In a positive endorsement for the Irish film industry, the IFB’s 2011 budget will be cut by only 3% by the Irish government.

The Irish Film Board (IFB) is to have its budget cut by only 3% in 2011, despite the downturn in Ireland’s economy.

The IFB has described the news that its 2011 capital budget will be 16 million Euros as a “positive endorsement from the Government in the Irish film and television sector and what it can deliver to the Irish economy.”

Despite Ireland’s current financial problems, the Irish production sector seems to be faring well, with Rodrigo Garcia’s Albert Nobbs (starring Glenn Close) due to go into production in Dublin in 2011 and two Irish films, John Michael McDonagh’s Guard and Ian Palmer’s documentary Knuckle, world premiering at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival.

It was also announced today that the IFB had awarded development funding to Irish director Catherine Owens to develop a 3D feature adaptation of an Oscar Wilde short story, The Selfish Giant.

IFB Chairman James Morris said “The combination of ambitious creatively driven Irish projects and high profile international productions all working in Ireland in the last year is set to continue into the year ahead on the basis of today’s budget. A momentum which will continue to be underpinned by the ongoing availability of Section 481, the Irish tax incentive and a growing community of Irish Producers, Directors, Writers, Actors, and technicians.”

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