Screen Ireland its 2024 slate, with over 40 Film, TV Drama, Documentary and Animation Projects. Highlights this year include Small Things Like These starring Cillian Murphy, TV thriller The Boy That Never Was, and Bring Them Down, starring Barry Keoghan.
Last night in Trinity College Dublin, Screen Ireland launched its slate of more than 40 productions coming to audiences and international markets this year. Showcased in the Production Slate funded by Screen Ireland are: 20 feature films, 8 TV dramas, 7 animated series, 10 documentaries, 3 RTÉ Storyland projects and 31 short films.
Highlights from the upcoming slate of film, television, animation and documentary include the feature film adaptation of Claire Keegan’s award-winning novel, Small Things Like These, written by Enda Walsh and directed by Tim Mielants. Starring Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer), who was also one of the producers of the film, and Eileen Walsh (The Golden West), the film was announced as the first Irish feature film selected as the Opening Film for the Berlinale, and will receive its World Premiere there on Thursday, 15th February.
“I’m delighted for Small Things Like These to be part of the Screen Ireland Slate for 2024,” said Cillian Murphy, lead actor and producer of Small Things Like These. “Working on this film with director Tim Mielants and screenwriter Enda Walsh – as well as the film’s outstanding cast and crew in Wexford, Wicklow and Dublin – was an incredible experience. It’s a wonderful time for Irish filmmaking, and I’m proud to be part of putting Irish stories on the screen that tell us about ourselves: our past and present.”
Other film highlights include Bring Them Down, a crime thriller starring Barry Keoghan (Saltburn), the Irish language film Kneecap (which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last Thursday), European co-production The End from acclaimed director Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing), and Darren Thornton’s Irish drama Four Mothers, starring Fionnuala Flanagan (The Others).
Barry Keoghan, star of upcoming Irish film Bring Them Down, said:
“I can’t wait for audiences to see Bring Them Down very soon, and delighted that the film is part of the Screen Ireland slate. It’s an amazing time to be telling Irish stories. Being able to shoot at home with an Irish crew - who are some of the best in the world - is always incredibly special to me. I’m so proud to see how many new filmmakers and actors are coming out of Ireland, ready to take on the world.”
Irish TV drama promises eight brand new Screen Ireland-supported series this year working with RTÉ Virgin Media, TG4 and a range of international broadcasters. These include The Boy That Never Was, a thriller directed by Hannah Quinn, adapted from Karen Perry’s novel by crime author and screenwriter Jo Spain coming soon to RTÉ, The Hardacres, a period drama with Channel 5, and the return of a new season of comedy/drama The Dry for RTÉ and ITV.
Animated projects on the 2024 Slate include Maddie + Triggs, Doodle Girl, and interactive multi-platform project Where The Wild Geese Go. Irish documentary also promises a range of stories, from the tongue-in-cheek Housewife of the Year to Charlie Bird’s true crime investigation Ransom ’79.
New voices and first-time filmmakers are well-represented Screen Ireland’s 2024 Production Slate, with several directorial debuts across feature films including Claire Byrne’s Ready or Not, Brian Durnin’s Spilt Milk, Brendan Canty’s Christy, and Eva Birthistle’s Kathleen Is Here. In 2023, 38% of Screen Ireland’s projects were led by new and emerging filmmakers.
The national film agency also released its production figures for 2023. Last year, Screen Ireland-supported projects garnered 124 awards and 178 nominations in total.
“Last year was an outstanding year for the Irish film industry and today we are delighted to launch Screen Ireland’s 2024 Slate of Productions,” said Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland at the launch. “With over 40 projects across feature film, documentary, animation and TV drama in our line-up, we are incredibly proud to have supported such a diverse range of Irish storytelling.”
She continued: “Screen Ireland has long championed a dual approach to industry growth, significantly increasing investment in local domestic production while also attracting large-scale international projects into the country. Both are essential to a thriving screen industry.”
“We are very proud that local production remained strong amidst global industry uncertainty last year. We look forward to bringing these new Irish stories, our language and our culture to audiences worldwide in 2024. It is a testament to the strength of Irish filmmaking and the skill and passion of all those working across the screen industry.”
Screen Ireland figures show that, in 2023, there was a total screen industry production spend in the Irish economy across local goods and services of €322 million. Productions took place all across the country last year, with 41% of Screen Ireland-supported projects shooting partially or fully in counties outside established production hubs of Dublin and Wicklow in 2023.
Susan Bergin, Chair of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland said:
“On behalf of the Board and staff of Screen Ireland, we’re delighted to launch our 2024 Production Slate, as well as a look back at what a phenomenal achievement 2023 was in terms of the Irish industry’s global reputation and acclaim. Our priorities remain to support skills development nationwide, the nurturing of new talent and voices, and funding Irish screen stories across film, television and animation.”
For 2024, Screen Ireland’s priority is to continue the final delivery of the agency’s 3 year strategic plan, Building For A Creative Future 2024.
Screen Ireland has identified the fast-growing visual effects (VFX) and post-production sector in Ireland as an area for growth and will establish a new National Talent Academy for VFX, developing and addressing skills needs and adding to the existing National Talent Academy network.
Over the past 15 years, Irish post-production and VFX has become a leading hub for large scale international productions, underpinned by a highly-skilled local creative talent pool. Nominated for BAFTAs, Emmys and Visual Effects Society Awards, Irish VFX work is globally recognised, competing at the highest levels internationally. This recent work includes a host of some of the biggest films and television series in the world, from Marvel Studios’ Wanda Vision and Spiderman – No Way Home to Netflix’s The Irishman to HBO’s Game of Thrones.
