Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and TG4, were awarded €300,000. These were Tom O'Sulli van and Macalla Teo's Arracht, and Dathai Keane and Abu Media's Finky.
On the documentary side €125,000 was awarded to Marcie Films for The Last Days of Peter Bergmann director Ciaran Cassidy's next project which is titled Screamers. Cassidy's latest documentary, Jihad Jane received additional production funding of €50,000. That film is the tale of two American women who went looking for love online and became the 'new face in the war on terror.'
Other documentaries funded include Seamus Murphy and Blinder Films' PJ Harvey: Staring Through the Glass, based on the legenadry singer, which was awarded €10,000; and Garry Keane and Andrew McConnell's Gaza: Out of the Ordinary. Through a cast of carefully chosen characters, Gaza: Out of the Ordinary takes an uncommon look at life inside the Gaza Strip. An quantified offer was also made to Underground Films for Kim Bartley's Defenders, which focuses on the extraordinary experiences of people who grew up as the children of a human rights activists.
In animation €250,000 was awarded to Cartoon Saloon to continue their Annie Award-nominated series Puffin Rock. Set on a fictional island off the Irish coast, the series follows a young puffin named Oona and her little brother Baba as they explore their world. Cartoon Saloon were also awarded another €250,000 for Dorg Van Dango. Created by Fabian Erlinghauser, animation supervisor on Cartoon Saloon features The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea, this comedy examines life through the thick-lensed glasses of a 13-year-old boy named Dorg Van Dango. After discovering a motley crew of supernatural beings who escaped while being transported to a secret holding facility (Area 51), Dorg disguises them as teenagers and befriends them. Under his wing, the creatures quickly learn there is more to life than haunting and scaring unsuspecting humans.
€200,000 was awarded Pink Kong Studios for their series Urban Tails, where audiences see Animal Music Artists ooze attitude as their videos play in the Urban Tails Music Chart show. Filled with funny character-driven content the series is energetic, unpredictable and upbeat, presenting the viewers with a unique take on Urban Wildlife. Each episode is a music video that educates us about what life is really like for the creatures living among us in our cities.
Other animation projects funded include €100,00 to Kavaleer Productions for Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese, €150,000 to Igloo Productions for The Lost Letter, and €30,000 to Ink & Light for Hopscotch & the Christmas Tree.
Development Funding
35 projects were offered Development funding, 4 animations, 2 documentaries, 2 international TV dramas, 1 international co-production, and 26 feature productions. The largest of these was €40,000 to Parallel Film Productions for At Swim, Two Boys, written by Mark Doherty. Further awards were €31,000 to Treasure Entertainment for One More Tune, written by Sarah Francis and Una Mullally and to be directed by Sarah Francis; €25,000 to Footnote Productions Ltd for Tainted, written by Declan Croghan; €25,000 to Snapshot Productions for Arrangements, written by Jeremy Massey and Johnny O'Reilly and to be directed by Johnny O'Reilly; €23,050 to John Kelleher Media for Plurabelle, written by Michael Kinirons; €20,000 to Tumbledown Media for Freddy Buttons, written by Fiona Dillon and to be directed by Aoife Doyle; €20,000 to Igloo Animations for Old Irish Tales, written by Richard Morss and Trevor Courtney and to be directed by Trevor Courtney and Julie Rush; €20,000 to David P Kelly Films for The Master, written by Anne-Marie Casey; €20,000 to Buckshee Films for What We Know About Men, written and to be directed by Peter Murphy and Rachael Moriarty; €20,000 to Underground Films for The Unreliable Narrator, written and to be directed by Terry McMahon; €19,200 to Workshed Films for Let The Wrong One In, written and to be directed by Conor McMahon; €18,500 to Treasure Entertainment Ltd. for Alima, written by Ciaran McGoldrick; €18,300 to Calico Pictures Ltd for The Night I got Shot by Santa, written by Ronan Blaney and to be directed by Michael Lennox; €18,000 to Red Tile for Broken Empire, written by Philip Busier; €18,000 to Park Films for Son, written and to be directed by Ivan Kavanagh; €17,950 to Deadpan Pictures for The Last Right, written and to be directed by Aoife Crehan; €17,500 to Samson Films for Witch Fever, written by Ron Hutchinson; €16,000 to Samson Films for Freight, written by Gary Duggan; €16,000 to Mammoth Films for Choosing Sides, written and to be directed by Stephen Burke; €16,000 to Underground Films for Lupa, written by Andreas Hadjivassilou and to be directed by Alan Friel; €15,000 to Soilsiu Films for The Alexander Complex, written by David Rane and Neasa Ní Chianáin and to be directed by Neasa Ní Chianáin; €15,000 to Soilsiu Films for The Good Father, written and to be directed by Neasa Ní Chianáin; €15,000 to Fastnet Films for Silent Caller, written by Kate Dolan; €14,000 to Fastnet Films for Spanish Fly, written by Will Ferguson; €14,000 to Lovely Productions for Goliath, written by Garret Shanley and to be directed by Lorcan Finnegan; €12,900 to Danman Films for The High Five, written and to be directed by Stephen Bradley; €12,300 to Savage Productions for Faith, written and to be directed by Brendan Muldowney; €11,900 to Tailored Films for Hive Mind, written by Demian Fox and to be directed by Conor Mc Mahon; €11,750 to Venom Films for July Fly, written by Vanessa Ronan and to be directed by Stevie Russell; €11,600 to Tailored Films for Don't Come After Me, written by David Turpin and Antii Karumo and to be directed by AJ Annila; €10,000 to Element Pictures for The Gee Gees, written by Kevin Barry and to be directed by Billy O'Brien; €8,500 to Fastnet Films for Send in the Clowns, written by Shane O'Brien, James Walmsley and Demian Fox and to be directed by George Kane; €5,000 to Piranha Bar for Max and the Monster Trucks, written by Sam Morrison and to be directed by Alan Foley; €5,000 to Magpie 6 Media Entertainment Ltd for Bonobo JoJo, written and to be directed by Clifford Parrott; and €1,500 to Park Films for A Quiet Woman, written by Ciara Geraghty and Caroline Grace-Cassidy.
Distribution Funding
One film was offered Direct Distribution funding, with €15,000 going to Tailored Films for Brian O'Malley's The Lodgers.
Under Distribution Support, which provides funds to distributors of Irish film, three awards were given to Wildcard Distribution for Rob and Ronan Burke's Damo & Ivor: The Movie (€75,000), for Frank Berry's Michael Inside (€55,000), and for David Freyne's The Third Wave (Wildcard Distribution
€20,000).
CinÉireann / April 2018 15