Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Eumirages

The Eurimages Board of Management met in Dublin last week and deliberated on the final round of project applications for 2011.

I have posted previously about the relative lack of success of Irish-originated applications to the fund while many other, non-Irish projects with Irish minority co-producers attached have been successful. Most of these latter projects were then also supported by the Irish Film Board and availed of our tax break.

It is arguable that this may represent a drift of accumulated resources away from indigenous projects or, with regard to Eurimages, that Irish-originated projects have not applied in any significant numbers and/or have not been of sufficient standard to merit the fund's support.

A question also arises about the actual benefit to the Irish audiovisual economy from these projects. Is it just a question of substantial fee income for Irish co-producers or is there any tangible, sustainable business created by this co-production activity?

It's clear that Irish writing and directing talent does not benefit from projects originated elsewhere, yet those projects are raising substantial funding in Ireland. Are Irish film makers having to compete for scarce Irish resources with film makers from other countries?

It would be interesting to see a balance sheet that compares Irish public funding for indigenous and offshore production over the last five years. A glance at this list suggests that a growing proportion of available resources have gone toward the offshore, 'service' sector.

We joined Eurimages because it was supposed to give our film-makers access to foreign sources of funding. It seems to be working in reverse. So, the important questions are - what is the policy position, where is it set out, how was it arrived at, and are the outcomes as predicted?

A list of all 'Irish' feature film projects supported by Eurimages in recent years.
Titles in bold are Irish originated.
* - projects also supported by the IFB.
# - projects also availing of Section 481


Eurimages - 'Irish' Co-productions 2006-2011

2011
Dark Touch*
By Marina De Van (France)
Feature Film
Awarded: €390 000
Co-producers:
EX NIHILO Srl (FR)
ELEMENT PICTURES Ltd (PRODUCTION) (IE)
FILMGATE FILMS (SE)

Life's a Breeze*
By Lance Daly (Ireland)
Feature Film
Awarded: €300 000
Co-producers:
FASTNET FILMS (IE)
ANAGRAM (SE)

Niko - Family Affairs*#
By Jorgen Lerdam (Denmark) et Kari Juusonen (Finland)
Animation film
Awarded: €600 000
Co-producers:
ANIMAKER OY (FI)
ULYSSES GMBH FILM – UND FERNSEHPRODUKTION (DE)
A.FILM PRODUCTION (DK)
MAGMA PRODUCTIONS (IE)

2010
A Royal Affair/Caroline Mathildes AR* [IFB prov. offer]
By Nikolaj Arcel (Denmark)
Feature Film
Awarded: 600 000 €
Co-producers:
ZENTROPA ENTERTAINMENTS 25 Aps (DK)
TROLLHÄTTAN FILM AB (SE)
SIA FILM ANGELS (LV)
SUBOTICA LIMITED (IE)

The Moon Man*
By Stephan Schesch (DE)
Animation Film
Awarded: 600 000 €
Co-producers:
SCHESCH FILMKREATION (DE)
LE PACTE (PRODUCTION) (FR)
CARTOON SALOON (IE)

This must be the place*#
By Paolo Sorrentino (Italy)
Feature Film
Awarded: 600 000 €
Co-producers:
INDIGO FILM Srl / LUCKY RED Srl (PRODUCTION) (IT)
ARP S.a.s (FR)
ELEMENT PICTURES Ltd (PRODUCTION) (IE)

2009
As if I'm not there*#
By Juanita Wilson (Ireland)
Feature Film
Awarded: 220 000 €
Co-producers:
WIDE EYE FILMS Ltd (IE)
STELLA NOVA FILM (SE)
SEKTOR FILM DOOEL (MK)

Essential Killing*
By Jerzy Skolimowski (Pologne)
Feature film
Awarded: 400 000 €
Co-producers:
SKOPIA FILM (PL)
CYLINDER PRODUCTIONS AS (NO)
ILIADE ET FILMS (FR)
ELEMENT PICTURES LIMITED (IE)

The Last Furlong*#
By Agnès Merlet (France)
Feature Film
Awarded: 600 000 €
Co-producers:
FIDELITE FILMS S.A (FR)
OCTAGON FILMS LIMITED (IE)

All Good Children*#
By Alicia Duffy (United Kingdom)
Feature Film
Awarded: 300 000 €
Co-producers:
ELEMENT PICTURES LIMITED (IE)
CINEMA DEFACTO (FR)
ARTEMIS PRODUCTIONS SA (BE)
[Caveman Films - UK]

Thor -The Edda Chronicles*#
By Gunnar Karlsson (Iceland), Toby Genkel (Germany)
Feature Film - Animation
Awarded: 480 000 €
Co-producers:
CAOZ STUDIO Ltd (IS)
ULYSSES GMBH FILM – UND FERNSEHPRODUKTION (DE)
MAGMA PRODUCTIONS (IE)

2008
La Mula*#
By Michael Radford (United Kingdom)
Feature Film
Awarded: 650 000 €
Co-producers:
GHEKO FILMS (ES)
WORKHORSE ENT. LTD (UK)
[SUBOTICA LIMITED (IE)]

Neka Drige Price
By Hanna A Slak (Slovenia), Marija Dzidzeva ("The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"), Ana Rossi (Serbia), Ivona Juka (Croatia), Ines Tanovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Feature Film
Awarded: 190 000 €
Co-producers:
SEE FILM PRO (RS)
STUDIO MAJ PRODUCTION d.o.o. (SI)
4 FILM (HR)
DOKUMENT (BA)
SKOPJE FILM STUDIO (MK)
DIG PRODUCTIONS Ltd (IE)

Triage*#
By Danis Tanovic (Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Feature Film
Awarded: 650 000 €
Co-producers:
STRADBROOK PRODUCTIONS Ltd/PARALLEL FILMS (IE)
ASAP FILMS Sarl (FR)
FREEFORM SPAIN (ES)

2007
Dorothy Mills*#
By Agnès Merlet (France)
Feature Film
Awarded: 500 000 €
Coproducers:
FIDELITE FILMS (FR)
OCTAGON FILMS LIMITED (IE)

Occi vs. the World*#
English title: Swansong
By Conor McDermottroe (Ireland - Germany)
Feature Film
Awarded: 280 000 €
Co-producers:
ZANZIBAR FILMS (IE)
FLORIN FILM & FERNSEHPRODUKTION & Co. Kg. (DE)

2006
Dot.com – Luis Galvao Teles (PT)*
Feature film
Awarded : 322 000 €
Coproducers :
FADO FILMES (PT)
ALTA PRODUCCION (ES)
ZANZIBAR FILMS (IE)
IPSO FACTO FILMS (GB)
VIDEOFILMES (BR)

Little Foxes*#
Original title :Listicky
French title : Petits Renards
Directed by Mira Fornayova (SK)
Feature Film
Awarded: 140 000 €
Coproducers:
NEGATIV (CZ)
GRAND PICTURES (IE)
MIRAS (SK)

Summer of the Flying Saucer*#
– Martin Duffy (IE)
Feature Film – for children
Awarded : 200 000 €
Coproducers :
MAGMA FILMS (IE)
FIDO FILM AB (SE)

Niko - Way to the Stars*#
Original title : Tie Tähtiin
Directed by Michael Hegner& Kari Juusonen (DK & FI)
Feature Film for children
Awarded: 600 000 €
Coproducers:
ANIMAKER OY (FI)
ULYSSES GMBH FILM- UNDFERNSEHPRODUKTION (DE)
A FILM (DK)
MAGMA EUROPEAN SCRIPTINGHOUSE (IE)
Posted by irish film portal at 12:50 PM

7 comments:

irish film portal said...

I received the following comment from Mr/Ms Anonymous which I have edited slightly - I can't publish comments if they contain unproven assertions!

I'm astonished at the amounts of public monies handed out to the same small group of Production Companies, who are not living up to their collective responsibility to create a sustainable indigenous Irish Film Ind. Is there nobody outside of IFB monitoring this on behalf of the taxpayers of this State?
I'm extremely angered at how this honeypot of money (IFB) is dipped into by a company like Magma...
Hopefully one day this QUANGO will be exposed and brought back under direct government control for the sake of the industry and the crews who have been abused and displaced from an industry they loved to serve - in the vast majority of cases without a basic pension contribution.

October 27, 2011 at 11:22 AM
Anonymous said...

Hi IFP,
Could you please clarify if the amounts of money awarded are IFB finance or collective awards between IFB, Sec.481 and BAI or are the awarded amounts from some other source ? I'm baffled at what this sham of an industry here has turned into . My recent contacts with good friends both in UK and US have told me there inundated with Productions of all categories in both jurisdictions . On east Coast , US , they've US , UK and French Productions . In UK their awash with US and indigenous Productions . One has to ask , WHAT ARE IRISH PRODUCERS ACTUALLY DOING ? They say Rates are a problem but I've comared Rates in all 3 jurisdictions and we are cheaper by far. I've paperwork to prove same . Or is it the Subsidised gravy train of funding they want to keep . The dire state of the infrastructutre that's had little or no money to modernise. Or as a Good Friend in US. said American Producers don't like the idea that they automatically have to engage an Irish Producer just to avail of Tax Relief and IFB Funding . I myself think their happy to produce Dribble and Dumb down the Industry , displace workers to maximise on Profits and Fail in the Remit to Create a Sustainable , indigenous Irish industry . Then go back to Lord Edward St with the begging bowl for more Taxpayers money .
IFP , you have done some great work about this industry , keep it up , we are listening , but don't know how to stop this . Someday Please God , Crew might realise how exploited they are and come together for real change . There seems to be no Creative input into this industry anymore , it's just an industry based on producers using the system to carve up State Funds with a goal of only producing an odd Production from time to time . Why are they not doing their jobs by going out there and fighting to bring in Productions of substance and quality rather than produce crap that has little or no cultural or monetary value to the State , but only to themselves . Shame on you IFB for letting this happen , but it doesn't surprise me when you look at the vested interests and the make up of the Board .

November 3, 2011 at 4:09 AM
Anonymous said...

I totally agree with the above comment, so well said and it is not just Magma who are sucking the funds

November 8, 2011 at 8:12 AM
irish film portal said...

I think it's worth making one point clearly - one can not blame producers for accessing funding wherever they can. That's what they do. Or to put it another way, it's what they're allowed to do.

However, public funding is made available as a matter of policy for purposes to do, mostly, with the cultural worth of what is being produced.

My argument is that we need to pay careful attention to the outcomes - the actual cultural value to us of the films that are made with our public support.

It is clear from this listing that foreign producers have successfully accessed large amounts of Irish public funding, both from the IFB and Section 481, and have gained more support per project from Eurimages than the Irish-originated films.

The first justification may be the Irish employment that results, but it is the sort of temporary work that will not generate self-sustaining business or jobs in this country.

The second justification may be that it grows capacity and expertise. That may be true for the service business but capacity and expertise at this level does not generate indigenous film projects or indigenous directing and writing skills. Nor does it consistently contribute to Irish skills at HOD level since most of these productions use only a small number of Irish HODs.

There is a total absence of analysis of what Irish co-producers earn from these productions and what the net benefit to each project might be once these fees have been subtracted from the IFB contribution.

There is compelling need for transparency and/or open competition for this co-production work in order that more of the money goes 'on the screen'.

November 9, 2011 at 2:40 AM
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
November 11, 2011 at 4:48 AM
Anonymous said...

Transparency , what a joke , you have an IFB Publily financed by Citizens of this state and yet you cannot access accounts of what Production Loans are given out along with the Producer Recouptment Fund and what if indeed any of these monies are paid back to the State ?
It's time all members of this Sham of a so called industry stood up and approached their local TDs . It's sickening to think that the fortunate Crew members employed at are only averaging if lucky 20K a year gross . Most crew don't even hit that number ? Why ? Who does this industry serve but a vested FEW ! I am of the opinion that the IFB should be abolished in it's current form as recommended in Bord Snip Nua report and brought back under direct Government control . For far to long Producers have hoodwinked not only Crew but the Public at large and have never been held accountable by anyone especially the so called Trade Unions who say they represent members but sign off agreements that put Film Industry Crews outside of the Protection of Irish and European law. They the Unions should also be held accountable for their Complicity in what's going on , as they are well aware and have been well informed but have not acted in the wider Public Interest ?

November 11, 2011 at 5:21 AM
irish film portal said...

An assertion about a body corporate, as fact, may be taken to refer personally to any individual associated with it.
I would remind commenters, particularly anonymous commenters, that while they may offer fair comment, as their opinion, those opinions should ideally have a factual basis.

In the absence of factual information - and that is a major problem with the industry - it is fair to ask whether certain perceptions might have a basis in fact.

November 11, 2011 at 5:42 AM

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