Delegation of Film Finance to NIFTC The Arts Council has announced its decision to delegate responsibility for film finance to the Northern Ireland Film & Television Commission with effect from April 1st. The hand-over, for a three-year pilot period, will see 13% of the Arts Council’s Lottery funding allocated annually to NIFTC, amounting to more than £1 million in the first year. The announcement was made at a reception attended by more than 50 representatives of the film sector and other funding bodies, held in the Sheridan IMAX Cinema at the Odyssey Centre in Belfast. Outlining the details of the delegation, Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council, said: "It is a sound principle of public administration that policies should be made and grant decisions taken by those with the greatest expertise and the designated remit. Consequently, the Council is pleased to have been able to work out, with the Northern Ireland Film & Television Commission, procedures which will help further our common objectives in the development, production and distribution of film." Ms McDonough said that since 1995 the Arts Council had made 51 awards totaling £3,345,106 to film production and 25 development awards totaling £351,080. "To date Arts Council Lottery film production, development and distribution awards have attracted a further £20m of investment from the UK and abroad and contributed to 60 short films, documentaries, animations, feature films, television series, short film distribution, and development projects," she continued. "We are confident that this new partnership with NIFTC will develop the full ambitions of the sector as well as securing adequate funding for film-making which has a wider, culturally-significant value." The NIFTC proposes to maintain the broad categories for film awards as currently offered by the Arts Council, broken down into the areas of development; feature film and TV drama production, and local cultural production. Welcoming the announcement, Richard Taylor, Chief Executive of NITFC, said: "It is a great honour for the NIFTC to be delegated this responsibility by the Arts Council. We have worked very productively together on Lottery film finance over the last six years and we are committed to ensuring that we use the Lottery funds to the greatest possible benefit of the film sector in Northern Ireland. It is up to producers to make sure that they take advantage of the increased level of Lottery film funding that has now been delegated to the NIFTC." |
