28 March 2024 The Irish Film & Television Network
     
Galway Film Industry and Galway City Secure the Status of UNESCO City of Film
01 Dec 2014 : Deirdre Molumby
UNESCO Director-General, Ms Irina Bokova, has announced from Paris that Galway has been designated a UNESCO City Of Film. Under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Galway is now one of only five cities in the world to achieve this much sought-after status, joining Sydney, Australia and Galway’s twin city of Bradford in the UK as a designated City of Film. The status brings the highest internationally recognised standard of excellence in the creative industries to Galway. The title of Creative City of Film also includes membership of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network.

Galway Film Centre in association with Galway City and County Councils drove the bid process which started two years ago. The final bid submission on behalf of the consortium of over 50 organisations drawn from across Galway city and county was submitted in March 2014. Key players involved were Galway County Council Arts Office, Galway City Council Arts Office, the Irish Film Board, Galway Film Fleadh, GMIT, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Abú Media, Creative Europe Desk Galway, Cinemobile, Huston School of Film & Digital Media as well as many local producers and production companies.

Following a fiercely competitive evaluation process, sixty three cities worldwide were shortlisted by UNESCO to fifty cities with twenty making the final selection, one of which was Galway, which won the highly prestigious and permanent title of UNESCO City of Film.

The UNESCO Creative cities network seeks to develop international cooperation amongst cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable development. Galway city and county already boast an impressive, healthy and growing film and TV industry, worth in the region of €72m to the local economy and employing over 600 people full time. Such international recognition, propels Galway into an impressive worldwide network, opening new opportunities in the world of film and TV. UNESCO city of film presents Galway with hugely positive economic, creative and artistic opportunities, sharing in a vast international resource while fostering worldwide cooperation for sustainable urban development.

Speaking in response to the announcement, Mayor of Galway, Cllr. Donal Lyons, said: “I am absolutely thrilled on behalf of the city of Galway and would like to thank and congratulate everyone who has been involved in this successful bid. This is fantastic news for the film, TV, artistic and cultural community, and of course the city and region as a whole. It reflects so positively on Galway’s strong heritage of film and acknowledges our current level of creative activity, pointing to a bright future for the production, promotion and appreciation of film in Galway and the West.”

Declan Gibbons, manager of Galway Film Centre, was also delighted, and stated: “This is hugely significant for Galway to be honoured and awarded the UNESCO City of Film status and it has already opened doors for us. I travel to the Houses of Parliament in London on Tuesday morning (2nd December) to meet the Director General of the BBC, the Head of Sky Arts, the CEO of the BFI as well as Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam as part of a UNESCO event organised by Bradford City of Film. If we hadn't gotten the designation I would not be going. This will open so many opportunities for Galway that it is actually quite overwhelming.”

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD, said: "Galway has a long association with film making and the audiovisual sector going back over many years and it is a fitting testament to all of the great directors, producers, writers and actors who have made Galway their home. From that creative home, they have produced memorable works that has led to this great honour for their city."

Galway’s twin city of Bradford in the UK was the first city to be awarded UNESCO City of Film and Galway is only the second Irish city to be recognised by UNESCO as Dublin won UNESCO City of Literature in 2009.

Galway boasts a rich film heritage with productions made in the county including Robert O'Flaherty's ‘Man of Aran’, John Ford's ‘The Quiet Man’, Joe Comerford’s ‘Reefer and the Model’, the pioneering work of Bob Quinn, Jim Sheridan’s ‘The Field’, and more recently Canadian-Irish co-production ‘Stay’ and 2011’s critical and commercial hit ‘The Guard’.





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