Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund (ILBF) has announced its latest funding decisions for 2016. Funding was awarded across a wide genre of TV and film with a total of 18 projects being awarded.
The aims of the ILBF are to promote the production and broadcast of quality Irish language content for an audience in Northern Ireland and beyond and to help grow the Irish language production sector in Northern Ireland.
De Facto Films received funding to produce historical-political thriller ‘Aithrí’, a gripping story that spans 50 years filled with trust, revenge, guilt, violence and sacrifice. The feature film will air on TG4 as well as having a cinematic release.
Imagine Media’s ‘Bingo!’ will explore the ever-popular pastime of bingo as seen through the eyes of bingo-goers throughout the nation while also casting an eye on its history and how it became so popular in Ireland.
The new ground-breaking Irish language secondary school, Gaelcholáiste Dhoire will be under the spotlight in LIGID TV’s ‘Hogwarts na Gaelscolaíochta’. The series follows students as they go through the ups and downs of student life at the college. LIGID TV will also be producing ‘Bád Eddie – L’ami de la Mer’ that will look into the history of the iconic shipwreck that lies on Magheraclogher beach in Donegal.
‘Ceol ón Chlann’ will return to TG4 for a third series. The Stirling Film and TV Production’s musical documentary series will give viewers a deeper insight into another six famous families whose music is known throughout the world.
Sonas Productions has been awarded funding to produce two four-part music series, with one series examining the All-Ireland Fleadh for TG4 while the other series for BBC NI will capture the new and exciting generation of traditional/folk artists who have their own unique brand of music.
Dearcán Media’s ‘Puncaí na hÉireann’ will give a first-hand account of the experiences of those involved in the Punk Movement during the 1970s in conservative Ireland. Dearcán Media has also been granted funding to produce a multimedia educational resource based on its documentary Fomhuireán na bhFíníní.
This year also sees two ILBF funded series mark an important milestone. Popular country music show ‘Opry an Iúir’, produced by Big Mountain Productions for TG4, and Below the Radar’s lively magazine show for BBC NI I ‘Lár an Aonaigh’ both return for their fifth series.
Below the Radar will also produce discussion series ‘An Focal Scoir’, providing in-depth debate and analysis of various stimulating and controversial issues. ‘Their Meon Eile’ multimedia platform will also be returning.
Following on from a successful first series, Paper Owl Films has been awarded funding to produce a second series of ‘Racht’; a six-part factual series which examines six tragic murders in Ireland and the legacy they have left behind.
Macha Media will produce Scéaldrámaíocht, a series of short films that will see today’s Irish medium primary school children bring to life various folklore stories collected by children in the 1930s for Bailiúchán na Scol.
Waddell Media has been awarded funding for a new programme which will take a fly-on-the-wall look at the daily commute of various car loads of humorous, opinionated commuters, all with their own stories to be told as they begin their journey to work.
There will be one further funding round this year, with the deadline for applications being Friday 2nd September. Further details and guidelines are available on the ILBF funding page.
IFTN Directory: DeFacto Films
IFTN Directory: Waddell Media Ltd
