Amongst those awarded financial help, Imagine Media Ltd and Scun Scan Productions received funding for an hour long historical documentary on Ernest Blythe, an enigmatic character from a Unionist background who embraced the Irish language before becoming Minister for Finance under Cumann na nGaedhal. Funding for another single documentary on vampirism and its links to Irish literature was awarded to Dearcán Media. Both documentaries will air in the ‘Anamnocht’ strand on TG4.
Below the Radar received funding to produce a six part magazine series focussing on rural affairs, ‘Luí na Talún’, which will be presented by Jarlath Burns & Máire Bhreathnach and broadcast on BBC NI. Stirling Productions was awarded backing for a new series, ‘Ainsprid’ which will dramatize real-life ghost stories and will feature Tony Devlin (Marú) as presenter. The six part series will air on TG4.
Further support was awarded to Waddell Media to produce a six part dating series, ‘Mo Ghrá Gael’ for TG4, which will follow two singletons in their search for love. Funding was also awarded to Zoogon Ltd for two re-versioned animation series, ‘Doodlebops Animation’ and ‘Animal Mechanicals’, both of which will air on TG4.
Finally, development funding was awarded to The Picturehouse for ‘Sí do Mhamó’, a new factual entertainment series for RTÉ and to Big Mountain Productions for a presenter led outdoor adventure series for TG4.
The ILBF has an annual fund of £3m, provided by the UK Film Council. Funding is made available to production companies based in Northern Ireland. It expects to deliver not less than 70 hours of Irish language output per annum which is broadcast on TG4, BBC NI and RTÉ. Its remit also includes funding for multiplatform and educational material as well as the provision of training opportunities to Irish speakers working in the production sector.
