Irish Film Board to Receive $250M Funding Boost and New Branding

Ireland's national film body - which has helped support the likes of 'Room,' 'Brooklyn' and 'Vikings' – is to become Screen Ireland in June.

The Irish Film Board, Ireland's national film body that has helped back titles such as Brooklyn and Room, is set to receive €200 million ($247 million) over the next 10 years from the Irish government.

The funding boost – up from around €10 million the IFB received in 2016 and announced as part of a wider 10-year plan to invest €1.2 billion in Irish culture, heritage and language infrastructure – is set to go into into high-end TV, film and animation projects, alongside training and a regional production fund aimed at promoting filming outside the hubs of Dublin and Wicklow.

Also announced was the decision to rebrand the Irish Film Board as Screen Ireland as of June 18, 2018, to better reflect the agency's remit beyond simply the big screen.

The funding boost is a welcome addition to Ireland's growing appeal as a film and TV hub. Alongside award-winning titles such as Room and Brooklyn, the country famously welcomed both Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi to its shores, and has become home to TV shows like Vikings, Into the Badlands and George R.R. Martin's upcoming series with NBCUniversal, Nightflyers.

"This transition represents more than a name change, as it seeks to represent the ever-evolving nature of the sector thanks to the international revolution within the audio-visual sector, largely driven by a host of new internet platforms alongside the continued success of the traditional film and TV industry," said IFB chair, Annie Doona on the rebranding.

"As Screen Ireland, we will remain steadfastly committed to supporting diverse Irish voices on film, as well as capitalizing on the opportunities for growth currently experienced within the sector."