The Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, John O'Donoghue TD, officially opened the Irish Pavilion at Cannes on Friday (17 May). His comments received a very warm reaction from Irish producers and financiers.
"My message to you here today is that film production is and will remain important to Ireland, that we value the benefits that international production in Ireland brings with it, and we will be looking very carefully over the coming months at the entire context.
"This will involve a complete review of the existing incentive structures, of where they position us strategically and competitively, and where we need to position ourselves after 2004 to ensure that we remain attractive as a filming location. In all of this we will, of course, be working closely with the Irish Film Board."
Full Speech:
Minister 'Complete Review of Existing Structures'
Speech by John O'Donoghue TD
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
at the Opening of the Irish Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival
Friday 16th May, 2003 at 5:00 pm CET
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am delighted to be here this evening to open the Irish Pavilion.
Visiting the Cannes Film Festival for the first time as Minister for Arts has reaffirmed my understanding of the film business. The world of film, from filmmakers to financiers, congregate here annually and it is clearly a big business.
It is, however, much more than that. It is also an art form, which enables filmmakers and writers to tell their unique stories. It is a powerful medium of communication that can examine a nation's view of itself and perhaps even offer humorous alternatives to our viewpoint. Film can also provide a valuable window into other cultures, allowing us to understand and empathise with others in quite a unique way.
In Ireland, we believe in getting the right balance between encouraging the art of film and in attracting major film companies to Ireland. We have a highly skilled and experienced workforce in film and very attractive film locations. Irish films reflect our own culture, our outlook, and our lives in a very special way. But international productions also bring economic benefits, they allow our practitioners to work with, and learn from, the very best in the world, and they showcase Ireland to very large numbers of people all around the world.
The status and calibre of Irish Film continues to be recognised in a variety of prestigious international festivals and markets. I am, of course, aware of the record of "Bloody Sunday" and the "Magdalene Sisters," both of which have achieved critical acclaim as well as commercial success. And we are still attracting major international productions, such as "King Arthur," which will shortly begin filming all over Ireland.
Even this afternoon, as I speak to you, the Irish Film, "The Actors", directed by Conor McPherson, is being screened in Irish cinemas.
Concern has, of course, been expressed about the future of our section 481 tax relief scheme for investment in film production. The relief is scheduled to discontinue from the end of 2004, and we are looking forward to where we go from that point.
My message to you here today is that film production is and will remain important to Ireland, that we value the benefits that international production in Ireland brings with it, and we will be looking very carefully over the coming months at the entire context. This will involve a complete review of the existing incentive structures, of where they position us strategically and competitively, and where we need to position ourselves after 2004 to ensure that we remain attractive as a filming location. In all of this we will, of course, be working closely with the Irish Film Board.
As recently as yesterday afternoon here in Cannes, we took a step towards improving the context for film making in Ireland. My German counterpart, Madame Christina Weiss, and I have agreed in principle to conclude a co-production agreement between our two countries shortly.
The Irish Film Board will continue to play a central role in supporting and developing the indigenous Irish film industry and providing an excellent filming location to producers from abroad. I am very pleased with the Board's Low Budget and Micro Budget initiatives and I'm happy to note that Ireland's first Hi-Def feature film "Dead Bodies", directed by Robert Quinn, is still screening in Irish cinemas. I also understand that "Goldfish Memory" is being shown as Market Screenings this weekend.
Finally, It now gives me great pleasure to declare this pavilion open.
ENDS.
