Minister promotes Irish screen visual effects sector during LA trade mission

Catherine Martin and Screen Ireland launch site to help diaspora find Irish content

Game of Thrones, featuring Lena Headey and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, is one of the major projects on which Irish VFX companies have worked. Photograph: Helen Sloan/HBO
Game of Thrones, featuring Lena Headey and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, is one of the major projects on which Irish VFX companies have worked. Photograph: Helen Sloan/HBO

The Irish screen visual effects (VFX) sector is being promoted during a two-day Government trade mission to Los Angeles, with Minister for Culture, Arts, and Media Catherine Martin meeting senior executives from Hollywood studios to explore further opportunities for companies in the area.

The Minister and the State development agency Screen Ireland are also launching WhereToWatchIreland.com, a website that helps audiences around the world track down how they can consume Irish content from their location.

Irish post-production and VFX companies have worked on big-budget projects from Marvel Studios’ Wanda Vision and Spider-Man: No Way Home to Netflix’s The Irishman and HBO’s Game of Thrones.

On Monday, Ms Martin met executives from LA-based studios including Disney, Netflix and NBC Universal to discuss current projects and opportunities for increased collaboration.

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“Ireland has a history of strong links with the creative screen industry in Los Angeles,” the Minister said.

“The purpose of this mission is to build on these links by updating key industry partners on the continued evolution and success of the sector in Ireland, the strength and potential for growth in Irish VFX, planned additional production infrastructure as well as the ongoing Government support for the industry.”

Laura Slattery

Laura Slattery

Laura Slattery is an Irish Times journalist writing about media, advertising and other business topics