ContentFilm USA and Rapid Film Ireland have announced their partnership to produce 12 low budget feature films from Ireland over the next three years. The deal, similar to those established by ContentFilm in other countries, will source and produce local film scripts for international distribution.

As part of the ContentFilm/Rapid Film agreement, ContentFilm will provide 50% of each film's budget in the form of a sales advance once a script is agreed between both companies. Rapid Film will source the remaining 50%. Budgets will not exceed $1m and films will be shot mainly, but not exclusively, on digital video. Films will mostly be shot in Ireland with Irish crew.

Speaking to Screen International at the Galway Film Fleadh, ContentFilm chairman Edward Pressman said, "I know there's a push to do things immediately here but we want to take our time and do it right so I'd say it'll be three to six months before the first Irish projects are underway."

ContentFilm President, John Schmidt added, "We're very busy with the folks at Rapid reading scripts and meeting producers and directors and we met a lot of interesting people with projects here in Galway but, as Ed said, we want to do it when it all adds up."

While producing the majority of these films, Rapid Film, set up by producers Frank Cassidy and Gerry McColgan and Actor/Producer Patrick Bergin, will also enable other Irish production companies avail of the agreement by acting as executive producers for selected scripts which already have production companies or producers attached.

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