Six Irish companies have been successful in the latest round of Creative Europe MEDIA results.
Slate Development and Video Games funding results for Europe were recently announced with many new Irish companies receiving MEDIA funding for the first time. MEDIA has so far granted 26 Slate Funding Awards to 19 Irish companies since 2014, which has seen over €4.5 million go towards supporting Irish productions.
Four Irish production companies have been selected for Slate Development funding, which includes Samson Films (€180,638), Film & Music Entertainment (€193,492), Wild Atlantic Pictures (€190,000) and Underground Films (€175,751). Two Irish companies have also been selected for Video Games development: Timeslip Softworks (€31,077) and Psychic Games (€60,000).
The new funding calls for 2020 will be announced in September.
SLATE FUNDING RESULTS
Samson Films
Headed by Managing Director and producer, David Collins, Samson Films is one of Ireland’s leading film production companies. This is their second Slate Funding award under the 2014 – 2020 MEDIA programme. They have also been awarded MEDIA funding under previous schemes. Their most recent films include Carmel Winters’ acclaimed Float Like a Butterfly and the Irish-Icelandic co-production End of Sentence directed by Elfar Adalsteins.
Underground Films
Run by producers Rachel Lysaght and Lindsay Campbell, Underground Films produce high-end drama and documentary feature films for the international theatrical and television markets. Previous projects have included The Pipe, Patrick’s Day and One Million Dubliners. This is their first MEDIA Slate Funding Award.
Wild Atlantic Pictures
Wild Atlantic Pictures was formed by producers Eoin Egan and Macdara Kelleher and were a partner in the production of George R.R. Martin’s NIGHTFLYERS at Troy Studios in Limerick as well as Quantico for ABC Studios and also the acclaimed 2018 film Black 47. This is the company’s first MEDIA Slate funding award.
Film & Music Entertainment
FM&E recently co-produced Return to Montauk (based on a screenplay co-written by Irish author Colm Tóibín) with Savage Productions Ireland, Ziegler Film and Schlondorff, Francis Pyramid Productions in France, Gaumont in France; Barefoot Films; Wild Bunch, and the broadcasters WDR BR and ARTE. In 2015, Film and Music Entertainment launched Film and Music Entertainment (IRE) Ltd as a subsidiary based in Dublin and to date it has produced or co-produced eight features.
Total Awarded in Slate Funding in 2019 to Irish registered companies: €739,881.
VIDEO GAME RESULTS
Two first time MEDIA beneficiaries have received development funding for video games. Nearly a million has been awarded to Irish games companies since 2014.
Timeslip Softworks (And Prometheus Wept)
Donegal based Timeslip Softworks run by Daithí McHugh has released two Video Games: Deadstone and Vigilantes.
Psychic Games (The Necromancer)
Galway based Phychic Software run by Sam Redfern has released a number of Video Games including Orbs.it which won an Imirt Award for Best Technical Achievement in 2017.
Total Awarded in 2019 to Irish registered Game companies: €91,077.