Last picture show: movie-making here hits all-time low
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The number of foreign productions filming in Ireland has hit an all-time low with just nine film and television dramas coming here over the past year.
The Irish Film Commission, which promotes Ireland as a film location as well as providing location services to local and overseas filmmakers, managed to attract just nine international film and TV dramas including The Escapist, a prison drama starring Joseph Fiennes which was shot in the vaults under Connolly station in Dublin.
Other offerings included The Tudors, which helped its star Jonathan Rhys Meyers receive his second Golden Globe nomination, and My Boy Jack featuring Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe and Sex and the City's Kim Cattrall.
Of the nine productions, six came from the UK and one each from America, France and Germany.
The industry is now calling on the Government to introduce new measures to help improve Ireland's competitiveness.
The Section 481 tax relief, which was renewed by Finance Minister Brian Cowen in his Budget earlier this month, is currently up for review and the Irish Film Board (IFB) will publish its recommendations early this year.
"We have to be more internationally competitive. The fact that the Section 481 was extended recently is fantastic and shows that the Government is committed to the industry," said a spokesperson.
- Breda Heffernan
