Limerick has won a competitive bid to host Cineposium, a global film conference to be held in September.
Minister for Culture Catherine Martin made the announcement alongside Screen Ireland, Innovate Limerick / Film in Limerick and the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI), which organises the event.
Ms Martin is in Los Angeles on a pre-Oscars trade mission with Screen Ireland as Ireland seeks to capitalise on a record number of Academy Award nominations and sustain recent momentum within the Irish industry.
“This is an excellent opportunity to build on the current wave of success that is happening across the screen industry, and to further strengthen our partnerships with international production companies and studios around the world,” the Minister said.
It is hoped that Limerick’s hosting of the rotating annual event will help showcase Ireland – and in particular Limerick and the west coast – as a production hub, bringing more screen projects to Irish shores.
The Minister’s Hollywood diary has included meetings with Jaclyn Philpott, the AFCI’s executive director, and advisory board member Yvette Estrada from NBC Universal, the studio that based the production of Cocaine Bear in Wicklow.
“Limerick winning this bid is a significant recognition of Ireland’s position as a world-class location for film production, both in terms of the range of talent and skilled crew and craftspeople available across the country, as well as our country’s renowned landscapes and diverse locations,” said Screen Ireland chief executive Désirée Finnegan.
The State development agency for the screen industry recently announced a new €3.5 million fund to support regional activity.
This will be first year that Cineposium, which brings together commissioners, producers and policymakers, will be held in Ireland. It was held in Bogotá, Colombia, in 2022.
“We have ambitious plans for the development of the sector in the midwest,” said Paul C Ryan, regional film manager at Innovate Limerick / Film in Limerick.
Limerick is home to Ireland’s largest studio in Troy Studios, where productions including Apple TV Plus series Foundation and Netflix series Nightflyers have been based.
Film in Limerick, a project set up by Innovation Limerick, has been working with local councils, Screen Ireland, Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board and others to further boost inward investment and expand screen industry activity in the midwest.
