Following a review of the Irish Film Board's investment in short film, they have announced three new short film schemes designed to create opportunities for emerging filmmaking talent.
These new schemes are Focus Shorts, Real Stories and Short Stories.
The IFB state that they also aim to achieve 50/50 gender equality in the roles of writer, director and producer, across all of these short film strands.
Commenting on the launch of the new schemes James Hickey, Chief Executive of the IFB said: “Ireland has an incredible reputation for short filmmaking having won two Academy Awards and nine Academy Award nominations for short films in recent years. We are highly ambitious for our new schemes. We will strive to ensure they provide an excellent opportunity for emerging filmmakers to challenge themselves creatively and to contribute to developing their careers further. We also want to achieve gender parity across these short film schemes and hope to receive high numbers of applications from female writers, directors and producers."
Focus Shorts is a new scheme for the making of live-action fiction films that act as a proving-ground for Irish creative talents aspiring to write, direct and produce films for the cinema. This scheme will aim to encourage strong, original storytelling, visual flair, and production values appropriate to the big screen. The scheme also offers an opportunity for producers, directors and writers to work in a professional environment that will bring their experience up to a higher level. Focus Shorts can be up to 10 minutes in length and have a budget of up to €50k.
Real Shorts is a new short documentary film scheme which will enable creative documentaries with high cinematic production values capable of reaching an international audience through theatrical and festival exposure. The filmmakers are encouraged to produce work with strong personal voices, presenting material which utilises the emotional and aesthetic technique of cinema. Real Shorts can be up to 10 minutes in length and have a budget of up to €20k.
Short Stories is the final new scheme announced today which invites application across live action and animation projects. Filmmakers are encouraged to use their imagination and deliver succinct, creative and entertaining films. For the first of this series, applicants are invited to present projects on the theme of TRIBES. The brief is wide and all encompassing; from ethnic groups to football fans, families to political parties, enthusiasts to pessimists; Short Stories can be from three to five minutes in length and have a budget of €15k.
The animation short film scheme Frameworks will remain unchanged despite the Short Stories scheme.
Irish language applications will be welcomed across the schemes. The IFB will back the promotion of the short films produced under these schemes across international festivals and beyond.
The Short Stories Application Deadline is July 15th while the Focus Shorts and Real Shorts Application Deadline are August 5th.
IFTN Directory: The Irish Film Board
IFTN Who's Who: James Hickey - CEO of The Irish Film Board
Applications open shortly on www.irishfilmboard.ie
