Annie Doona: Once in a lifetime opportunity to build on Oscars success

This weekend we will see the outcome of a long and challenging campaign, the culmination of much handshaking and media appearances. The votes will be cast and counted, the results finally known.

While I am very interested in the outcome of the general election, the campaign that I and the Irish film industry have been following more keenly is the awards journey that had led us to the Academy Awards ceremony next Sunday night in LA. The eyes of the film world are on Ireland this year – it has already coined #OscarsSoIrish. The red carpet will welcome an unprecedented nine Irish nominees, seven of which are nominated for Irish Film Board-funded films Room and Brooklyn.

To say that this is remarkable is an understatement, particularly given the population of Ireland and the comparatively low level of funding available to support our film talent.

The deserved international recognition and success of Irish films will have a significant knock-on benefit for Ireland, for Irish culture and the Irish economy as a whole. The sense of pride among the industry and the wider public in this achievement is palpable.

Recognition through awards, box office figures and audience engagement is one of the more common measures of success for the sector – and Ireland is breaking records in all three areas. Audiences worldwide engaged with Irish stories in film this year. Impressive international sales and box office figures were experienced, with Irish films estimated to have taken about $55 million at the box office.

Support

The film board’s mandate is to support and develop creative talent. The directors of

Room

and

Brooklyn

,

Lenny Abrahamson

and

John Crowley

, are just two examples of how sustained support from the early stage of someone’s career can lead to greater things. Both directors made their feature film debuts with IFB-funded films – Abrahamson with

Adam & Paul

(2004) and Crowley with

Intermission

(2003).

Irish writers, directors and stars get their breaks on films produced by production companies who in turn have received funding from the Irish Film Board (IFB).

The success we experienced in 2015 and now into 2016 is the culmination of long-term investment in talent – and in particular investment made when the board’s funding was almost double what it is now. Like many others we played our necessary part during the recession – but we have now reached a critical moment for the film industry. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to build on the success enjoyed this year and to keep the momentum going, and we must not get it wrong.

Award nominations are always welcome, but the lifeblood of the industry is dependent on its ability to secure funding for the development of new talent and projects.

This year’s general election campaign has focused almost exclusively on other issues such as taxation measures and the quality of public services – both of which merit significant focus and debate – but there has been a regrettable dearth of discussion about Ireland’s cultural identity and cultural future.

In this year of the centenary of 1916, the arts should be at the heart of Ireland’s cultural identity – arguably it is a statement of what it means to be Irish itself. Irish storytelling on film is as vital to the lifeblood of Ireland as any and all of our other cultural and economic endeavours.

Capitalise

The new government must re-evaluate the priority it affords the arts and the film sector in the programme for government for the next five years. If they don’t, the opportunity to capitalise on this year’s success to ensure a bright, creative future will have been lost.

Ireland has had seven Academy Award nominations for IFB-funded short films in recent years. New and existing filmmakers in Ireland will be inspired by this year's Academy Award nominees. Our responsibility is to ensure that their inspiration and ambition can be matched with opportunities and support. Adequate funding is needed if we are to be able to do this.

While not the case for the general election candidates, there will be no Irish losers at Sunday night’s Oscars, no disappointments.

On Oscar night, these nominees and their creations will be seen on TV screens in 200 countries, and by audiences around the world on the online live stream – an estimated 1 billion people. To be nominated is truly a win.

Let’s all get behind the nominees, and everyone involved, to show our pride in what they have done, and continue to do, for Ireland.

Annie Doona is acting chairwoman of the The Irish Film Board