Red Pepper Productions - the Dublin based independent TV company behind the
RTÉ series 'Only Fools Buy Horses' - has been awarded €90,000 by the
European MEDIA PLUS Fund for the development of creative documentary films.
Two of the projects feature the world’s most famous sporting and political icons, both of whom are in Dublin this weekend for the Special Olympics. 'God Bless Ya, Muhammad!' is a documentary based on Muhammad Ali’s 1972 fight in Croke Park when he enthralled the crowd as he overcame fellow US boxer Al “Blue” Lewis. It is based on the book The Big Fight written by Cork born author Dave Hannigan last year.
Red Pepper Productions has already shot some material in Cape Town for Building the Future, a film based around the radical building initiative set up by Irish property developer Niall Mellon. Building the Future will concentrate on an extraordinary few weeks next October when 200 Irish builders - sponsored by friends and family - will travel to South Africa to build houses for the residents of one of Cape Town’s townships. Nelson Mandela is fully behind the Irish millionaire’s vision of a better future for the residents of the township, Imizamo Yethu.
“The development award from Brussels is a fantastic boost for such a young company,” said Máire Kearney, MD of Red Pepper Productions. “To receive such a vote of confidence from the EU bodes very well for our future but of course we will have to fund the production of the projects from broadcasters and other sources.”
The EU MEDIA PLUS Programme provides European independent production companies with financial support for the development of new projects. This scheme is aimed at companies with a proven track record in developing and producing projects with potential to sell in the international market. Among other projects on the slate are documentary films about songwriter and artist, Percy French - and the rebel countess Constance Markievicz.
Red Pepper recently produced the successful six part series Only Fools Buy Horses for RTÉ One. Presented by the incorrigible Hector O hEochagáin the show was a huge hit averaging audiences of around 275 000 viewers. Before the success of Only Fools Buy Horses, their documentary Island Life, again for RTE – broadcast last September - attracted over 320,000 viewers.
For Further Information – Máire Kearney info@redpepper.ie
