FÁilte Go CinéIREANN
n February 2013, Ireland's last dedicated Irish film publication, Film Ireland, published its last printed edition. It was just one of a
string of closures of printed media that came about due to a combination of the move to digital, the decrease in funding, and the increased cost of print.
Its loss was keenly felt in the industry, as for over 25 years it was the Irish film industry bible, a place for critical appraisal of and on all aspects of Irish film and Irish screen culture. Its legacy is felt in the continued work of Film Ireland online, in IFTN, and in my own website Scannain.
While all three, with the assistance of many other fine news outlets, provide a great service to the industry, there remains a gap for long-form writing, critical appraisal, and cultural appreciation or dissent. This is something that I hope to address with Cin É.
The definition of an Irish film, of an Irish TV show, of Irish animation, or even of a what is a TV show in general has changed fundamentally in the last few years. More and more people are consuming screen media via mobile devices, via streaming, via time-shifted television and Video on Demand. That's changing the nature of the industry too, and this change is something that should be recorded, examined, and interrogated.
I won't start with a mission statement, but rather a statement of intent. Cin É will attempt to document the changes to our screen industry and provide insight and explanation on this from the those involved and those keen observers on the sidelines. It will attempt to provide views from as wide a spectrum as possible, and from established industry names and newcomers alike.
The advent of the smartphone has democratised the creation of digital content, the rise of social media and streaming platforms has democratised the distribution of that content. Even still the place of organised funding bodies and of media schools and guilds is paramount to honing raw talent and offering a mechanism through which wider exposure can be achieved.
Organisations like the Irish Film Board, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, or the Arts Council offer so much by the way of encouragement and structure to content creators, but they are not the only ways by which Irish creatives are making themselves heard.
Ireland has never before had the level of international success with film that we've achieved in the last few years, and at the same time we've never had as many independent feature films and short films being made telling stories of home and abroad. Irish television is now eying international distribution, while Irish animation is respected and admired the world over. We have established some of the finest VFX houses in the world and we are eagerly eying VR and other new technologies.
All of this change and creativity needs to be embraced, admired, and thrust forth from this island with all of the strength that we can muster. We are a nation capable of extraordinary artistic endeavour, as we have been for generations, and now is our time.
A place for all
Fundamentally Cin É will exist as a platform for reflecting on all of these things, being a conduit for reasoned and rational opinion, for discourse, and for recording this point in time for future generations. It will be an inclusive environment, open to any and all who wish to share in Ireland's favourite national pastime .
See you at the movies....
Niall Murphy
Managing Editor
In
Welcome to Ireland's Film Monthly
CinÉireann / November 2017 3
EDITORIAL