News & Events Directors - Screen Directors Guild of Ireland

SDGI Newsletter • December 2023

In our ongoing commitment to champion the rights of our directors, I’m happy to share a brief yet impactful update on our strides in navigating copyright issues. SDGI has been engaged in crucial talks with departments and politicians to address copyright challenges head-on. Our recent momentum in a political campaign advocating for directors’ rights has…

Directors in Dialogue

SDGI Members Paul Webster and Mark Smyth’s new monthly Directors in Dialogue meet-up took place on 22nd November, offering a space for SDGI members to connect and share experiences. Mark and Paul would like to say a huge thanks to everyone who came and showed interest in the Directors in Dialogue event in Windmill Lane…

Kin • Ciaran Donnelly

The television series Kin, co-created by SDGI Board Member Ciaran Donnelly with Peter McKenna, begins screening on BBC from Saturday, 18th November 2023. Kin tells the story of a fictional Dublin family embroiled in gangland war and speaks to the enduring unbreakable bonds of blood and family. Episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer shortly…

Directors in Dialogue

SDGI Members Paul Webster and Mark Smyth invite you to a new monthly meet-up kicking off this November 22nd: “Mark and Paul here, your fellow members. We hope this message finds you well and brimming with creative energy.We know as a director that our job can be so rewarding but it can also be really…

Northern Lights • Ruth Meehan & Tom Hall

SDGI Board Member Ruth Meehan & SDGI Member Tom Hall are directors on episodes of the new Dublin-based drama Northern Lights, which premiered on TG4 on Tuesday, 14th November 2023. Northern Lights tells the story of two grieving strangers whose worlds collide on a rainy night in Dublin. Revelations, confessions, secrets, and lies envelop this…

Maurice Sweeney • The Crime I Can’t Forget

SDGI Chairman Maurice Sweeney is series director on BBC’s new true crime series The Crime I Can’t Forget, which begins on Wednesday, 15th November 2023 at 22:40. The series features top detectives who recall the stand-out case that shaped their career. With access to crime scene evidence, compelling archival footage, interviews with victims’ families and…

Joint Statement on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA)

On 8th November 2023, FERA together with 18 more organisations released a joint statement on the EMFA, calling for the need for a strong and independent public service media for quality journalism and the creative ecosystem. “ Honorable members of the inter-institutional negotiating teams on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), We, the undersigned organisations…

Trinity College Dublin Presents The Future of Film: Cinematic Arts in the Age of AI

A Global Round Table on Friday Nov. 10th, 5-7 p.m. in the Robert Emmet Theatre, Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin MODERATED BY: Dr. Justin MacGregor Keynotes concerning AI’s Impact on Arts, Conscientious Storytelling, Freedom of Speech vs. Clickbait Hate, The Eradication of Due Process, and more… PANELISTS: ∙ JONATHAN FOSTER: Microsoft’s…

SDGI Newsletter • November 2023

We are delighted to share our latest newsletter which was sent out to members last week – with industry opportunities, upcoming deadlines, news & events https://tinyurl.com/3sw4t2bk

Cork International Film Festival Industry Day: Doc Day Live

Cork International Film Festival continues to develop its focus on high-quality Irish and international documentary cinema with Doc Day, connecting emerging and established non-fiction filmmakers with industry professionals and the wider documentary sector, with the objective of helping to inform, inspire and develop opportunities within the global documentary landscape. Book here SESSIONS INCLUDE: 1.…

Culture Crush

Culture Crush is a major, collaborative event for professionals working in the creative sectors, including Film, TV, Animation, Games, Music, Immersive Technologies, Visual and Performing Arts, and others. Theme for 2023: The Intersection of Creativity & Technology. Join Culture Crush this November 16th for panel discussions, fireside chats, lightning talks and special live performances. If you’re…

Arts Council Film Project Award

There are two strands to this award and each has a specific purpose. Strand 1: Research and Development The purpose of this strand is to offer applicants an opportunity to research and develop ideas that could be developed into proposals for Strand 2 Production projects (i.e. they should be ideas for creatively ambitious and artistically…

Only 26% of Directors of European Feature Films are Women

A new reoprt from the European Audiovisual Observatory has revealed that Women are still largely underrepresented in the workforce. Women are still largely underrepresented in the workforce. Only 26% of directors of European feature films are female. Among behind-the-camera roles, the highest female presence was registered among producers (35%) and screenwriters (29%). The gender gap…

Irish Books for Screen 2023

Irish Books for Screen 2023 – Members Only Event Dublin Castle, Friday 10th November 4pm – 6pm As the demand for motion picture and television content increases, studios and film producers are turning more to book publishers and authors for content. This year, the Irish Books for Screen 2023 event will take place in person…

Paul Webster • 100 Years of Housing-Crisis Without End

Paul Webster’s new feature film about the history of housing airs on TG4 on Wednesday, 25th October at 9:30pm. 100 Bliain de Thithíocht- Géarchéim gan Deireadh (100 Years of Housing-Crisis Without End) will examine Ireland’s difficulties with housing over the past century. Written and directed by Paul Webster, this feature documentary is a decade-by-decade look…

Watch: Grierson DocLab In Focus: Unscripted Editing Discovery Webinar

Grierson DocLab In Focus: Unscripted Editing, run in partnership with Netflix, aims to equip UK-based people working in editing with the skills, experience and networks to step into editing roles on large scale unscripted shows. Hear from Director of Training Programmes for The Grierson Trust, Yen Yau, plus lead trainer, Claire Ferguson, and Post Production…

Martin Scorsese interviewed by Edgar Wright | BFI London Film Festival 2023 Screen Talk

At this year’s BFI London Film Festival 2023 Screen Talk, the legendary director behind classics such as Goodfellas, Raging Bull, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver and The Wolf of Wall Street talks to fellow filmmaker Edgar Wright about his career.

Competency Framework for the Animation Industry

Animation Ireland and Screen Ireland have today published a new Competency Framework for the Animation Industry. Developed in consultation with the Irish animation industry, these documents will serve as an invaluable learning resource for the sector View the Competency Framework for the Animation Industry The Competency Framework will assist the sector by: Identifying strengths and…

SDGI Welcomes Budget 2024 Increase of Section 481’s Eligible Expenditure Cap to €125 Million

As part of Budget 2024 announced on 1oth October 2023, Minister for Finance Michael McGrath (TD) announced an increase in the current project cap on qualifying expenditure in the Section 481 Film Tax Credit from €70 million to €125 million, subject to State aid approval. SDGI welcomes this positive endorsement of the great work in…

SDGI Newsletter • October 2023

SDGI members and friends should have received our latest newsletter. This month’s edition announces the launch of our new calendar on our homepage which we hope will act as an assistant for Irish directors. We are working hard to populate it with important dates for your diaries, including submission deadlines, training, funding, residency opportunities, and…

SDGI Expresses its Support for Polish Director Agnieszka Holland

Agnieszka Holland (photo by Jacek Poremba) SDGI stand with the Federation of European Screen Directors (FERA) to support Agnieszka Holland following the Polish minister of justice’s criticism of her depiction of the treatment of refugees in her Venice competition film The Green Border. European Filmmakers in support of Agnieszka Holland Download the PDF…

Option that Book! Books to Screen Event for Directors 10th November

SDGI has partnered with Publishing Ireland again to create a presentation of Irish books with available screen rights exclusive to SDGI directors. Books are everywhere. As a director you have examined many books for optioning for film and episodics but how can you filter through the mountains of new books published each year to find the best…

AnimationXchange Galway

On Tue, 3 Oct 2023 19:00 – 21:30 at Portershed in Galway City, South African directors Dan Clarke and Nadia Darries give a screening and talk on their acclaimed short film “Aau’s Song”, which appears on the Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 short animated film anthology. The event will launch AnimationXchange Galway, a new monthly…

BBC, Channel 4 & National Film and Television School Freelancer Focus

The BBC and Channel 4 have partnered with the National Film and Television School to deliver two weeks of free online sessions aimed at freelancers working in the UK. The schedule – 2-13 Oct.- includes masterclasses, workshops, advice and wellbeing sessions for those working in both scripted and unscripted production. Delivered as webinars, they will offer practical knowledge, skills and support…

Special SDGI Member Rate for IFTA Event: In Conversation with Deepak Chopra

The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) is offering SDGI members a special rate for this week’s In Conversation with Deepak Chopra, which is taking place as part of the ‘IFTA Creative Minds & Wellbeing Day’ for the screen industry and community, on Thursday, September 21st at the O’Reilly Theatre in Dublin. The conversation will…

Documentary: A European Perspective – Pitch a Project

MEDIA Office Galway and Coimisiún na Meán will host a one-day Documentary: A European Perspective event in Galway on Tuesday 2nd November. Participating Broadcasters confirmed to date include BBC Storyville, YLE, SVT, RTE, TG4 and Netflix. More to be confirmed. PITCH A PROJECT If you wish to pitch a project to European Commissioning Editors please…

National Campaign for the Arts Seeking €150m for Arts Council in Budget 2024

On August 31, 2023, the National Campaign for the Arts, the volunteer-led grassroots movement making the case for the arts in Ireland, launched the NCFA Pre-Budget 2024 Submission which outlines ten key asks of Government in their preparation of Budget 2024. Maria Fleming, Chair of NCFA said: “Like many ecosystems today, the arts is one in danger…

Galway City of Film Irish Language Filmmaker’s Mentorship 2023

The Galway City of Film Irish Language Mentorship Scheme for 2023 supports both ENTRY and EMERGING talent as they work on a project and/or work to further their career and personal development as Irish language filmmakers in Ireland. This scheme is aimed at two different participant talent levels and filmmakers. Including those looking to begin their career in…

BFI Film Academy Labs | Funding the Short Film with BFI Network

If you’re aged 16–25, an aspiring filmmaker or simply curious about the process of filmmaking then sign up for an informative online event, BFI Film Academy LABS, Funding the Short Film with BFI Network, which will dive into the world of film funding – taking place on 18 September 2023 at 18:30. This event will…

70 cultural organisations co-sign Joint Letter of concern regarding the 2024 Creative Europe budget cuts

To: Charles Michel, President of the European Council Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain, President-in-exercise of the Council of the EU Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission National Ministers of Finance National Ministers of Culture Brussels, 1 September 2023 Letter of concern regarding…

Nature & Place – temporary art projects

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Arts Office is calling for applications from professional artists for projects which respond to the public forests in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County (DLR). DLR are interested in proposals which will respond to these forests and have an outcome during National Tree Week in March 2024. This opportunity is for temporary work which is…

SDGI Newsletter • September 2023

Welcome to the latest edition of SDGI’s monthly newsletter designed to keep you informed of all the deadlines and events related to your directing career. We are working on a new calendar that will act as an assistant for Irish directors which we hope to launch in the coming weeks. The Guild has been involved…

Lenny Abrahamson Interview at Kennedy Summer School

The Kennedy Summer School is hosting The Noel Whelan Interview with SDGI Board Member Lenny Abrahamson at 7pm on Friday, September 1st with Sinéad McSweeney. This session commemorates the founder of the Kennedy Summer School, Noel Whelan. Over the years, Noel conducted a number of one-to-one interviews with key figures in Irish political and cultural…

AIC Scheme Info Session

Twice yearly, the Arts Council offers Artist in the Community Scheme grants to enable artists and communities of place/or interest to work together on projects. The scheme is managed by Create, the national development agency for collaborative arts. The scheme is open to artists from any of the following artform disciplines: architecture, circus, street art…

WFT Ireland Dignity at Work Survey 2023

On 21st August, Women in Film and Television Ireland announced the launch of a comprehensive survey aimed at gaining insights into the prevalence of harmful behaviours in the Irish screen industries. The survey, conducted in collaboration with Screen Ireland, seeks to shed light on issues such as bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, humiliation, victimization, assault, and…

Short Film Fund – Kodak Film Edition

The short film fund allows emerging talent from around the world to test their ideas before embarking on a feature film. Grants of up to £7,000 / $10,000 are available towards the production costs of all scripted genres and documentary short film content. Filmmakers can compete in a special category to shoot their film on…

SDGI Newsletter • August 2023

We are thrilled that SDGI has received Screen Ireland Stakeholder Funding for Exploring Reality thanks to Martina Durac, Adrian McCarthy and Donald Taylor Back for their work in the Documentary Alliance. This funding will allow us to build on our programme and support talented directors who are creating important and engaging documentaries. Huge congratulations to…

Cost of Docs Survey

The Whickers, in partnership with Sheffield DocFest and the International Documentary Association (IDA), is conducting its sixth annual Cost of Docs survey to find the true cost of documentary making across today’s fast changing world. This survey will take approximately 20-25 minutes to complete and as a thank you they are offering the opportunity to…

23rd Belfast Film Festival

Submissions are open for the 23rd Belfast Film Festival (2 – 11 November 2023). The festival is looking for submissions for its Irish/Northern Irish short film competition, New Cinema: Irish Shorts and NI Independents feature film strand. Find out more & submit here Dates & Deadlines July 13, 2023 Opening Date August 11,…

Scripting the Documentary Webinar

Hours upon hours of footage with no sense how to move forward with editing? Join documentary filmmaker Emily Harrold for this nuts-and-bolts conversation about how to organize, prepare, and script your documentary film — from raw footage to finished film. Scripting the Documentary Webinar takes place on Jul 26, 2023 05:00 PM. Register here. This…

Galway Film Fleadh Winners Announced

The 35th edition of the Galway Film Fleadh came to an end with the annual awards ceremony, which took place on Sunday 16th of July. Congratulations to George Kane, whose film Apocalypse Clown won Best Irish Film, written by Demian Fox, George Kane, Shane O’Brien and James Walmsley. Apocalypse Clown follows a troupe of failed clowns as they embark…

The Democracy Story Lab

The Democracy Story Lab is designed to explore a core question: what are the stories which can help us understand how we might govern ourselves? The Democracy Story Lab, is inviting 10-12 media projects to to brainstorm and weave critical conversations around strategy and effectiveness of political narratives in this moment. Reflecting on storytelling of…

New Shoots: Filmmakers Awards

The New Shoots Awards is an annual award programme from Shooting People that celebrates, supports and spotlights creatives working in film. Submit your short film to the New Shoots: Filmmakers Awards and get the chance to win direct mentorship from top-class pros, over £12.5k in industry-standard audio and video kit, a cinema screening of your…

SDGI Newsletter • July 2023

We’re delighted to share our SDGI Newsletter • July 2023 edition with you. Take a look at all the latest opportunities out there for directors! Read / Download here You can subscribe below and make sure every edition hits your inbox!

SDGI Blog: Exploring Reality V

The final session of Exploring Reality IV was focused on the structure of experimental /non-traditional documentary making including visual storytelling, creative techniques, working with characters, dialogue, character development, use of music, visual effects and how to communicate your vision. The first session was led by Ken Wardrop, whose films have been screened at many prestigious festivals…

HerArts Film Lab

HerArts Film Lab is a week-long residential development workshop, set in Paestum, Italy, focused on content created by women. The workshop runs from October 29 to November 4, 2023. The workshop is addressed to female writer-directors from all over the world interested in developing their feature film and TV series projects in a friendly and…

Animation Dingle Open Submissions

Submissions are now open for Animation Dingle Festival 2024 . Animation Dingle, in partnership with JAM Media, is now in its 12th year and celebrates student creativity and excellence in Irish and International animation. Animation Dingle is NOW an Academy qualifying festival for Short Film Awards. The deadline is November 3, 2023. Full details here.

Over 50% of European TV/SVOD Fiction Directors Also Directed At Least One Theatrical Film

A new European Audiovisual Observatory report: “Writers and directors of film and TV/SVOD fiction: 2015-2021 figures ” provides an analysis of writers and directors of European theatrical films and TV/SVOD fiction produced in Europe between 2015-2021. Key findings include: Over 22 500 writers and over 15 000 directors were involved in the production of European…

Michael O’Pray Prize 2023

The Michael O’Pray Prize is an award for new writing on innovation and experimentation in the moving image. The prize is open to all early-career writers based in the UK. Entry is free. Applicants are invited to send a short pitch for a new text, alongside an example of previous writing. Three applicants will be selected to write…

SDGI Members Invitation to Exploring Reality Director Masterclasses

The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland’s documentary training programme Exploring Reality concludes for 2023 with two days of director masterclasses on the 28th and 29th of June at the Digital Hub, Thomas Street. Dublin 8 The Guild would like to invite SDGI members to the last 4 modules of the programme, which take place this…

Docs Ireland Documentary Film Festival

The Docs Ireland Documentary Film Festival is running 20th – 25th of June. Docs Ireland is an industry focussed, all Ireland international documentary festival. Celebrates documentary filmmaking and provides a platform for both national and international industries. Is a hub for cross-border collaboration, international co-productions and sales and distribution through our full day one-to-one pitching…

SDGI Blog: Exploring Reality IV

In our 4th session of or training series, director Yemi Barmiro gave us a captivating module, sharing invaluable insights on the making of his 4 part documentary series Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed The World which premiered on BBC and PBS in the United States in early 2023 to critical acclaim. Yemi delved into…

SDGI Newsletter • June 2023

You should have all received your June Newsletter and we hope you find it as inspiring as we did putting it it together. Hopefully there’s something for you inside – whether it be a festival submission, a funding opportunity, a residency or even just a fire in your belly! Enjoy and here’s to a fruitful…

SDGI Blog: Exploring Reality III

Exploring Reality is a Documentary skills series launched by the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland in 2023. The participants have thus far engaged with modules regarding the development of storytelling, camera and shooting strategies, sound recording processes, and a 2 day module on making a documentary series. In the latest sessions, the Screen Directors Guild…

Portraits Available + Annual Meeting of Directors Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who attended the Twentieth Annual Meeting of Directors with our honorary guest Shaunak Sen. Our Chairman, Maurice Sweeney, and the Board would like to thank the members and supporters of the Guild for your hard work, talent, and dedication. Your support and commitment fuel everything we do at the Guild. Kim…

The Arts Council’s Agility Award & Information Clinics

The Arts Council’s Agility Award aims to support individual professional freelance artists and arts workers at any stage in their careers. The award is for 5, 000 and the deadline to apply is Thursday 22 June 2023 The Arts Council is holding online information clinics via Teams for the Agility Award on the following dates: Wednesday…

Submissions: Boyne Valley International Film Festival

The Boyne Valley International Film Festival (BVIFF) returns this August from the 11-13 and is extending its deadline until 31 May for submissions to the festival via Film Freeway, all details on droichead.com. This year’s Festival features a Short Film Bursary, inviting screen writers to pitch a short film idea by email, no longer than…

Scoring Original Stories – Music for Documentary Masterclass

Screen Composers Guild and Screen Directors Guild present: Scoring Original Stories – Music for Documentary. Masterclass with multi award winning composers Miriam Cutler And Nainita Desai Venue: IMRO, Copyright Hse, Pembroke Row, Baggot St Lwr, Dublin 2 Date: Tuesday, May 30th Time: 1.30pm – 4.30pm To register for tickets please email info@screencomposersguild.ie (mention if you…

Wild Atlantic Pitching Competition Now Open For Entries

The Pitching Competition at the Galway Film Fleadh, now known as the Wild Atlantic Pitching Competition, has provided many screenwriters with an opportunity to get their first toehold in the industry. All that is required to enter is a 500-word written pitch (from beginning to end – no cliff-hangers!). Writers applying can be at any…

The Arts Council Agility Awards Basics with Cli Donnellan

The Agility Award aims to support individual professional freelance artists and arts workers at any stage in their careers. The Arts Council Agility Awards Basics with Cli Donnellan is a Minding Creative Minds workshop which will give an overview of the steps required to make an application, support material and some suggestions on filling out sections of the application form.…

The Director’s Village European Residence Training Program

National Talent Academies and Ardán are partnering with CineSud and Screen Talent Europe Network to invite directors-writers to apply for the Director’s Village, a 5-day on-site European residence training program limited to 8 people, designed to enhance and develop the skills of the participants and help them prepare for their next short film project. The…

Animation Conference Galway

Animation Ireland in collaboration with Creative Europe invites you to an Animation Industry Discussion Event in The Galway Bay Hotel on 27th May. Registration @ 10.30 Commencing @ 11.00am sharp – 15.00 TOPICS 1) Beyond the Screen: Maximising the potential of Animation Intellectual Property 2) The Power of Collaboration: The Art of Co-developing and Co-producing Animation. Panellists · Alix Wiseman…

Image from Exploring Reality training programme - choosing the right sound equipment

SDGI BLOG: EXPLORING REALITY II

Maria Corradini continues her Blog which gives us an insight into our Exploring Reality Documentary skills series. Exploring Reality is a comprehensive documentary training series being put on by the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland. Our talented and passionate class of directors covered the art of storytelling in Session 1 from accomplished documentarians Simon Lereng…

Read Our Guide for Working Remotely with Editors

As creative industries have incorporated more remote positions, it can be difficult navigating collaborative projects. Check out our guide for Working Remotely with Editors under our “Guides and Resources” page. Our Work

Watch: Audiovisual Authors’ Rights in Europe and Latin America

In March, the Society of Audiovisual Authors (SAA) organised an online conference titled Audiovisual Authors’ Rights in Europe and Latin America, and moderated by Janine Lorente.

Residency On Demand

Observing the lack of talent supporting schemes for experienced filmmakers, the Pop Up Film Residency decided to propose Residency On Demand. This residency programme is only open to filmmakers with an already established body of work (at least two features written and/or directed, or similar filmography), and that usually cannot benefit from new talents supporting…

CIIF Market Registration Open for New Projects

The Canary Islands International Film Market will be held this summer, from 12-16 June, and the call for audiovisual projects is open for submissions until 30th April. Participants can register projects for fiction or documentary feature films, TV movies and TV series at the development stage. They must be seeking financing with at least 20%…

Marketplace at the Galway Film Fair

The Marketplace at the Galway Film Fair takes place during the Galway Film Fleadh (festival) 11th– 16th July 2023 and co-ordinates pre-scheduled meetings between filmmakers with projects in development (and/or completed films) and invited Film Financiers, Distributors, Sales Agents, Broadcasters, Film Funds and Major Producers. A pre-selected group of producers with feature films/documentary projects will…

Shaunak Sen – Guest of Honor at the Upcoming Annual Meeting of Directors

SDGI is thrilled to have Shaunak Sen as our Guest of Honour at the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland’s 20th Annual Meeting of Directors 2023. Sen is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, video artist, and scholar. Sen’s first feature film, Cities of Sleep, depicting the geographies of homelessness and sleep in Dehli premiered in 2016. This film went on to win…

Pathways Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Fund Expands

Pathways Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Fund Expands Screen Ireland has announced that its Pathways Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Fund will expand to include a further €300,000 in 2023, and will also welcome applications from producers and production companies seeking to provide inclusive opportunities on documentary or non-scripted TV productions, in addition to film and television…

Westmeath Film Award

The Westmeath Film Award offers a local filmmaker €10,000 towards the creation of a short 10-12 minute film or documentary. This award is funded by Westmeath County Council Arts Office and the Arts Council of Ireland. The deadline for submissions is 22nd May. The Award provides crucial support to filmmakers early in their career, enabling significant…

BFI NETWORK England Short Film Funding

This short film funding programme supports projects with directors based in England and is run in partnership with the BFI NETWORK Talent Executives who work with filmmakers on the delivery of funded projects. This fund supports the production costs of standalone fiction shorts, in live action, animation and immersive/VR. The fund welcomes applications for amounts from £5,000…

In Cinemas: Barber, Directed by Fintan Connolly

Directed by Fintan Connolly & co-written with Fiona Bergin, the filmmaking team behind Fubar Films (Trouble With Sex, Flick), Barber stars award winning actor Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones, Peaky Blinders, The Wire), debut rising star Aisling Kearns, Gary Lydon (The Banshees of Inisherin, The Guard), Helen Behan (Wildfire, The Virtues, Wolf), Deirdre Donnelly (Vikings: Valhalla,…

Docs Ireland Marketplace

The Docs Ireland Marketplace is an opportunity for filmmakers to meet one-to-one with leading international documentary industry decision makers, including international funders, broadcasters, distributors and exhibitors and will take place during Docs Ireland 5 on Friday 23rd June 2023. Decision Makers for the Docs Ireland Marketplace will include: Autlook Film Sales | BBC Storyville | BBC NI | Cannes…

https://griersontrust.org/grierson-awards/how-to-enter

2023 Grierson Awards Open for Entries

Established in 1972, the Griersons are the biggest event in the UK documentary calendar. The awards recognise and celebrate documentaries from Britain and abroad that have made a significant contribution to the genre and that demonstrate quality, integrity, creativity, originality and overall excellence. Also known at the British Documentary Awards, the Grierson Awards commemorate the…

Image of an Online Conultatiom meeting on laptop

DocsBarcelona Online Artistic Consultancies for Projects in Rough-cut Stage

This year DocsBarcelona provides the opportunity to carry out online creative consultations for projects that are at rough-cut stage. The main objective is to allow the participants to show their documentary to renowned international experts, who will help them to improve the film’s final result Tue Steen Müller will be the session’s moderator and link each project…

Giornate degli Autori Call for Submissions

The 20th of Giornate degli Autori, promoted by ANAC (The National Association of Filmmakers) and by the authors of Associazione 100autori, will take place in September 2023, during the 80. Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica di Venezia. With the exception of special cases, all feature films submitted to Giornate degli Autori must fulfill the following requirements:…

In Cinemas: LOLA – Directed by Andrew Legge

Andrew Legge’s debut feature, LOLA, is in cinemas from 7th April 2023. 1941, sisters Thom and Mars have built a machine, L.O.L.A., that can intercept radio and TV broadcasts from the future. With the Second World War escalating, the sisters decide to use the machine to intercept information from the future that could help with…

SDGI Blog: Exploring Reality I

Maria Corradini gives us an angle on our Exploring Reality Documentary skills series. Exploring Reality is a documentary filmmaking programme being put on by The Documentary Film Alliance at the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland. The training series began with Structure of Documentary Story, a two-day learning event exploring how to develop story arcs,…

Virgin Media Television Call Out, BAI Sound & Vision Round 49

Building on the success of original Factual Entertainment formats such as Eating with the Enemy and Lucy Investigates, along with powerful Factual Series such as Stories from the Street, and high-end drama, such as Redemption, Virgin Media Television is looking for gripping, brave and entertaining programming with broad appeal. Proposals of particular interest will have an innovative and cutting-edge twist and capture a diverse,…

Annual Meeting of Directors 2023

The 20th Annual Meeting of Directors is taking place on Friday, May 12th, 2023. Hosted in the Museum of Literature Ireland, this event allows directors and board members to come together to celebrate all of the successes from the previous year and discuss solutions for obstacles that may arise in the future. This meeting is…

Keith Farrell Wins Best Director for ‘Wait for Me’ at Manchester Film Festival 2023

Keith Farrell was awarded Best Director for his feature Wait for Me at Manchester Film Festival 2023. In Farrell’s film, a young woman makes an unlikely ally in a damaged stranger, who convinces her to escape her life of vice and find the child she gave away. Wait for Me is written by Bernard O’Toole…

Submissions for the 67th BFI London Film Festival Open

Submissions for BFI London Film Festival 2023 is now open. The BFI London Film Festival (4 to 15 October 2023) presents a selection of the best in world cinema, showing audiences a wide array of films, representing a variety of languages, genres and filmmaking styles. Final deadline dates for receipt of online submission forms and film screeners: UK and…

Sharing of the Intimacy On-set Guidelines with Ita O’Brien

Screen Ireland and Bow Street Academy invite members of the Irish film industry to a lecture and hands-on workshop with the world’s leading intimacy coordinator, Ita O’Brien, supported by the creative director of Bow Street Academy, Shimmy Marcus. Industry Presentation of the Intimacy On Set Guidelines and the Role of the Intimacy Coordinator Wednesday, 19th April…

Waterford International Film Festival Open for Submissions

The Waterford International Film Festival is Waterford’s premiere film festival that showcases the works of national & international filmmakers & artists. The festival is now open for submissions. In 2023 the festival will be celebrating its 17th Annual event! The festival is a blend of In-Person & Online Screenings. Information and Submissions here. Dates &…

Do Directors Direct both Fiction and Documentaries?

Do directors direct both fiction and documentaries? Stephen Follows started by building a database of all feature films made around the world in the past two decades (1999-2018 inclusive), both factual and fiction. Read the research here.

S481 Screen Talks: Industry Masterclass with Morgan Neville

Screen Ireland as part of the S481 Skills Development Screen Talks has partnered with Blinder Films on an industry masterclass with world-renowned documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville whose upcoming film, Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with Dave Letterman, filmed in Dublin was released worldwide on Disney+ on Friday, March 17th. The masterclass will take…

Securing Contemporary Practices: An International Perspective on Artists’ Archives

Photo Museum Ireland is hosting leading international film-maker and curator Ralph Goertz, who will give a talk on international perspective on how artists’ practices can be preserved for the futureSecuring Contemporary Practices: An International Perspective on Artists’ Archives takes place at 4.00pm Saturday 25 March at Photo Museum Ireland. Ralph Goertz, founder/ director of the Institute…

Arts Council Next Generation Artists Award

The purpose of the Next Generation Artists’ Award is to support a group of promising artists across all disciplines at an early but pivotal stage in their career. Successful recipients will also be invited to take part, and contribute to ART: 2023. ART: 2023 is a partnership programme between the Arts Council and the Department…

Futureproof Masterclass in Producing & Designing Creative VR

Are you interested in finding new ways of telling stories and connecting with different audiences? Are you intrigued by Immersive Technologies, Virtual Reality or the Metaverse? If you have experience in filmmaking; drama; documentary; gaming; 3D animation; live performance OR if you’re a total beginner that is seriously enthusiastic about any of the above –…

Animation Dingle

Animation Dingle is a 2-day Festival for animation industry experts and students, taking place in 24-25 March in the iconic fishing town of Dingle. The festival features a Day-long Animation Dingle Conference, Screening Programmes, Workshops and Awards. There will be a special panel “From Page to Screen: An Inside Look at Producing a Feature Film”…

Film & TV Drama Shadowing: Directors

The National Talent Academy for Film & Television (NTA: Film & TV) is seeking applications for shadowing positions for directors on upcoming feature films and television drama. This application will be open on a rolling basis, with the objective to gather a panel of available mentees for the NTA: Film & TV and productions to recruit from.…

SDGI Guide Metaverse, AI and Blockchain for Directors Report

We are delighted to publish ‘Considerations for Directors: Metaverse, AI & Blockchain. A Handbook for Screen Directors’. In this report we have collated some knowledge about recent tech innovations that we thought might be important for directors. Read the report: SDGI Guide Metaverse, AI and Blockchain for Directors Report

Locarno Residency

Applications are Open for the Locarno Residency, a training initiative with online and in-person sessions guiding young talents in developing their first feature film. Selected projects will be presented during the 76th edition of the Festival. The Locarno artistic team will choose ten projects from all the submissions based on the candidates’ story pitches and…

BMW Filmmaking Challenge

The BFI have partnered with BMW UK and Michaela Coel to offer five filmmaking teams the chance to break new ground. Encouraging filmmakers to dream big and expand their ambitions, The BMW Filmmaking Challenge in partnership with the BFI is inspired by the all-electric BMW i7 and its ultra-wide 31.3-inch rear-passenger theatre screen. The BMW…

Kerry Short Film Bursary Information Session

The Kerry Short Film Bursary is now open for applications for a short drama or documentary film of 10 to 12 minutes duration to be shot in the county. An information session on how to submit a competitive application is being held online on Wednesday, March 15th. Contact siobhan@screenkerry.ie to register for the online session. Kerry…

New Documentary Training Programme, EXPLORING REALITY, offers bespoke training for documentary directors in Ireland

We are delighted to announce EXPLORING REALITY , a new training initiative for directors that will take place between 28th March – 20th June, 2023 in Dublin. Designed to provide directors with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive in today’s evolving ecosystem of filmmaking, the series will feature a range of in-depth workshops…

The Listening Pitch

Aesthetica and Audible have teamed up for The Listening Pitch 2023 and are inviting filmmakers to submit proposals for a documentary on how hearing new stories can change our lives. The successful filmmaker will win £20,000 to make their project, as well as premiering at the Festival. SUBMIT YOUR PITCH Five filmmakers will be selected…

In Cinemas: ‘The Artist & The Wall of Death’ – Directed by Maurice O’Brien

Maurice O’Brien’s film The Artist & The Wall of Death is released at the IFI from Friday, March 10th. When Glaswegian performance artist Stephen Skrynka learns that a life-long obsession with building and riding a century-old fairground attraction, the ‘Wall of Death’, was shared with Michael Donohoe and Connie Kiernan (who built a wall in…

75th Annual DGA Awards Winners

The winners of the Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards for 2022 were announced in February during the 75th Annual DGA Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills in February. Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for Everything Everywhere All at…

2023 IFTA Nominees Announced

The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) has announced the 2023 IFTA Nominations for the Irish Academy Awards across 28 categories in Film & Drama. We’d like to congratulate all the talented artists nominated this year across all the categories. In particular, we’re delighted to see such a strong selection of directors nominated this year…

Women Disrupting the Documentary Landscape – The Griersons & We Are Doc Women in conversation

Ahead of the Grierson 2023: The British Documentary Awards opening for film entries on Friday, 17 March 2023, The Talent Manager speak with 2022 HOTY winner, documentary director and founder of We Are Doc Women, Clare Richards. Women Disrupting the Documentary Landscape – The Griersons & We Are Doc Women in conversation will take place…

Nominations for RTS Ireland Television Awards Announced

RTS Ireland has announced nominations in 10 categories for this year’s RTS Ireland Television Awards. Juries considered over 130 entries from across the industry. RTS Ireland Television Awards seek to recognise Irish productions and international co-productions which are considered by peer jury members to have made a positive contribution worthy of acclaim by the industry…

Screen Ireland a Part of European Initiative to Support Ukrainian Cinema

The European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films was launched by EFAD, the film agencies and Culture Ministries from 13 countries during the recent 73rd edition of the Berlinale. This unique solidarity action aims at helping Ukrainian filmmakers while fostering coproductions. The fund is implemented through collaboration and financial contributions from fifteen European ministries and national…

Arts Council Film Project Award

The Arts Council Film Project Award is now open for applications. There are two strands to this award and each has a specific purpose. Strand 1: Research and Development The purpose of this strand is to offer applicants an opportunity to research and develop ideas that could be developed into Strand 2 Production projects –…

VM Discovers is open For Submissions

Virgin Media Discovers 2023 in partnership with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and with the support of the Dublin International Film Festival is now open for submissions from new, emerging and established filmmakers, writers and content creators. Virgin Media is committed to discovering unique voices in film and TV, and we are calling for ideas that bring…

Dublin International Film Festival 2023 Documentary Panel

There’s still time left for you to catch the Documentary Panel that took place as part of this year’s Dublin International Film Festival The panel provided an opportunity for both the general public and filmmakers of all levels to learn more about contemporary Irish documentary – where the stories come from and the background to…

Directors’ Workshop with Director, Author and Trainer Bethany Rooney

The Dawn Workshops are bringing the legendary Director, Author and Trainer Bethany Rooney to Kerry for a very special Directors’ workshop this May. Bethany is part of the driving force behind the Warner Bros, Sony and NBC Directors workshops. Entry to these courses are by invitation only and places are highly coveted. Kerry College is…

Fair Pay Fair Share!

This week SDGI launched its short Fair Pay, Fair Share Guide to help you better understand your entitlements. Recent legislation introduced significant changes to ensure Screen Directors are paid fairly and receive a fair share from exploitation of their work. Fair share of remuneration from your work includes new rights to: fair pay; transparent information; possible…

Panels & Workshops at the Dublin International Film Festival 2023

The Dublin International Film Festival kicks off tomorrow running from February 23rd to March 4th. Alongside the films screening there are a number of panels & workshops that may be of interest to members. DIFF Circle HOW TO SELL YOUR FILM WITH MICHELLE RYAN Based on years of explaining to filmmakers how important it is to…

Meet the Directors of this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Animated Feature Best Animated Short Film

VIEW Conference presents a pair of virtual discussions with the directors behind this year’s Academy Award® nominees for Best Animated Feature and Best Animated Short Film. Register now to be part of the global community watching these exclusive events, with the chance to put your own questions to the filmmakers. Five Oscar Contenders for Best…

Frameworks Seeks Feedback on Scheme

Frameworks is calling for feedback from SDGI directors on its scheme as it is doing an internal review. Please email your thoughts to hello@sdgi.ie by Monday 13th February. Frameworks is a long-running scheme co-funded by RTE and Screen Ireland to enable short animated film-making. It is a flagship scheme for the Irish animation sector which…

The Metaverse, AI & Blockchain: Top Considerations for Directors

We’d like to remind members to join us this week for The Metaverse, AI & Blockchain: Top Considerations for Directors Date: February 8th 2022 Time: 6.30pm ( this will be followed by SDGI Town Hall meeting at 7.30pm) Venue: Upstairs Clarence Hotel 6-8 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 HT44 Map. How we connect…

Netflix Documentary Talent Development Fund Information Session

Calling documentary filmmakers across Ireland. Netflix have announced a second round of their Documentary Talent Development Fund, this time on the theme of Connection. They have five funds of £30,000 to make a short documentary film between 8-12 minutes long and selected filmmakers will benefit from the guidance of Netflix and other filmmaking professionals. The…

Baz Ashmawy and Ronan McCabe at the launch of the Irish Animation Awards

Irish Animation Awards Open for Entries

Animation Ireland has announced the 2023 Irish Animation Awards are open for entries in 20 categories. Candidates can view the application process and enter via www.irishanimationawards.ie. The entry process will be open until 27th February. The premier event in the Irish animation calendar will be hosting its first in-person awards show since 2019 in Salthill…

President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins welcomed the Board of the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland

Thursday the 3rd of November marked a historic day for the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland. President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins welcomed the Board of the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland at a special reception at Áras an Uachtaráin on President Michael D. Higgins acknowledged the work of the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland and what it has…

Shooting starts on SDGI ARRI ALEXA TAKE

4 Directors Start Shooting Films on SDGI ARRI ALEXA TAKE The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland delighted that directors start shooting SDGI ARRI ALEXA TAKE today on the 28th October 2022. Thanks to ARRI who held a training day on Thursday 27th of October for the crew. Kristina Yee SWEEDISH DEATH Patrick McDermott …

Directors’ Town Hall

Join us for a Director’s Town Hall with Chairman Maurice Sweeney and Board of SDGI and Executive. A lot has happened in the past couple of years, COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the screen industry, we have new copyright legislation, new funding models, new audiences and so we want to ask the question, moving forward what…

Lunchtime Directors’ Contract Clinic

Bring your legal and contract questions for SDGI Lawyer We invite you to join us with any legal issue you may have related to your director’s contract past, present or upcoming. Each member will get a free legal advice in private session with lawyer, David Sweeney. On the 19th November 2021 the Irish government signed new copyright legislation into law. These legal…

Books for Screen

Books are everywhere. As a director you have examined many books for optioning for film and episodics but how can you filter through the mountains of new books published each year to find the best new stories in fiction and non fiction? SDGI has partnered with Publishing Ireland again to create a presentation of Irish books with…

8th WAVE OF ARRI ALEXA TAKE DIRECTORS to Shoot in November 2022

5 Directors to Shoot Films in November 2022 The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland announces the directors for the SDGI ARRI ALEXA TAKE will being shooting in November 2022. Elena Doyle MYCELIUM, Bob Gallagher UNTITLED, Roisin Loughrey LULLULA, Patrick McDermott LAND OF BANG, Kristina Yee SWEEDISH DEATH The SDGI ARRI ALEXA…

Guide to Tax and Pensions Online Event

We invite you to join a Guide to Tax and Pensions online event with Screen Skillnet and Animation Ireland. The day is broken up into two halves, the morning is Tax and afternoon is Pensions. All members of the Guild welcome to join this free online event and apply for a slot for a one…

Save the Date: 20th Annual Meeting of Directors 2023

The 20th Annual Meeting of Directors 2023 Date: Friday 12th of May 2023 Time: 11am – 5pm Venue: MOLI Museum, 86 St Stephen’s Green Dublin 2.

New SDGI Podcast: Navigating a New Era of Visual Effects and Animation Supervision

As VFX dominates every screen today, our speakers discussed how to lead projects with VFX from story to technique. In this session recorded at the Galway Film Fleadh, VFX and Animation Supervisor Richie Baneham and Animation Director Darragh O’Connell unpacked Richie’s films, including Avatar and the more recent Alita: Battle Angel. Richie and Darragh explained how to…

Discussion with Richie Baneham & Darragh O’Connell at the Galway Film Fleadh

Navigating a New Era of Visual Effects and Animation Supervision As a part of the Galway Film Fleadh this year, we are pleased to announce that we are hosting an interview with Richie Baneham and Darragh O’Connell! In this session, VFX and Animation Supervisor Richie Baneham and Animation Director Darragh O’Connell will unpack Richie’s films,…

Directors’ Right to Annual Audit Information

Today the deadline has passed for EU countries to implement the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. From today, producers across Europe are now legally obliged to issue directors with an annual, detailed, breakdown in writing of the profits and losses from all productions to which directors have contributed. This will have a particular…

The 2022 Annual Meeting of Directors

Thank you to everyone who attended the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of Directors with our honorary guest Susanne Bier. The Chairman Maurice Sweeney and the Board would like to thank the members and supporters of the Guild for their dedication to the Guild as your support and commitment fuels everything we do at the Guild. Paddy Breatnach and Lisa Mulcahy were re-elected…

Directors Pay Campaign

Directors show up giving 100% of themselves to a project, working long days in increasingly pressured schedules, embracing new technology skills, COVID protocols and working with tightening budgets. Directors often work for months and sometimes years underpaid in development to drive a project forward. Directors as the creative lead hold the specialist responsibility above all…

Susanne Bier Announced as Honorary Guest at Annual Meeting of Directors

SDGI is honoured to have Susanne Bier as our Guest of Honour at the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland’s 19th Annual Meeting of Directors 2022. Bier has directed the Netflix film ‘Bird Box’ (2018) and the international series ‘The Night Manager’ (2016), which won two Emmys and three Golden Globes, ‘The Undoing’ (2020) and ‘The First Lady (2022).…

Directors invited to apply: New Basic Income for Artists

Applications are now invited for inclusion in the Basic Income for the Arts Pilot scheme from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media This scheme is established with various goals including to enable artists and creative arts workers to focus on artistic and creative work without having to enter into employment in…

19th Annual Meeting of Directors 20th May 2022

The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland’s 19th Annual Meeting of Directors will take place on Friday 20th May 2022 from 10.30am in the MOLI Museum, 86 St Stephen’s Green Dublin 2. Susanne Bier is our Honorary Guest this year and will receive Honorary Membership of The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland and join directors in dialogue with…

Walk n Talk Monthly Meet Up

We know that one of the best parts of being in SDGI is the presence of other directors, as this is what our members tell us. To help facilitate these connections we offer Walk N Talks – casual social outings where like-minded directors can come together to talk, walk, network, and create new ideas together, all…

Role of Director Workshop

Lack of understanding of the role of director can often lead to challenges with trainers, funders, producers, crew. SDGI is working with Adare HR to create a detailed framework of skills and craft of the role of director. The aim of this is for trainers, producers, funders to understand with detail the skills and talent of a director by looking at the an entire framework. We hope that you can use…

Ethics in Documentary Workshop

In a rapidly changing and increasingly tightened production schedules for documentary, understanding and staying connected to the ethics around documentary is critical to protect the director and all involved in making a documentary. SDGI would like to create a Code of Ethics for Documentary to support directors in what is often considered a grey area…

What are my Rights?

Information Session on New Directors’ Rights On the 19th November the Irish government signed new copyright legislation into law. These legal changes have been put in place to deliver on the goal of the EU Directive to transform copyright in the EU and strengthen creators’ rights. This legislation positively impacts your rights as a director. The changes include: * New…

Live Q&A with Pat Collins

Join SDGI on Wednesday, June 30th for a live interview with Pat Collins, award-winning Irish director, producer, and writer.

Andrea Arnold at AGM

SDGI's Annual General Meeting of Directors features Andrea Arnold as this years keynote speaker.

Progressive Recoupment Deal to Support Talent

Director’s Guild of Ireland and Screen Ireland Agree Progressive Recoupment Deal to Support Talent Dublin (February 7th, 2020) The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland (SDGI) and Fis Eireann / Screen Ireland (Screen Ireland) have agreed a new deal which will allow Irish directors to benefit from the Screen Ireland corridor payments across Screen Ireland supported…