Ireland, Luxembourg sign co-production treaty

Ireland and Luxembourg signed an official co-production treaty at the Galway Film Fleadh on Saturday.

The treaty aims to increase production between the two countries, enabling both to benefit from joint access to the government’s incentives and subsidies in addition to accessing local markets and the opportunity to pool industry resources.

Ireland minister for arts, heritage and the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking regions) Jimmy Deeihan and his Luxembourg counterpart minister for communications and media Francois Biltgen signed the agreement at the Radisson hotel after Deeihan had read out a letter of congratulations from actor Gabriel Byrne.

Recent co-productions between the two countries include Ian Power’s The Runway, produced by Fastnet Films, and Brendan Muldowney’s Love Eternal, scheduled to shoot in August.

Brendan Gleeson’s all-star adaptation At-Swim-Two-Birds was recently announced as another Irish-Luxembourg co-production from Ireland’s Parallel Films and Luxembourg-based producer Jani Thiltes.

“Co-production is of vital importance to the financing of the majority of Irish films and television production in Ireland as well to the overall growth of the industry,” commented Deenihan at the signing. “For a country the size of Ireland there is no better way in which to raise international investment for projects of scale and it is fundamental to the way the industry is structured. Ireland is a small territory and it is impossible to finance in this market alone. Luxembourg has proved to be a very supportive partner to Ireland and we look forward to working together on many Irish and Luxembourg films.”

Bitigen added: “Sixteen years of bilateral collaboration and friendship have been the runway for signing this treaty which will hopefully bring a long-lasting partnership between our two countries.”