The Irish film, television and animation industry is on course for a record year generating €168 million worth of activity, Irish Film Board has said.
The figure is up 18 per cent on last year and represents the total spend on film, television drama, animation and feature-length documentaries. It does not include the money broadcasters spend on news, entertainment, lifestyle and documentaries for television.
The industry remains buoyed by heavy investment from overseas production which was worth €81 million this year. In 2011 the same sector was worth €28 million.
The BBC's Ripper Street and Vikings for the History channel were among the big productions. In addition, Penny Dreadful, the Gothic horror series for Showtime, written and produced by James Bond writer John Logan, generated €33 million investment in Ireland.
Irish Film Board chief executive James Hickey said the success of the industry was creating a virtuous circle. Production companies were getting more experience so more overseas productions were coming to the country.
He said indigenous film production was as “strong as ever and growing stronger” despite the recessionary environment. “It is a tremendous credit to Irish creativity that we have been able to deliver on it.”
Mr Hickey acknowledged that the distribution of Irish-made films within Ireland was an issue and new measures were being brought in to ensure they reached an audience.
Cinema releases were not the only way films were getting to the public, he added, noting that What Richard Did had an audience of 350,000 when it was shown on RTÉ recently.
The IFB deputy chief executive Teresa McGrane said there was now a global phenomenon of “polarisation at the box office” where Hollywood blockbusters dominated the cinema audiences and independent films struggled. “We are in a state of flux with distribution and working out what the pay models will be.”
Ms McGrane said they would be launching a consultation document in the new year on training within the industry which would amount to a “pan-industry national conversation” in relation to training in film, gaming and animation.
About 2,000 people a year avail of training through Screen Training Ireland which is now run by the film board.
