From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
An Agreement between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the French Republic on Cinematographic Co-Production was signed in Paris this week.
The signing of this Agreement is an exciting development which will combine the long and illustrious history of French cinema, which has a majestic film tradition, together with Ireland’s establishment as a global production hub in recent years.
If a project is certified as an official co-production, it is effectively regarded as a national production in each of the co-producing territories. Under this Agreement, the Irish production will be eligible to benefit from local territory benefits in France (for example, access to tax incentives, regional subsidies and the local distribution market).
The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, said:
“The signing of this Co-Production Agreement will lead to benefits for the industry in Ireland and will incentivise work between our two film industries. The bilateral basis of the Agreement allows for cultural stories to be told across both territories, recognising our shared values and opening up access to a wider talent pool based in both France and Ireland. There is great potential now to deepen the cultural conversation between Ireland and France further and create further employment opportunities."
Ambassador of Ireland to France Niall Burgess said:
“Yesterday’s historic signing ceremony of the co-production agreement in Paris will facilitate cultural and creative exchange between France and Ireland. We look forward to fostering and deepening relations with our colleagues in France as a result of the signing of this co-production agreement.”
Susan Bergin, Chair, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, also welcomed the signing. She said:
“We would like to thank Minister Catherine Martin for her support on ensuring Irish/French partnerships in film continue to grow. This Treaty is a fantastic opportunity for Ireland to build closer working relationships with French producers and production companies, and to tell cultural stories across both nations, recognising our countries’ shared values and distinct offerings as cinematic storytellers. As a result of this new agreement, we’re looking forward to creating more feature films for the big screen together, as we continue to champion European co-production for decades to come.”
It was also announced yesterday that a Franco-Irish industry workshop would take place at the Cannes Festival in May 2023 to encourage and facilitate co-production projects between both France and Ireland.
If a project is certified as an official co-production, it confers national status of all the co-production territories to that project and is effectively regarded as a national production in each of the co-producing territories. The production is then eligible to benefit from local territory benefits in the co-producing country such as broadcast licence fees, access to tax incentives, regional subsidies and the local distribution market.
This Agreement will be the second such Agreement between Ireland and an EU Member State as a co-production Agreement with Luxembourg is already in existence.
Yesterday’s signing ceremony took place in Paris and was also attended by representatives from Screen Ireland along with Irish Film Industry Stakeholders.
Co-Production Agreements are made between the respective governments, while the actual operation of the Agreements is undertaken by appointed agencies or government departments. In Ireland, the competent authority will be Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland.
It will be a matter for each co-producer to apply to their relevant competent authority for certification that the project complies with the guidelines under the Agreement.
To qualify as an official co-production under these agreements, there must be a co-producer in each country and there must be a balance between the Irish financial and creative contribution and that of the co-producing partner.
Other Co-production Treaties Ireland is a party to are as follows: