Dublin Theatre Sells Out

The Stage reports that despite the recession in Ireland ticket sales for the Dublin Theatre Festival have been very healthy.

But the economic downturn has had no impact on the event, with ticket sales 40% ahead of the same period last year and some of the 27 shows to be staged over the 18 days of the festival already sold out.

"We are one of the few sectors of the economy where revenue and sales are growing," said Loughlin Deegan, festival artistic director and chief executive. "It would be interesting to know why, when times are bad, people return to the theatre."

Perhaps, he suggested, it was that holidays abroad were being cancelled because of the credit crunch, with the money being spent on home entertainment instead.

He described the box office queues on opening day as unprecedented. Among the shows for which there is already a waiting list for tickets are The Year of Magical Thinking at the city's Gaiety Theatre, with Vanessa Redgrave, directed by David Hare, and Black Watch, the award-winning show from the National Theatre of Scotland, which is running at the Royal Dublin Society's Shelbourne Hall. Strong ticket sales are also reported for the National Theatre's production of Happy Days, with Fiona Shaw, at the Abbey.

Valentine in October

Dublin Valentines is a series of twice-yearly public conversations at the axis:ballymun between Dermot Bolger and well known writers, who are from or live in Dublin, about their work and relationship with the city.

On Monday October 6th at 8pm, Paul Durcan and Brian Keenan will join Dermot for an evening of readings and talk about Dublin.

Paul Durcan is one of Ireland's finest living poets. His works include The Berlin Wall Café (1985); Daddy, Daddy (1990); Cries of an Irish Caveman (2001) and The Laughter of Mother (2007). His popular radio talks for The Pat Kenny Radio Show were published as Paul Durcan's Diary and he has held the Ireland Chair of Poetry.

Brian Keenan became headline news when he was kidnapped by fundamentalist Shi'ite militiamen and held in Beirut for four and a half years. He explored this experience in his autobiographical book, An Evil Cradling (1992), and has since gone on to forge a career as an author with Turlough (2000), and his travelogue/memoir, Four Quarters of Light: An Alaskan Journey (2004).

Dermot Bolger is Playwright in Association with axis, who have staged his works in Ballymun as well as Britain, America, Poland and Belgium. The final part of his Ballymun Trilogy, The Consequences of Lightning, will be staged by axis this November/December.

Revenue Tightens 481

The Sunday Business Post reports that the Irish Revenue Commissioners has set tighter regulations for companies that want to use the Section 481 tax relief in the production of television and film.

Revenue has traditionally requested information from producers before a film is made. However, there was no legal requirement for film producers to hand over certain information.

This has now been changed, and the new regulations "give legal certainty to Revenue's practice of requesting the submission of specific information currently contained in guidelines," according to a statement from the Revenue Commissioners.

The guidelines also require the "provision of more detailed certification by the auditors of the qualifying company".

Applications for Section 481 tax relief must now be made 21 days before production is due to begin.

Section 481 relief was meant to finish at the end of this year, but was extended until the end of 2012 in the last finance bill. Individuals may invest up to €31,750 annually, with a minimum of €250.

Tax relief on 80 per cent of their investment is available to individual and corporate investors.

Berlinale 2009

The deadline for applications for the Berlinale Talent Campus 2009 (7-12 February) is the 8th October, 2008.

Since 2003, the Berlin International Film Festival has encouraged young filmmakers from all over the world and all professional fields to apply to the Berlinale Talent Campus. Over 350 of them are invited to Berlin each year to reflect on their ideas about film in lectures, ateliers and panel discussions, and to work on their projects in specialized hands-on workshops.

Tapping into the unique atmosphere of a great film festival, the Campus takes place simultaneously with the Berlinale. It brings together aspiring talents and experienced film professionals for a six-day program that touches on essential issues of filmmaking such as story development, cinematographic styles, production models and new markets.

To qualify you must be able to answer yes to the following questions:

• Have you worked on a short film that was awarded a prize?
• Has your work screened at an international film festival?
• Have you worked on a film of at least 60 minutes in length?
• Are you a film student in your final year or in a post-graduate programme?

Applicants can also opt to apply for intensive training during the Berlinale, such as the Script Station.

This is a hands-on training programme for screenwriters participating in the Berlinale Talent Campus To be considered for this project, complete the online application to the Berlinale Talent Campus here. The application deadline is October 8, 2008.

For the Script Station, 10-12 feature film projects are selected. The screenwriters participate in one-on-one feedback sessions with internationally renowned script consultants. During the Berlinale Talent Campus, personal sessions with these experts are arranged to provide you with concrete feedback and guidance and help you to further develop your script and its presentation.

The application process is entirely online, and further information is available on the Berlinale web site.

Martin Lynch Interview

The latest edition of Culture Northern Ireland has published a short interview with Belfast playwright Martin Lynch.

Dublin Film Maker in Residence

Dublin City Council, in association with the Arts Council, is inviting submissions of interest in the position of Film Maker in Residence.

The Residency is open to all creative filmmakers with a recognised qualification/ track record. The emphasis of the Residency will be on supporting the Filmmaker to develop his or her own practice. However, s/he will also be required to suggest ways in which s/he might interact with new audiences/ communities in Dublin City Neighbourhoods in a manner which best suits the skills of the residency holder (this may involve an equivalent time commitment of 100 hours in the year).

The Film Maker in Residence will be engaged for a period of one year on a Contract for Services basis and will be paid a fee of €25,000

To apply send:

• A C.V. and supporting material.
• A 2 page proposal of what you wish to achieve through the residency.
• An outline of ways in which you might interact with new audiences/ communities in the Dublin City Neighbourhoods. A specific and detailed work plan based on the concept or possible approach for the year will be devised upon commencement.

The closing date is Friday 24th October 2008, and submissions should be sent to: The Arts Office, Dublin City Council, The LAB, Foley Street, Dublin 1.

BAFTA Rocliffe Forum

According to the Writers Guild of Great Britain the BAFTA / Rocliffe New Writing Forum is accepting script submissions for its next session at BAFTA on the 13 November, 2008.

The BAFTA / Rocliffe New Writing forum is both a platform for new writing, and a networking event. Created in 2000, the original format selects three 7-8 minute script extracts - feature film, short film, television drama, sitcom, theatre, radio or sketches. The pieces are cast by a casting director, and rehearsed by professional actors and directors on the evening. A narrator sets the piece in context and the extracts are then performed to an industry audience of producers, development executives, directors, actors and literary agents.

Only two submissions per person will be accepted, and applicants must be able to attend the session in November. Send a hard copy of the following to Alex - Rocliffe Submissions, BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LN:

• 10 minute Script extract (14 pages maximum) - each page must list your name, script title and page number. The script can be short film, feature, or television – please note we are not accepting theatre or radio scripts on this occasion.
• Long synopsis - min 350 to a max of 500 words.
• Short synopsis - max 50 words
• Cast break down and outline of each character that appears in extract.
• Introduction to provide context, outlining where the extract fits into the overall story and must clearly state whether the script is a feature, short, or television drama.
• A short writing/industry relevant biography - 150 words max.
• Only standard script formats will be accepted.
• Please include your full contact details i.e. name, email and a contact telephone number on your biog page.

Further information about the Forum and how it operates is on the web site.

Write Here, Write Now Extended

The Write Here, Write Now International Screenwriting Competition, which is organised by the Dublin International Film Festival, has extended its deadline, and will now close to submissions at 5pm on the 10th of October.

Applications forms can be downloaded from the web site.

Splanc! 2008

TG4, the Arts Council, and Bord Scannán na hÉireann/The Irish Film Board have opened for submissions for Splanc! 2008.

Splanc! 2008 will take an intimate look at film making in Ireland as a visual expression of Irish culture and will celebrate contemporary film makers, both in the Irish and English language. It will aim to take a broad and inclusive view of the art of film making and the evolution of film as an art form while bringing real artistic and cultural value to primetime television audiences. Submissions are invited for a series of films that will take an intimate look at all forms of storytelling on film in Ireland. Feature film, short film, TV drama, documentary, live action and animation works and all other forms of creative film work should be included.

The series is open to creative interpretation and might for instance take a chronological or thematic journey through the evolution of film making in Ireland. The art of the visual treatment of stories should be to the fore in all episodes to include extracts from the films and other works. Material should remain highly accessible for both festival and TV audiences.

Application forms are available from the TG4, Arts Council, or IFB web sites, and the deadline for entries is 5pm, 17th of November, 2008.

Free Theatre for Youth in UK

The Stage reports that in the UK Culture secretary Andy Burnham has announced a new £2.5 million scheme that will give out a million free theatre tickets to under 26-year olds in 95 venues across England over a two-year period.

Launching the programme, Burnham said that it would mean "a whole new audience will get the chance to enjoy the best our theatre has to offer". He added: "Theatres up and down the country will get the chance to work with us to provide a million free tickets to productions over the next two years. So it will be good for theatres, who will see their audience broaden, and it will be good for actors, who play at their best when performing to a full house."

The programme, which has been developed from initial proposals for a free week of theatre suggested by the McMaster Report into excellence in the arts, will be operated by ACE.

Cartoon Saloon Wins

The Irish Film Board reports that Irish animation company Cartoon Saloon won the Europe Cartoon Tributes, which is the Best Production Company Award, at the Cartoon Forum in Ludwigsburg, Germany this weekend.

The European Association of Animation Film selected Cartoon Saloon as their Producer of the Year over stiff competition from production companies from the UK, Germany and France. The Cartoon Tributes recognizes companies that have had a positive influence on the European animation industry over the last year.

Cartoon Saloon is a multi-award winning animation company based in Kilkenny. Their television series Skunk Fu!, directed by Aidan Harte has been sold to television stations all over the world, while their next project, a feature film called The Secret of Kells, will be released in Irish cinemas by Walt Disney Studios Ireland early next year.

The Cartoon Forum is neither a fair nor a festival, but rather a co-production forum, where European producers can negotiate financing for new animation projects. The purpose of the Cartoon Forum is to foster co-productions and accelerate financial arrangements.

Hammer Up North

The BBC reports that the first Hammer Film to begin production in nearly 30 years is being shot in Donegal, and is called The Wake Wood.

The film - about a couple who try to resurrect their dead daughter - stars Timothy Spall and Aidan Gillen.

It is the first feature from the cult British company since it was bought last year by a Dutch consortium.

The screenplay was co-written by Brendan McCarthy and David Keating. Keating is also directing the film.

The Wake Wood received funding from the Irish Film Board, and is scheduled for a UK release in autumn 2009.

60th Emmy Awards

The 60th Prime Time Emmys were handed out last night in L.A. A full list of all the winners is available on the web site.

Here are the results of the writing awards:

Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program

The writing team behind The Colbert Report, which airs on Comedy Central, and consists of: Tom Purcell (head writer) Bryan Adams, Michael Brumm, Stephen Colbert, Rich Dahm, Eric Drysdale, Rob Dubbin, Glenn Eichler, Peter Grosz, Peter Gwinn, Barry Julien, Jay Katsir, Michael Koman, Laura Krafft, Frank Lesser, Meredith Scardino, and Allison Silverman.

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Tina Fey, for the "Cooter" episode of 30 Rock on NBC.

Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special

Kirk Ellis, for the "Independence" episode of the John Adams miniseries on HBO.

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

Matthew Weiner, for the pilot episode "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" in the series Mad Men on AMC.

Lucky 13

The Irish Film Board reports that thirteen new film projects, with a combined overall budget of over €42 million, have gone into production in Ireland this year.

James Morris IFB Chair said "The encouraging level and quality of film production in Ireland this year is the result of intense marketing and negotiation by a growing band of internationally experienced Irish producers supported by the Irish Film Board and backed up by a consistent and focused government policy of support for the Irish film industry."

"In terms of maintaining growth into the future, the industry is experiencing the same intense competitive pressures as every other sector of the economy. The IFB is committed to pursuing every avenue to ensure that the momentum created by investment in prior years is not set back in the short term, so that the film industry can make a meaningful contribution to restoring growth to the economy" Morris continued.

Vote for Manhattan's Finest

The 12 finalists of 11th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival will tour cinemas around the world for one week (21 -28 September), and those audiences will vote for the overall winner.

One short from Ireland features in the line-up: "New Boy", which was written and directed by Stephanie Green.

The only screening in Ireland of the shorts will be on September 28 at 3pm in the Galway Town Hall. Filmgoers will be handed a voting card upon entry, and their votes will be sent to the festival's Manhattan headquarters.

The winner will be announced on Sunday, September 28 on the festival's web site.

Listen to the Fringe

Want to keep up with this year's Dublin Fringe Festival, but can't get to the city?

Check out RTÉ Radio 1's coverage of the Fringe, which includes interviews, reviews, and live recordings.

The Fringe finishes on September 21st.

More Free Online Contant

The BBC reports that the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) will offer its users films and TV episodes free of charge via its web site.

More than 6,000 full-length feature films including classic movie Some Like It Hot and TV shows like Heroes and 24 are available to watch.

First episodes of new series like Knight Rider and 30 Rock will also be available for free viewing before their first television broadcast.

The service is currently only available to US users due to licensing issues.

Badly Drawn Series

The Sunday Business Post reports that Dublin company Jam Media will produce a new €5 million BBC animation series.

The BBC will provide over the half the funding, with additional money coming from Irish sources.

John Rice, managing director of Jam Media, said that the series should air on RTÉ in 2010. He added:

"The big advantage with producing the series in Ireland is that you can go to the BBC, for example, and tell them that you could get between 30 and 50 per cent of the necessary funding in Ireland yourself with initiatives like Section 481, the BCI and Irish Film Board."

Principal photography work for Badly Drawn Roy began last week. The series will debut on the BBC next March.

"This is our most ambitious project so far," said Rice.

"We'll be producing the series in Ireland and contracting in 90 writers, crew, actors and animators to work on the project in addition to our own staff. We're looking at a 12week live action shoot and 30 weeks in animation production."

The BBC picked up the series following Jam's short film release of the same name in 2006.

Produced under the Frameworks Scheme with funding from RTE, the Arts Council and Irish Film Board, the original film was presented as a mock documentary about an animated character called Roy and his life as part of an ordinary live action' family in a Dublin suburb.

Rice said the format for the new BBC series had been re-jigged to appeal to a pre-teen audience.

"It was commissioned by BBC drama, which is really unusual for a kid's TV series," he said. "The idea is that it might appeal to children on the verge of puberty who often feel kind of different - Roy is a cartoon boy living in the real world.

The original short film upon which the series is based was co-written by Alan and Frank Shannon, and directed by Alan Shannon.

TIFF '08

The Toronto International Film Festival ended at the weekend and announced the winners of its competitions.

People's Choice Award winner is Slumdog Millionaire, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed by Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan.

Hunger, which is co-written by Steve McQueen and Edna Walsh, and directed by Steve McQueen, won the Diesel Discovery award.

Red Kettle Seeks Plays

The Red Kettle Theatre Company, based in Waterford, is looking for new playwrights to contribute to the 2nd Waterford Festival of New Plays, to be staged in 2010.

Red Kettle Theatre Company has been producing theatre in Waterford and throughout Ireland for twenty three years, with over 60 productions including 25 new plays and 24 national tours. We have also played in London, New York, Edinburgh and Japan.

We welcome submissions of plays with a running time of ten to fifteen minutes from writers who have not previously had their work professionally produced.

Closing date for submissions is Friday, October 31st, 2008.

Information about where to send your work is on the web site.

The Last Laugh

The Last Laugh: Women Create Comedy is the new comedy feature film development initiative from Warp X and Birds Eye View with the support of Skillset. The companies plan to champion brilliant female comedy talent in the UK, and to bring female led comedy feature films to the screen, by creating a new programme of development.

Last Laugh will select 15 women with exceptional talent from a performance or writing background in different disciplines: radio, television, comedy theatre and stand-up. We believe this creative cross-pollination is key to discovering exciting new voices with the potential to create fantastic comedy films. All participants will have considerable professional experience in the comedy field plus a real ambition to create smart, low-budget, commercial feature ideas for the international marketplace.

Recent UK data shows that women aged 35 plus make up the biggest single part of UK cinema audiences and that comedy is the most financially successful film genre. We are also struck by the noticeable lack of woman-made feature comedy and that the continuing lack of women filmmakers in the global and British film industries is an anachronistic anomaly that is overdue for change.

The deadline for applications is 26 September, and all information on how to apply, plus the relevant forms, are available on the web site.

Favourite Irish TV

The RTÉ Guide is running a survey of its readers to establish Ireland's Favourite 100 TV Shows of All Time. People can register their preferences online.

The closing date for entries is midday on the 17th of September.

Venice Awards 2008

At the weekend the Venice Film Festival Awards 2008 were handed out.

The Wrestler, written by Robert D. Siegel and directed by Darren Aronofsky, won The Golden Lion.

The Special Jury Prize went to Teza, which was written and directed by Haile Gerima. Gerima also won the Best Screenplay award.

Hunger, which was co-written by Steve McQueen and Edna Walsh, and directed by Steve McQueen, won the Gucci Group Award.

A full list of all the awards can be viewed here.

Hogg at Light House

On Wednesday, the 10th of September at 6.45pm, the Light House Cinema in Dublin is showing a special preview of Unrelated, the new film written and directed by Joanna Hogg.

Joanna Hogg will be in attendance at the screening and will introduce the film. Afterward Joanna will participate in a Q&A session with the audience, facilitated by writer and critic Mary Rose Doorly.

Filmbase Shortlist 08

Filmbase has announced the shortlist of applicants for the June 2008 Filmbase/RTÉ Short Film Award. There were over 250 entries, and ten projects have been selected for the next interview round:

• "Sunshower" (Neal Rowland)
• "The Grave Robber" (Nicholas Wilkinson)
• "A Blood Coloured Moon" (Marc-Ivan O'Gorman)
• "Mother's Maiden Name" (Gary Bermingham)
• "Riders to the Sea" (Orla Walsh)
• "In Salutem Omnium" (Denis McArdle)
• "Harry Goes to the Bank" (Rory Dungan)
• "Falling Man" (Thomas Martin)
• "The Pool" (Thomas Hefferon)
• "The Mill" (David Freyne)

The deadline for the next award is Friday 30th January 2009, and applications will only be accepted from Friday 16th January.