support Irish voices and their stories in Ireland and on the international stage on traditional and emerging platforms.
“It is estimated there are more than 17,000 full-time equivalent jobs in the Irish audio-visual sector and the gross value added of the sector exceeds €1 billion annually. Detailed figures are expected to be published shortly in the Department-commissioned Olsberg SPI Report, which will provide a strategic framework for the development of the industry over the next five years.
“Screen Ireland will be at the heart of these developments and we look forward to working closely with our stakeholders to capitalise on the growth opportunities within the sector and to provide support, encouragement and nurturing to Irish creative talent to ensure this vision becomes a reality.”
Earlier in the month, the Irish Film Board (now Screen Ireland) announced the appointment of Gareth Lee to the role of Manager of Screen Training Ireland. Gareth will be responsible for the roll out of a new plan of action for the development of skills across the whole screen sector being Film, TV Drama, Animation, Television production, VFX, Games and VR / AR. Gareth will also work with the skills sub-committee of the Irish Film Board with regard to the roll out of the recent Crowe Horwath report on the Audiovisual Sector.
Prior to joining Screen Training Ireland, Gareth worked at Ballyfermot College of Further Education where he ran the Animation degree programme and most recently established the inaugural diploma programme in 3D & Visual Effects – the first programme of its kind in Ireland. Gareth also brings a vast wealth of experience in training from his role in Animation Skillnet where he established the network which has delivered industry-focused training solutions for the Animation and related sectors in Ireland.
Gareth has a proven track record of working with key stakeholders to deliver successful work-based training initiatives for the sector that better align education/training to the needs of industry. He is a graduate of TCD, DCU and DIT with a BA in English, an MSc in Multimedia and an MA in Music Technology. He is a member of the Advisory Board for Animation Ireland, specialising in education/training.
In November 2017 Gareth was invited by the EU Commission to speak at the European Vocational Skills Week conference in Brussels on the topic of ‘Career Long Learning’.
James Hickey, CEO, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/Irish Film Board said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Gareth Lee to the role of Manager of Screen Training Ireland. Never has the development of skills within our sector been more pertinent than now and we look forward to working with Gareth on the development of a new skills plan for the sector”.
Gareth Lee said: “I look forward to taking on the new role of Manager of Screen Training Ireland and working closely with the Irish Film Board, the experienced staff of Screen Training Ireland and key industry stakeholders to support skills development initiatives that will underpin the continued growth of the screen sectors in Ireland.”
Source: Screen Ireland, News