Weekend trim bin

* Fascinating piece by Colm Keena in today's Irish Times - since heavily corrected - about former Anglo Irish Bank CEO David Drumm's tax affairs. Anglo's film activity was not mentioned in the piece but it certainly was one way that Anglo personnel dealt with their tax liabilities.

* Major public meeting scheduled for Brussels on March 18 to discuss the future of the EU MEDIA programmes, if they have a future. Information updates on the meeting will be posted here.

* European filmmakers are up in arms about the rumoured abolition of the MEDIA programmes. We refuse, purely and simply, to allow the Media Programme to be abolished, or even to see it merged within another, more extensive programme. We call upon the President of the European Commission to receive a delegation of European film-makers and to do so as quickly as possible. Naturally, this serious challenge does serious harm to creativity and culture, the foundations of our identity and our European values. There's a downloadable petition here which can be signed and sent to petitioncineastes@larp.fr

* Meanwhile several organisations (some of which depend on the MEDIA programme for funding) have written to the EC President demanding a meeting. Every support scheme of the MEDIA Programme targets a specific area but takes part in a more global logic that aims at improving the competitiveness of the European film business and promoting European cultural diversity, both essential in the successful construction of the European Union and its identity. Since its beginning, the MEDIA Programme has enabled European producers, distributors and exhibitors, and especially the independent companies, to develop their structures and hire staff despite their risky activities. It has promoted a favourable financial environment for them to produce, acquire, release and screen European films.

* The Northern Ireland Screen Fund has been declared kosher by the Competition DG of the EC. The public version of this decision is not yet available. It will be displayed as soon as it has been cleansed of any confidential information.

* The Film Board only recently published some funding decisions made two months ago on December 14.
Production
Project Director Writer Production Company Funding Award
Fiction Feature Films
Life's A Breeze Lance Daly Lance Daly Fastnet Films Provisional Offer of Commitment
Love Eternal Brendan Muldowney Brendan Muldowney Fastnet Films €600,000
Jump Kieron J. Walsh Lisa McGee Blinder Films & Hotshot Films €300,000
Fiction Creative Co-production
Strangerland Kim Farrant Fiona Seres Fastnet Films Provisional Offer Of Commitment
Call Girl Mikael Marcimain Mikael Marcimain Newgrange Pictures €150,000
Kelly & Victor Kieran Evans K. Evans & N. Griffiths Venom Limited €150,000
Animation
Niko: A Family Affair K. Juusonen & J. Lerdom Magma Films €150,000
Documentary
Men At Lunch Sean O'Cualain Sonta Productions Provisional Offer Of Commitment
Black Dragon Gary Lennon Gambit Pictures €10,000
Neal MacGregor: The Remains Of A Man Neasa Ni Chianáin Soilsiú Films €5,000
Canvas Sinead O'Brien Cadenza Pictures €10,000
Ballymun Lullaby Frank Reid Pulp Films €60,000
The Last Hijack T. Pallotta & F. Wolting T. Pallotta & F. Wolting Still Films Provisional Offer Of Commitment

Distribution
Project Director Writer Production Company Funding Award
Marketing Support
All Good Children Alicia Duffy Alicia Duffy Element Distribution €9,300
The Guard John McDonagh John McDonagh Element Distribution €75,000
One Hundred Mornings Conor Horgan Conor Horgan Blinder Films €10,000