€400,000 Awarded under Documenting the Arts Scheme 2006

The Arts Council and Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board have announced the recipients of this year’s documentary production fund, Documenting the Arts.
This scheme aims to finance a range of arts-based projects that examine the diverse issues of art and culture in a contemporary or historical context. This scheme is jointly funded by both the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board and administered on behalf of the Arts Council by Filmbase.
Over 90 applications were received by the June closing date. Thirteen projects were selected for interview and six awards have now been made to the value of €400,000:

• Wildfire Films, €80,000 awarded for a film by Conor Horgan on the visual artist, Dorothy Cross, Bursting into beauty


• Donald Taylor Black, €70,000 awarded for a film about the photographer, David Farrell - A history looking through.


• Straydog Films (Jackie Larkin and John O’Donnell), €70,000 awarded for a film about the Kilfenora Ceilí Band, In the blood


• Ciarín Scott, €70,000 awarded for a portrait of film-maker and Aosdána member, George Morrison – Pioneer of Irish cinema


• Trish McAdam, €70,000 awarded for a film about the work of actor Donal O’Kelly, What am I doing here?


• Dara McCluskey, €40,000 awarded for a portrait of Dundalk troubadour, Jinx Lennon, Noisemaker

The funds awarded can be used collectively as a full production budget or as seed money to help finance a larger budget.
Simon Perry, Chief Executive, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, commented: “Documenting the Arts is a very exciting initiative which encourages fresh voices in this medium. We believe that the initiative will provide Irish documentary makers with an opportunity to experiment, and will ultimately encourage the production of cinematic documentaries with an international perspective and access to theatrical release.”
Séamus Crimmins, Arts Policy Director at the Arts Council commented: “Our wish in the Arts Council is to support cultural cinema, the individual artist and organisations that work to maintain the distinctive voice of Irish film within the global framework. We are pleased to collaborate with the Irish Film Board in this partnership which aims to get some of the finest work of Irish documentary film-makers on the screen.”
(DS)