Article reproduced with kind permission
from Cinema Business magazine.
Issue 11, February 2005.
Laura Maltman surveys how production and exhibition are promoted in Northern Ireland.
The movie business is perhaps not the first thing that springs to mind when Northern Ireland is mentioned.
However, with a change in the political climate, a boost in the economy and an international shift in attitudes, the Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission (NIFTC) is now receiving increasingly more interest from film producers the world over.
There is also a parallel increase in interest in cinemagoing, evidenced in the NIFTC’s support for audience building initiatives in the exhibition, festival and film archive sectors.
Delivering movies to people’s doorsteps The NIFTC supports the Cinemobile, Ireland’s touring cinema, introduced in 2001 to bring movies to rural areas. A large truck containing a 100-seater cinema, the Cinemobile screens recent movies to the general public. The Cinemobile receives monthly requests from towns and villages throughout Ireland, and has just concluded a two week screening tour. www.cinemobile.ie
Access for all The NIFTC strives to boost access for all to the audio-visual industries, and what better way than to make cinema accessible for as many people as possible?
On the back of this belief they launched the Cinema Access Programme in August 2004. The Fund was set up to encourage Northern Ireland’s cinemas to equip themselves with audio description and soft subtitling equipment to enable access to cinemas for individuals with sensory impairments.
The original aim of the fund was to equip approximately 10% of all cinemas in Northern Ireland, and ensure a wide geographical coverage, in order to meet the increasing demand for accessible cinema-going audiences and to provide a ‘critical mass’ of accessible cinema sites.
The NIFTC received a high number of applications from various locations including Belfast, Banbridge, Lurgan, Newry, Carrickfergus and Enniskillen. Due to the high demand, funding has been increased. It is envisaged that cinemas will have installation complete early in 2005 and the NIFTC is in the process of appointing a consultant to oversee the marketing and monitoring of this exciting initiative.
RNID NI director Brian Symington says: “Deaf and hard of hearing people have been excluded from the enjoyment of mainstream cinema since the end of silent movies in the 1920s. With the final part of the Disability Discrimination Act now in full force since October 2004, equal access is a crucial issue for all cinema operators, and we commend the NIFTC for its efforts in opening cinema doors to deaf and hard of hearing people across Northern Ireland.”
Pete Buckingham, head of the UK Film Council’s Distribution and Exhibition Fund, comments: “We want to help all sectors of the community to enjoy film which is such an important part of our culture. In the past, too many people with impaired sight and hearing have been cut off from the world of cinema and we are committed to making films available to all audiences through a range of our National Lottery funded initiatives.”
“The NIFTC is the first National Screen Agency to roll out its Cinema Access Programme since the UKFC’s programme was launched and we are delighted that the agency has embraced this initiative.”
On location Founded in 1997, the NIFTC aims to boost the development of a dynamic and sustainable film and television industry in Northern Ireland. In establishing Northern Ireland as a major production location, the NIFTC also hopes to communicate Northern Irish culture.
Northern Ireland benefits from a vast array of locations. Everything from beautiful coastlines to idyllic villages, through to bustling cities filled with old and new architecture. Northern Ireland’s position between mainland UK and the Republic of Ireland makes it an attractive place for producers to consider as they can access tax incentives from both countries.
The NIFTC’s Film Industry Location Manager database (FILM) is the largest locations database in Ireland. The database contains stills of over 1,000 Northern Irish locations and can be tailored to producers' specific requirements.
The NIFTC is the main distributor of government funding in Northern Ireland for film and television production. The two main funds available for film production through the NIFTC are the Northern Ireland Film Production Fund and Lottery Film Funding. Applications can be made for all sorts of production from feature film and television drama, through to script development, animation and experimental film.
The NIFTC also offers a one-stop-shop to all producers through its Production Department, which provides hands-on assistance to location managers, producers and directors interested in filming in Northern Ireland. The NIFTC provides funding to the local sector to attend international training courses, markets, festivals and conferences.
On top of this it provides an excellent information service through its daily website (www.niftc.co.uk), email newsletter and quarterly publication, as well as an archive of industry publications and library of Northern Irish produced material.
The NIFTC supports the many specialised film exhibitors and festivals in Northern Ireland, including the recently refurbished Queen’s Film Theatre, Foyle Film Festival in Derry, the annual Cinemagic World Screen Festival for Young People, and Belfast Film Festival which takes place in April.
The Digital Film Archive Another objective is to provide access to Northern Ireland’s moving image heritage. This has been achieved through the Digital Film Archive (DFA) which provides public access to 55 hours of Northern Ireland’s film heritage since 1897. The content is wide ranging and includes drama, documentaries, amateur footage, travelogues and news items.
The DFA is currently available in nine educational and museum related sites across Northern Ireland, and is continuing to be developed this year with the addition of new content.
Laura A Maltman is the marketing manager for the NIFTC.
Article reproduced with kind permission
from Cinema
Business magazine.
Issue 11, February 2005.
