Screen Directors Guild of Ireland

The Screen Directors Guild of is delighted to announce that Ireland will be the spotlight of the Annecy Animation Festival 2012.

 The Annecy International Animation Film Festival is partnering with The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland to pay special tribute to Irish animation at the world renowned festival in Annecy, France. Irish animation features, short films and TV programs will be seen by the leading players in the animation industry at its annual festival and market.

Founded in 1960, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival is the world’s largest event entirely focused on animation. The International Animation Film Market (Mifa) is held side by side with the Festival.

Executive Director of SDGI, Birch Hamilton said:

“We have a huge amount of talented animation directors in Ireland and the fact that Annecy has chosen Ireland as the spotlight country for the global animation showcase is a great recognition of the world-class animation produced in Ireland today.”

Chairman of SDGI’s Animation Committee Jason Tammemagi said: “We are thrilled to have Ireland as the spotlight country of the prestigious Annecy 2012 festival, a recognition of how Irish Animation has made its mark globally and also a celebration of the quality, diversity and creativity of Irish animation talent.”

 

The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland has a number of high profile directors such as Paul Bolger, Darragh O’Connell, Lorcan Finnegan, Eoghan Kidney,Tomm Moore, Jimmy Murakami, Joel Simon and Jason Tammemagi and Steve Woods.  Between them they have made 8 features, 124 hours of television, 159 years working in animation, made 54 shorts, won 81 awards and made 249 commercials.

The 6th US Distribution Showcase for an Irish film director is presented by the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland and the Directors Guild of America.The hugely prestigious Directors Finders Series Award 2010 has launched today, calling for entries from Irish directors of feature length fiction or documentary who have not secured U.S distribution for their films. The initiative, conceived by the Directors Guild of America and facilitated by the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, presents an Irish director with an opportunity to showcase their film in the prestigious Director’s Guild of America Theatre, Sunset Boulevard, L.A, to an audience of American distributors & industry personnel with a view to securing a U.S distribution deal.  Equally as significant, this opportunity also affords the winning director a unique DGA/SDGI facilitated weeklong networking experience during their time in LA, attending specially arranged meetings with industry peers in an effort to enhance and develop their international directorial career. An international panel of experts will select the winning director & film from the entries, and the winning film will be officially announced early July with a special awards ceremony taking place in Dublin on September 22nd to be hosted by a yet to be disclosed leading international director. The film & the director will then travel to L.A where an official screening will take place on Friday 1st October in the DGA Theatre.As it gets tougher to gain that all-elusive US distribution deal & to get ones ‘break’ in the LA film industry, previous winners have acknowledged the direct & immediate impact of this award on their careers, as well as on the success of the respective film. Indeed the 2008 winner, Tomm Moore & the animation feature ‘The Secret of Kells’, acknowledges that with the Finders Series being his only major screening in the US, that it was undoubtedly this that not only led to the film gaining US distribution, but also to his 2010 Academy Award Nomination in the Animated Feature Category. Significantly for the first year, the 2010 Directors Finders Series has removed the timeline clause which previously had allowed only for films shot in the previous year to apply. Also removed is the stipulation that the director be Irish, in favour of them being required to be an SDGI director-member working in Ireland. This opens up the field significantly. Due to the phenomenal success over the last five years of the Directors Finders Series, SDGI & the DGA are extremely enthusiastic about this years’ Series. 
Kathy Garmezy, Associate Executive Director, Directors Guild of America;"SDGI has been the most forward-thinking and involved participant of all the IAESDO members. The films they select have been consistently superior and manage to exceed our expectations each year. Each selection has showcased the magnificent directorial talent and distinctly Irish points of view coming out of (this) dynamic film industry.”
The Directors Finders Series is supported by the Irish Film Board, the Directors Guild of America, Culture Ireland, American Airlines, Screen Training Ireland & The Morrison Hotel. 

John Carney hosts Irish Film Awards & advises winning director on what to expect in L.A!

The word on the ground last night was that The Directors Finders Series is the 'New IFTA's!'

Speaking to a crowded Film & TV event run by The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, The Directors Finders Series,John Carney told how he found himself in the middle of a bidding war with 'Once' & actually heard the buzz about the film while sitting in a taxi & overhearing others sharing the taxi speaking about a 'great, quirkly little Irish Musical Film!'

He wished winning director, Tomm Moore & his feature animation 'The Secret of Kells' all the best when they head over to L.A in two weeks time for their industry screening on Sunset Boulevard, in an effort to get a U.S distribution deal for the film & hopes that he will find himself in the same 'great position of fielding call after call from the top guys in the top distribution houses.'

Also co-hosted by Michael Apted (The Chronicles of Narnia: Dawn Treader, Gorillas in the Mist, The World is Not Enough, etc), Michael said that he believed there was a very good chance in Tomm & his feature animation being very successful in the U.S.

In addition to the 350 high profile film & television industry attendees, there were representatives from the Directors Guilds of American, Canada, Britain, Australia & New Zealand in attendance....including such names as Roger Michell (Notting Hill, Changing Lanes),  Ciaran Donnelly (The Tudors Series 1, 2, 3, Robinhood), Declan Recks (Pure Mule, Eden), Paddy Breathnach (Man About Dog, Shrooms, I Went Down).

The new wave of Irish animation talent also supported the event including Academy Award nominated Brown Bag Films (‘Give Up Yer Aul Sins’).

Release Ends

For further information & pictures contact us on the below details.

Best regards,
Michelle Connolly
Production Manager
Directors Finders Series 2008
Mob: 087 814 0713
www.sdgi.ie

 The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, in association with the Directors Guild of America, is delighted to announce that the winner of the

Directors Finders Series 2008is

 Tomm Moore & his feature “The Secret of Kells”

As the winner of The Directors Finders Series, the animation feature “The Secret of Kells” will be showcased in the Director’s Guild of America Theatre, Sunset Boulevard, L.A, on 19th September 2008 to an audience of American distributors & industry personnel with a view to securing a U.S distribution deal for the film.

Selected by an international panel of experts “The Secret of Kells’” tells the animated story of the boy behind the famed Book of Kells.

Twelve hundred years ago, an orphan named Brendan meets Brother Aidan, the keeper of an extraordinary, but unfinished book of illuminations. Aidan sets Brendan a great task, to complete the Book of Kells. With the threat of invading Vikings all around & with the help of Aisling, a mysterious young girl, Brendan faces his deepest fears to complete the task.

This year, SDGI will launch Tomm Moore & his film “The Secret of Kells” at a special Industry Awards Ceremony on 4th September in Dublin in The Morrison Hotel, to precede the L.A Screening Event.

This event will be will be officially opened by the Minister for Arts, Sports & Tourism, Martin Cullen & will be co-hosted by internationally acclaimed directors Jim Sheridan & Michael Apted, (The Chronicles of Narnia, Gorillas in the Mist, The World is Not Enough, etc).

The Screen Directors Guild is very excited about the 2008 Directors Finders Series due to the overwhelming success of last years’ Dublin & L.A events, as well as last years winning director Tom Collins & his film ‘Kings’ successfully going on to get a U.S distribution deal, being Ireland’s official nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in the Academy Awards & winning 5 IFTA’s earlier this year.

For further information or photos contact the Production Manager, Michelle Connolly on michelle@sdgi.ie / 087 814 0713

This award is supported by The Irish Film Board, The DGA, The Arts Council, Culture Ireland and Screen Training Ireland.