€10,000 BOOST FOR FILMMAKERS
TEN WEXFORD ARTISTS ARE TO BENEFIT FROM NEW FILM FUND
IN AN EXCITING development, Wexford County Council has announced that it is teaming up with Filmbase and the Wexford-based production company Bodecii in 2018 to offer a new film fund of €10,000 for applicants to make a short film. And to help them along the way, the arts department of the local authority financed a series of Wexford screen writers professional development workshops in the National Opera House.
Ten Wexford writers – Peter Murphy, Emma Ennis, Hannah McNiven, Conor Martin, Wally O’Neill, Eoghan Rua Finn, John McGarrigle, Imelda Carroll and Karolina Kraus McKenna – were selected from 38 interested applicants to take part in the intensive workshops held over two weekends in November and led by award-winning writer Eugene O’Neill (Eden, The Flag, Red Rock) and writer/director Laura Way (Red Rock, I Can’t Sleep) The project was funded and facilitated by the County Council and Bodecii Film with the support of Filmbase and the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland.
The aim was to give established Wexford-based writers the skills and techniques to write for the screen and offer them an insight into the collaborative process from experienced television and film industry professionals.
The first weekend covered practical skills on how to write a screen play and each of the writers received individual feedback and assistance with the development of story ideas. After the first workshop, they were given 12 days to write and deliver the first draft of a screen play for group read throughs.
The council’s new film fund will provide an opportunity for one of the 10 Wexford writers to have their short film produced and to develop professional relationships in the industry. The overall initiative aims to nurture local talent and develop skills to produce indigenous film and telvision in County Wexford.
In addition to the workshops, the writers met in the Opera House for a question and answer session with a panel comprising Alan Fitzpatrick, MD of Film Base, which offers filmmakers and film artists access to funding; Liz Burns, Wexford arts officer; Wexford-born director Ian Power (the Runway, The Guarantee); producer and writer Paul Walker (Red Rock, The Clinic, Star Dust); Eugene O’Brien and Laura Way.
Wexford-born actress and director Laura, who runs Bodecii Film, is one of the inspirational forces behind the council initiative. She is a member of the Equality Action Committee with the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland and the Writers Guild of Ireland.
‘Galway, Cork and Limerick are developing their own industry and attracting international productions and there’s no reason why Wexford can’t too’, she said.
‘I wanted to create more opportunity for Wexford-based writers to develop their skill sets in screen writing. I wouldn’t have directed TV drama without some of the training opportunities I got through Red Rock, Filmbase and Screen Training Ireland and wanted to bring this type of opportunity to Wexford. There’s serious talent here’.
‘It starts with the writer but screen writing is a craft and although there is an abundance of talent, not everyone has the skills to write for screen. Film is also collaborative and I wanted the writers to have a realistic understanding of how the film industry works. It’s built on relationships and trust. You can write a great screenplay but the film won’t achieve greatness without a director with strong vision and craft’
‘We had five men and five women on the course which was great as the Film Board tell us there are not enough women applying for fundings so part of this programme is to help the writers develop professional relationships in the industry and encourage more women to apply,’ said Laura.
The panel covered screen writing advice, collaboration in film, making a funding application. During the event, Wexford County Council’s new Film Fund was announced by Liz Burns, Filmbase will provide an extra €10,000 in support and equipment to the initiative.
Next year, there will be a national call-out inviting directors and producers to form teams with the Wexford screen writers to help them develop their screen plays and pitch for the film fund. The successful short film will be shot in locations throughout Wexford.
Another writers’ workshop will take place in January with Eugene O’Brien and Paul Walker before applications to apply open in January through the Filmbase website.