SDGI's Annual General Meeting of Directors features Andrea Arnold as this years keynote speaker.
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The recent Skillnet event ‘Directing Animation for TV, Features and Shorts on the Friday 15th and Saturday 16th September was a major success.
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Join SDGI on Wednesday, June 30th for a live interview with Pat Collins, award-winning Irish director, producer, and writer.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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).…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 …
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 –…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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”…
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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…
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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.
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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
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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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:…
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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…
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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 –…
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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 &…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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%…
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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…
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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…
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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.
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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,…
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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…
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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
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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