INDUSTRY THE VIEW FROM...
THE VIEW FROM…
Ireland is playing host to a rising number of productions across film and television. The Irish Society of Cinematographers ensures local talent isn’t overlooked IRELAND
WORDS KATIE KASPERSON
K nown for its rolling hills and the beach at Curracloe doubling as Normandy in Saving Private Ryan , to Fair Head becoming Game of Thrones ’ Dragonstone cliffs, to the Cliffs of Moher making an appearance in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince , Ireland capitalises on its coastal topography. Fortunately for filmmakers, the region also boasts ease of transport, as it’s a rainy skies, the island of Ireland has all the elements of the ideal filming destination. From
ON THE MAP Key to Ireland’s appeal are, of course, the financial incentives offered to visiting filmmakers. “There’s one healthy thing called Section 481; a kind of tax rebate,” says Rolfe. He’s referring to the Section 481 Film Tax Credit, also called Film Relief, equal to 32% of eligible expenditure or €125 million (whichever is lower). This cap was recently bumped up from €70 million to attract larger productions. While blockbuster films like Braveheart and Saving Private Ryan put Ireland on
sub-three-hour journey from Galway to Dublin. “Without shouting it too loud, we seem to be one of the places working a lot,” begins JJ Rolfe, president of the Irish Society of Cinematographers (ISC). “There’s a mixture of different things happening here,” he continues, including the second and third seasons of Netflix’s Wednesday – “primarily shot by two ISC cinematographers,” Rolfe notes – and the production of feature films like The Banshees of Inisherin . “I don’t want to say it’s booming, but we’re certainly busy.”
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