Now in its twelfth year, Irish Film London (IFL) has restructured itself, and rebranded to Irish Film & TV UK (IFTUK).
IFTUK plans to increase its engagement with the Irish diaspora and encompass every nation and region of the UK, not just in London. From an organisational perspective, it will remain as Irish Film London but will trade under the banner of Irish Film & TV UK (IFTUK).
The Board of IFTUK is currently working on its long-term strategy, putting together its plans for the next five years. IFTUK’s emphasis remains on promoting Irish Film, TV, Animation, Culture and Education in the UK.
IFTUK’s 2023 Annual Irish Film Festival & Awards Ceremony will take place in London from November 15th to 19th. The Board is in the process of creating a Selection Committee & Jury for its November 2023 Festival. In addition to the Festival Screenings and Workshops, IFTUK plans to showcase work in progress and new talent coming from Ireland and Irish filmmakers around the world.
The Organisation plans to expand its St Brigid’s & St. Patrick’s Festivals in 2024. An addition to the IFTUK calendar are plans for LGBTQ+ events during the 2024 Pride month. The Board is also planning to collaborate with other organisations to help IFTUK better focus on supporting other issues, such as physical & mental health and social issues, particularly within the Irish Community.
IFTUK will be relaunching and re-branding its website in the coming weeks, with the addition of the IFTUK App to keep the world up to date on IFTUK’s activities.
The Chair of IFTUK is Carey Fitzgerald and recently the Board has been developed to include people who possess a range of skills that are relevant, diverse and industry-focused. The current board is as follows:
• JoJo Dye, an events and film festival expert whose experience extends to running events at the Cannes, Berlin, and Abu Dhabi Film Festivals to mention a few.
• Martin Myers, a film distribution, exhibition, and festival expert with a UK wide reach.
• Paddy Oglivy, whose expertise lies within information technology and governance bringing better operational structure to IFTUK.
• David Clark, an experienced film royalty accountant who brings financial expertise.
• Michael Martin, Vice Chair and Treasurer, is an accountant experienced in the not-for-profit sector, who joined IFL in 2020.
IFTUK have also announced the appointment of Steven Greenfields who will lead on Development, Legal & Business Affairs. Steven was Head of Legal and Business Affairs at Scala Productions, working on numerous productions, including the Oscar-winning Crying Game and Oscar-nominated Little Voice. He set up his own multi-award winning international law firm in 2009, SZ Greenfields.
“This is an exciting time of IFTUK with the re-brand and plans for the future,” said Carey Fitzgerald. “We are delighted to welcome Steven to the Board. Steven’s expertise complements the skills of the rest of the Board, ensuring we are a well-rounded and strong Board”.
“IFTUK’s Board Members possess an excellent set of skills that will bring IFTUK forward in a professional and well-structured manner,” added Vice Chair & Treasurer Michael Martin. “Steven’s expertise will significantly contribute to IFTUK’s future ensuring the organisation is built on strong governance and financial security”.
IFTUK aims to raise the profile of Irish Film, TV, Animation and Culture across the whole of the UK. It will provide Directors, Producers, Actors, Screenwriters and filmmakers in general with a wide-reaching platform and networking opportunities.
