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TG4 in association with Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen announce a range of new Funding Schemes Investing in Screen Talent

09.07.22

TG4, Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund are pleased to announce they have joined forces to support a range of new Irish language development funds, aimed at supporting new & emerging talent today at Galway Film Fleadh.

Céim Eile is aimed at developing TV scripted drama, Tús will support short filmmakers and a new factual short film scheme is also in the pipeline.

A one-off pilot scheme Céim Eile welcomes applications for development for scripted single episode dramas of 30-minute duration with investment of €420,000. Eight projects will be shortlisted with a development fund of €15,000 each. Three projects will then be chosen for production with a budget of €100,000 each. Submissions for Céim Eile scheme are required to have fluent Irish speakers whilst supporting a diversity of talent from different backgrounds and communities. Applicants must form a partnership with an experienced production company as part of the submission with the means to bring the film to fruition both in development and production stages.

A Scripted Short Film Initiative Tús 2022 was also announced today. The aim of this joint initiative, ‘Tús’ (meaning start) is to encourage, nurture and promote original drama in the Irish language and to support diverse creative voices le Gaeilge at an early stage in their careers. The scheme aims to develop drama shorts between 10 and 12 minutes in duration.

Ten ideas will be shortlisted in Tús 2022 and will each receive development fee of €3,000. Three of those shortlisted will be produced with a budget of €30,000 each.

A factual shorts initiative was also announced today by TG4, Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen to develop creative, ambitious Irish language documentaries for festival release, broadcast, and digital platforms. The fund will support the development of 8 documentary projects (10’ approx. each) and 6 x circa 25-minute documentaries with a view to funding the production of 3 x 10’ shorts and 3 x 25’ tv documentaries. A total investment of €187,000 is available for the scheme.

Mary Ellen Ní Chualáin, Commissioning Manager TG4 said: “TG4 is committed to supporting Irish creative talent to produce compelling and contemporary stories in the Irish language. We want to see more Irish language content screened at festivals and theatrical releases, as well as being available on TG4 and on TG4’s player worldwide. This is an opportunity to support & develop new creative projects.”

Andrew Byrne, Television, Screen Ireland said “Following our investment in Irish Language tv series development last year, we are delighted to further support new and emerging Irish Language voices and a diversity of talent. These new initiatives allow a range of opportunity and for all audiences to be reached with authentic, ambitious and contemporary stories. Separately, the investment in Irish Language documentary shorts further highlights our ambition in this genre, echoing our broader policy of investing in a variety of story-telling opportunities that reach local and international audiences across all platforms”.

Áine Walsh, Head of Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund, said; “Developing skills within the Irish speaking production sector has always been an integral part of the Irish Language Broadcast Fund and we are delighted to be partnering with TG4 and Fís Éireann on this initiative which will give new and emerging talent the opportunity to develop and produce short dramas and documentaries. We are excited to see what new and wonderful stories and talent will emerge from this partnership.”

These new schemes follow in the enormous success of Cine4, the feature film scheme from TG4, Screen Ireland and the BAI and the TV Drama Development scheme in which five television contemporary drama projects have been selected for development.

More details are available on tg4.ie/ga/coimisiuin/

TG4, Ardán and Galway City of Film also announced today the inaugural TG4 / Ardán Short Documentary Film / Gearrscannán Funding Awards.

Two teams will be awarded funding to produce and deliver a Short Film Documentary as Gaeilge. This award is open to filmmaking teams from Galway City and County and/or films produced in Galway City and County.

The Irish language bursary is aimed at emerging / intermediate filmmakers, who have delivered more than two documentaries to date. Successful applicants will be given a bursary of €15,000 to help make a short documentary of between 10 and 19 minutes in duration.

More details available here: tg4.ie/ga/coimisiuin/

Alan Duggan, CEO Ardán said “Tá muid fíor bhuíoch an scéim Ceanntar Scannán seo a bhunú le TG4 i mbliana. The UNESCO City of Film / Ceanntar Scannán designation for Galway City and County recognises our long heritage of film and tv production and we are delighted to continue this great tradition in the Irish language with this year’s Ardán / TG4 Short documentary film bursary.”