TheIrish Film Board (IFB) will encourage funding applicants to submit projectsearlier in the development process, its executives announced at a presentationyesterday evening.

IFBchairman James Morris and CEO Simon Perry introduced a range of new policiesand procedures that will come into effect July 1.

Inaddition to setting out some core principles to be used in decision making, thegroup has overhauled its method of assessing and processing applications for productionand development loans.

TheIFB said it will prefer that applicants (producers, writers or directors) applyearlier in a project's trajectory, 'when the project exists only as anidea, an outline or a treatment'.

TheIFB can then get on board for shared development and support a project throughproduction.

Theboard said it aims to support films that might not otherwise be made withoutits involvement and that it would make priorities for considerations on content,provenance or economic benefit to the industry.

Strongpreference will be given to projects that are of 'Irish initiation', that isconceived, written and to be directed by Irish talents; that tell Irishstories, drawing on and depicting Ireland's culture; and that entail new Irishfilmmaking talent in key creative roles.

TheIFB will also give 'serious attention' to submissions which propose astrongly Irish project that is to be directed by a non-Irish talent, only bydirectors with strong track records.

Thefunding body will consider films where an Irish producer is a minorityco-producer but only on quality projects where IFB investment will be spent onIrish elements and the majority co-producer will be committed to act as aminority co-producer on a future Irish film.

IFBsays it will be vigilant that it invests in films that will employ Irishpersonnel and sustain the Irish film industry. But the board noted that afilm's quality, not just its Irish hirings, would bea decisive factor.

TheIFB also announced a new multiple-project development scheme to take the placeof its Company Development Initiative, which has been through three rounds and usedby nearly all of Ireland's larger production companies.