Cinema of Ireland | |
---|---|
No. of screens | 537 (2019) [1] |
• Per capita | 11.0 per 100,000 (2011) [1] |
Main distributors | Warner Bros. 18.4% Paramount 16.2% Universal 12.1% [2] |
Produced feature films (2011) [3] | |
Fictional | 20 |
Animated | 2 |
Documentary | 10 |
Number of admissions (2011) [4] | |
Total | 16,350,000 |
• Per capita | 3.6 (2010) [5] |
National films | 640,000 (3.9%) |
Gross box office (2011) [4] | |
Total | €112 million |
National films | €4.4 million (3.9%) |
The Irish film industry has grown somewhat from the late 20th century, due partly to the promotion of the sector by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and the introduction of heavy tax breaks. According to the Irish Audiovisual Content Production Sector Review carried out by the Irish Film Board and PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2008 this sector, has gone from 1,000 people employed six or seven years previously, to well over 6,000 people in that sector by the time of the report. The sector was reportedly valued at over €557.3 million and represented 0.3% of GDP. [6] Most films are produced in English as Ireland is largely Anglophone, though some productions are made in Irish either wholly or partially.
According to a 2009 article in Variety magazine spotlighting Irish cinema, up to 1999/2000, Ireland had only two filmmakers "anyone had heard of": Neil Jordan and Jim Sheridan. [7] However, as of 2009 [update] , the Variety article stated that Ireland then had "more than a dozen directors and writers with significant and growing international reputations" and listed directors such as Lenny Abrahamson, Conor McPherson, John Crowley, Martin McDonagh, John Michael McDonagh, John Carney, Kirsten Sheridan, Lance Daly, Paddy Breathnach and Damien O'Donnell and writers such as Mark O'Rowe, Enda Walsh and Mark O'Halloran. [7]
Former Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen (2008–2010) said that “the film industry is the cornerstone of a smart and creative digital economy”. [8] In addition to the economic benefit that the Irish film industry brings in by way of cash investment from overseas and the associated VAT, PAYE and PRSI receipts, it was reported in 2009 that there were also "soft benefits" in terms of the development and projection of the Irish culture and the promotion of tourism. [9]
Some of the most successful Irish films include The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), Intermission (2003), Man About Dog (2004), Michael Collins (1996), Angela's Ashes (1999), The Commitments (1991), Once (2007) and The Quiet Girl (2022). Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie (2014) holds the record for the biggest gross on the opening day of an Irish film in Ireland. [10]
During the 20th century, a number of films were censored or banned, owing largely to the influence of the Catholic Church with films including The Great Dictator (1940), A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Life of Brian (1979) being banned at various times, [11] although virtually no cuts or bans have been issued as of the early 21st century.[ citation needed ] The Irish Film Classification Office policy is that of personal choice for the viewer, considering his job to examine and classify films rather than censor them. [12] [13]
The first fictional film shot in Ireland was Kalem Company's The Lad from Old Ireland (1910), which was also the first American film shot on location outside the United States. It was directed by Sidney Olcott, who returned the next year to shoot over a dozen films primarily in the small village of Beaufort, County Kerry. Olcott intended to start a permanent studio in Beaufort, but the outbreak of World War I prevented him from doing so. [14]
The Irish government was one of the first in Europe to see the potential benefit to the exchequer of having a competitive tax incentive for investment in film and television, making use of a revised and improved version of its Section 481 tax incentive in 2015 which gives production companies a tax credit rate of 32% when making certain films. [15] Other countries have recognized the success of Ireland's incentive scheme and matched it or introduced a more competitive tax incentive. After a long lobbying process, significant improvements were introduced to the Section 481 relief for investment in film projects in 2009 to boost employment in the industry and help re-establish Ireland as an attractive global location for film and television production. [8]
Kevin Moriarty, managing director of Ardmore Studios in County Wicklow, has described Ireland as an "attractive film location" that is recognised for the "quality of the output of the Irish film industry and a perception that Ireland is a viable film destination". [8]
Notable films that have been filmed in Ireland include The Quiet Man (1952), Ten Little Indians (1965), The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965), The Lion in Winter (1968), The First Great Train Robbery (1979), Excalibur (1981), The Fantasist (1986), Braveheart (1995), Reign of Fire (2002), King Arthur (2004), The Guard (2011), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017).[ citation needed ]
The first cinema in Ireland, the Volta , was opened at 45 Mary Street, Dublin, in 1909 by the novelist James Joyce. [16]
Ireland has a relatively high rate of cinema attendance, and had the highest rate in Europe in 2017. [17]
There are several cinema chains operating in Ireland. Among them are ODEON Cinemas (formerly UCI/Storm Cinemas), Omniplex, IMC Cinemas (Both Omniplex and IMC are owned by the Ward Anderson group), Cineworld, Vue and Movies@Cinemas.
Ardmore Studios was the first Irish studio, opening in 1958 in Bray, County Wicklow.
Ireland has been home to several producers of animated films. Sullivan Bluth Studios was opened in 1979 as Don Bluth Productions, with its primary location in Dublin, to produce animated films by director Don Bluth and producer Morris Sullivan. Some films produced at Sullivan Bluth's Irish studio include 1988's The Land Before Time , 1989's All Dogs Go to Heaven (co-produced with UK-based Goldcrest Films) and 1991's Rock-a-Doodle . Many of these films competed favourably with productions by Walt Disney Pictures at the time. However, following a number of box-office flops in the early to mid-1990s, including 1994's Thumbelina and A Troll in Central Park and 1995's The Pebble and the Penguin , the studio soon declared bankruptcy and was closed in 1995.
Today, Ireland has a number of animation studios that produce television and commercial animation, as well as feature films and co-productions. Cartoon Saloon, founded in 1999 by Paul Young and Tomm Moore, is among the most prolific. It has produced the award-winning TV series Skunk Fu! as well as a feature film, 2009's The Secret of Kells , animated primarily with Traditional paper and pencil hand drawn animation and detailing a fictitious account of the creation of the Book of Kells. The film was nominated at the 82nd Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature. Since then, Cartoon Saloon had released a slate of critically acclaimed animated films such as Song of the Sea , released in 2014., [18] The Breadwinner released in 2017 [19] and Wolfwalkers in 2020. [20]
The Film Act of 1980 set the foundation for an expanding Irish-based film industry. It provided, among other things, very advantageous tax advantages for film productions and resident foreign creative individuals. A number of world-renowned writers, including Len Deighton, Frederick Forsyth, and Richard Condon took advantage of the allowances, residing in Ireland for a number of years. The Film Act was the result of an initial collaboration between the Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, and Lynn Garrison, an aerial film director who shared a semi-detached house with Lynch. The Film Act became the basis for other national film acts throughout Europe and America.
Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) is the national development agency for the Irish film industry investing in talent, creativity and enterprise. The agency supports and promotes the Irish film industry and the use of Ireland as a location for international production. [21]
The Irish Film Board was set up in 1981 to boost the local industry, and one of its earliest supported projects was The Outcasts in 1982. [22] After the infamous closure of the Irish Film Board in 1987, Irish stories and filmmakers continued to break through with considerable international success My Left Foot (Jim Sheridan), The Crying Game (Neil Jordan), The Commitments (Alan Parker) all made with non-Irish finance. The success of these projects coupled with intensive local lobbying led to the re-establishment of the Irish Film Board in 1993.
Many film critics[ who? ] point to the fact that the Irish Film Board's output has been poor, as most films which are chosen for funding do little or no business outside of the country, and are rarely popular in Ireland. However, IFB funded films like Intermission, I Went Down, Man About Dog, The Wind That Shakes The Barley, and Adam & Paul proved popular with domestic audiences and had "respectable" box office performance in Irish cinemas. [23] Both the Oscar-winning film Once and the Palme d'Or winner The Wind That Shakes the Barley experienced international success in the early 21st century. Once, which was made on a shoestring budget, took over $10 million at the US box office and over $20 million in worldwide ticket sales, while The Wind That Shakes the Barley was distributed theatrically in 40 territories worldwide. [24]
Over the last four years,[ when? ] Irish films have screened and won awards at several international film festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Berlin, Toronto, Venice, London, Tribeca, Edinburgh and Pusan. [24]
The Wind That Shakes The Barley won the prestigious Palme d'Or award for Best Film at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006, while Garage, directed by Lenny Abrahamson, picked up the CICEA Award at the Directors Fortnight at the festival in 2007. After winning the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007, Once went on to win the Best Foreign Film prize at the Independent Spirit Awards in 2008 and an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The Irish short film Six Shooter won the Academy Award for Best Short Film in 2006 while the short film New Boy was nominated for the same award in 2009. [24]
In 2009 a record seven IFB funded films (Ondine, Perrier’s Bounty, Triage, A Shine of Rainbows, Eamon, Cracks, and Colony) were selected for the Toronto International Film Festival. [25]
The director Tony Keily criticised the board's insistence on funding "uncommercial commercial cinema". [26] Paul Melia also criticised the IFB over its slowness in awarding funding. [27]
In 2005 a Jameson Whiskey-sponsored poll selected the top 10 Irish films. They included: [28]
In 2020, The Irish Times ranked 50 Irish films. The top 10 included: [29]
In 2023, the Irish Independent published a list of the top 30 Irish films, as voted by 30 film-makers and critics. The top 10 included: [30]
The Irish Film and Television Awards have been awarded since 1999, and in their current form since 2003. The Best Irish Film award winners have been:
This list has no precise inclusion criteria as described in the Manual of Style for standalone lists.(October 2024) |
Year | Name | Director | Budget | Box office | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | An Cailín Ciúin | Colm Bairéad | €1.2 million | $6.785 million (worldwide) | [34] |
2024 | Kneecap | Rich Peppiatt | $4.1 million | [35] | |
2021 | Arracht | Tomás Ó Súilleabháin | €1.2 million | €164,000 | [36] |
2022 | Róise & Frank | Rachael Moriarty and Peter Murphy | $80,196 | ||
Doineann | Damian McCann | £435,000 | $12,175 | ||
2023 | Tarrac | Declan Recks | €1.2 million | $10,151 | [37] |
2022 | Foscadh | Seán Breathnach | $9,643 | [38] [39] | |
2019 | Finky | Dathaí Keane | [ citation needed ] |
Cillian Murphy is an Irish actor. His works encompass both stage and screen, and his accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Donald Virgil Bluth is an American filmmaker, animator, video game designer and author. He is best known for directing the animated films The Secret of NIMH, An American Tail, The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Anastasia and Titan A.E., for his involvement in the LaserDisc games Dragon's Lair and Space Ace, and for competing with former employer Walt Disney Productions during the years leading up to the films that became the Disney Renaissance.
Intermission is a 2003 Irish black comedy crime film directed by John Crowley and written by Mark O'Rowe. The film, set in Dublin, Ireland, contains many interconnected storylines, and is shot in a documentary-like style, with some sections presented as excerpts from television programs that exist within the show.
The UK Film Council (UKFC) was a non-departmental public body set up in 2000 to develop and promote the film industry in the UK. It was constituted as a private company limited by guarantee, owned by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and governed by a board of 15 directors. It was funded from various sources including The National Lottery. John Woodward was the Chief Executive Officer of the UKFC.
Ciarán Hinds is an Irish actor from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Hinds is known for a range of screen and stage roles. He has starred in feature films including The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), Persuasion (1995), Oscar and Lucinda (1997), Road to Perdition (2002), The Sum of All Fears (2002), Munich (2005), Amazing Grace (2007), There Will Be Blood (2007), Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Silence (2016), First Man (2018) and Belfast (2021), the last of which earned him Oscar and BAFTA nominations for Best Supporting Actor.
Thumbelina is a 1994 independent animated musical fantasy film directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, based on the story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. The film stars the voices of Jodi Benson, Gary Imhoff and John Hurt, with supporting roles from Gino Conforti, Charo, Gilbert Gottfried, Carol Channing and Joe Lynch.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley is a 2006 Irish war drama film directed by Ken Loach, set during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921) and the Irish Civil War (1922–1923). Written by long-time Loach collaborator Paul Laverty, the film tells the fictional story of two County Cork brothers, Damien and Teddy O'Donovan, who join the Irish Republican Army to fight for Irish independence from the United Kingdom, only for the two brothers to then find themselves on opposite sides during the subsequent Irish Civil War.
Pádraic Delaney is an Irish actor known for playing Teddy O'Donovan in the Ken Loach film The Wind That Shakes the Barley, for which he earned an IFTA nomination as well as being named Irish Shooting Star for the 2007 Berlin Film Festival. In addition, he is known for his role as English aristocrat Lord George Boleyn, brother-in-law of King Henry VIII of England in Showtime's The Tudors.
Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, formerly known as Bord Scannán na hÉireann or the Irish Film Board, is Ireland's state development agency for the Irish film, television and animation industry. It provides funding for the development, production and distribution of feature films, feature documentaries, short films, TV animation series and TV drama series.
The 9th British Independent Film Awards, held in November 2006 at the Hammersmith Palais, London, honoured the best British independent films of 2006.
Barry Ackroyd is an English cinematographer and director. Ackroyd has frequently worked with directors Ken Loach and Paul Greengrass. He worked on Kathryn Bigelow's 2008 war film The Hurt Locker, and with Greengrass on the critically acclaimed 2013 biographical thriller Captain Phillips, the former earning him a BAFTA Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. In 2014, Ackroyd became the president of the British Society of Cinematographers.
Seacht is a college drama series following the lives of seven college students at the Arts Department of Queen's University in Belfast.
Cartoon Saloon is an Irish animation film, short film and television studio based in Kilkenny which provides film TV and short film services. The studio is best known for its animated feature films The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner and Wolfwalkers. Their works have received five Academy Award nominations, their first four feature length works all received nominations for Best Animated Feature and one for Best Animated Short Film. The company also developed the cartoon series Skunk Fu!, Puffin Rock, Dorg Van Dango and Vikingskool. As of 2020, the studio employs 300 animators.
The Guard is a 2011 buddy cop comedy film written and directed by John Michael McDonagh, starring Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong and Liam Cunningham.
Thomas "Tomm" Moore is an Irish filmmaker, animator, illustrator and comics artist. He co-founded Cartoon Saloon with Nora Twomey and Paul Young, an animation studio and production company based in Kilkenny, Ireland. His first three feature films, The Secret of Kells (2009), co-directed with Nora Twomey, Song of the Sea (2014) and Wolfwalkers (2020), co-directed with Ross Stewart, have received critical acclaim and were all nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
The Dublin Film Critics' Circle is an Irish film critic association. From 2006, every year, members of the association give out their annual awards.
Eimer Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh is an Irish costume designer. Much of her career has been in Irish and British-Irish productions, such as Michael Collins (1996), The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), Brideshead Revisited (2008), Ondine (2009), The Guard (2011), Calvary (2014), The Rhythm Section (2020), Foundation (2021), and The Banshees of Inisherin (2022). She has been nominated eleven times for Best Costume Design from the Irish Film & Television Academy, winning for The Rhythm Section. Other nominations include Emmy, Critics Choice, and Satellite Awards. Eimer was elected to AMPAS in 2020.
Rebecca O'Brien is a BAFTA-winning film producer, known especially for her work with Ken Loach. O'Brien was born in London, England.
Wolfwalkers is a 2020 independent animated fantasy adventure film directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, and is the third and final installment in Moore's "Irish Folklore Trilogy", following his previous films The Secret of Kells (2009) and Song of the Sea (2014). An international co-production led by Cartoon Saloon and Mélusine Productions, the film premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival on 12 September and was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on 26 October, in the United States and Canada on 13 November, and in Ireland on 2 December. It was released digitally on Apple TV+ on 11 December 2020, to critical acclaim.
The Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor was an award bestowed by the Irish Film & Television Academy celebrating outstanding performances by actors in supporting roles in films and television dramas. It was a joint category until 2005, where actors were nominated from films and television dramas for the same award. The 3rd Irish Film & Television Awards introduced the current separate categories: Irish Film & Television Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Film and Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Television.