The Arts Council of Ireland and the Irish Film Board (IFB)have called for applications to a new production fund entitled Documenting theArts. The fund is intended to finance five or six new documentaries per year.

A maximum of Euros 90,000 will available per documentary andIFB participation will be triggered by broadcaster pre-sale or productionfinance, the first form of automatic production funding offered by the agency.

Complementing existing documentary and other fundingprogrammes already provided by the two agencies, Documenting the Arts aims toencourage new and established filmmakers to produce "personal, creativeand compelling arts-themed documentaries that examine, in an exciting way, thediverse issues of arts and culture in a contemporary or historicalcontext."

The deadline for first stage Arts Council applications isTuesday 7 June 2005 at 5pm. Filmbase, the independent resource centre for Irishfilmmakers, will administer the new fund on behalf of the Arts Council.