Following the announcementof its intention to open its first overseas office in Los Angeles (made earlier this year at Cannes) the Irish Film Board has confirmed the appointmentof Jonathan Loughran as VP Irish Film Commission, effective mid-November.

The new office will becalled the Irish Film Commission US and will focus on the promotion of Ireland to the US audiovisual industry, with the aim of attracting anincreased range of US feature film and television dramas to shoot in Ireland.

Loughran previously workedwith Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Government's Trade and Technology Agency,in the role of Marketing Executive in Los Angeles. He focused there on helping Ireland's new-media companies develop relationships withentertainment industry leaders including Disney, Warner Brothers, Sony and MTV.

Naoise Barry, Film Commissionerat the Irish Film Board, said: 'Our new office in the heart of Hollywood will enable us to better compete for mobile US film and television production, creating newbusiness opportunities for the Irish film industry. Jonathan's central focuswill be targeting US producers and building on existing relationships that havealready been established over the past ten years.'

US film and TV projectswhich have shot in Ireland this year include Showtime's The Tudors and PS I Love Youstarring Hilary Swank.