Ireland and Luxembourg Sign Treaty to Co-Produce Films

Luxembourg's Minister for communications and Ireland's Minister for Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan signed the first Irish Luxembourg Co-production Treaty over the weekend.

The goal of the treaty is to increase productions between the two countries and to encourage both countries to share resources, government incentives and local markets.

The treaty was signed at Ireland's leading film festival, Galway Film Fleadh.

Minister Deenihan stated "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. 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."

The first film to produced under the treaty is At Swim-Two-Birds which will be co-produced by Parallel films and Luxembourg producer Jani Thiltes. The story line is about a playwright whose life begins to mingle with the fictional characters he has created. The film will be in English and is expected to bring in $11,000,000.

Luxembourg's Minister François Biltgen said "Sixteen years of bilateral collaboration and friendship have been the runway for signing this Treaty which will hopefully bring long-lasting partnership between our two countries."

Source: The Irish Film & Television Network (IFTN)

Published July 11, 2011, 8:58 a.m.

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