Ireland’s Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan and his Luxembourg counterpart Minister for communications and Media François Biltgen signed the first Irish Luxembourg Co-production Treaty this weekend. The Treaty aims to increase productions between the two countries and to encourage both countries to share resources, government incentives and local markets.
Commenting on the treaty, Minister Deenihan said “Co-production is of vital importance to the financing of the majority of Irish films and television production in Ireland as well to the overall growth of the industry. For a country the size of Ireland there is no better way in which to raise international investment for projects of scale and it is fundamental to the way the industry is structured. Ireland is a small territory and it is impossible to finance in this market alone. Luxembourg has proved to be a very supportive partner to Ireland and we look forward to working together on many Irish and Luxembourg films.”
Minister Deenihan read a letter of congratulations from Ireland's Cultural Ambassador Gabriel Byrne.
Recent Irish Luxembourg co-productions include Ian Power’s IFTA winning film ‘The Runway’ which was released in Irish cinemas last month. Brendan Gleeson, who attended the signing of the treaty at an event during the Galway Film Fleadh, is currently developing his directorial debut feature film ‘At Swim Two Birds’ which will be co-produced by Parallel films and Luxembourg producer Jani Thiltes. Other Irish /Luxembourg productions include a new project from ‘Savage’ director Brendan Muldowney entitled ‘Love Eternal’, which is set to go into production this August.
Luxembourg’s Minister François Biltgen commented on the filmmaking relationship between the two countries saying “Sixteen years of bilateral collaboration and friendship have been the runway for signing this Treaty which will hopefully bring long-lasting partnership between our two countries.”
Attending the event at the Fleadh was Guy Daleiden of Film Fund Luxembourg, Miriam Allen director of the Fleadh, James Hickey CEO of Irish Film Board, James Morris Chair of Irish Film Board, Brendan Gleeson, Teri Hayden, David Collins, Tom Collins, Tomm Moore, Brendan McCarthy, Johnny Gogan and MEDIA Antenna's Eibhlin Ni Mhunghaile amongst others.
