Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 11 Jun 1996

Vol. 466 No. 6

Written Answers. - American Film Market Conference.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

74 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the reason Ireland was not represented at the major conference for film location for American film producers held in Los Angeles in February 1996 in view of his recent visit to the United States to bolster the Irish film industry. [12175/96]

Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht (Mr. M. Higgins)

I am happy to inform the Deputy that, since the establishment of STATCOM — the Committee of State bodies and agencies involved with the Irish film industry — there has been an enhanced presence by Irish producers at international film and trade festivals, notably at Cannes, Berlin and Venice. This increased presence has been facilitated by support from An Board Tráchtála resulting in the "Ireland on Screen" stand at both MIPTU and MIPCOM international trade fairs at Cannes, and participation at the Film Festivals by Board Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board.

I presume that the conference in Los Angeles in February 1996, which is referred to in the Deputy's question, was the annual American Film Market. While I understand that this conference is an important forum for the buying and selling of scripts and projects emanating from the American independent film sector, the position is that this year's conference took place at a time when the main elements of the new section 35 package had just been announced in the budget on 23 January 1996. My Department was subsequently involved in discussions with the Department of Finance and film industry interests which led to the final package being announced in the Finance Bill. In these circumstances, I think the Deputy would agree that to attend the conference at a time when the final package had yet to emerge would not have been productive.

The primary motivation behind my recent visit to the United States was an invitation which I have received in August of last year to deliver the keynote address at a United States National Conference on the theme of Irish Film and culture in Charlottesville, Virginia, on 9-11 May 1996. As plans for the trip progressed, I decided to take the opportunity to visit Los Angeles also and to promote the new section 35 tax package for investment in films and other advantages of film production in Ireland to American film producers.

My message to the many film producers whom I met during my visits was that, with the new section 35 package in place until mid-1999, and given the proactive logistical support which is available here from both central and local government in terms of the provision of locations, facilities and technical support, the producers should give serious consideration to the location of film and television production in Ireland over the next three years.