Losses more than quadruple at Dublin International Film Festival

The Dublin International Film Festival (Diff) saw losses more than quadruple in 2015, a year in which the event ran later than normal, according to accounts filed with the Companies Registration Office.

The deficit for the 12 months to the end of August rose to €95,922 from €20,041 a year earlier with turnover falling marginally to €762,744 from €764,654.

Box office and advertising income totalled €217,383, as against €236,882 in the previous year, while patrons, conference and other-related income rose to €42,361 from €29,272. The organisation also received €100,000 in grants from the Arts Council and €335,000 in sponsorship.

Car brand Audi signed a three-year deal last December to become lead sponsor of the festival from 2016 onwards, replacing Jameson, which had backed the event since its inception.

In 2015, the event ran in March, a month later than usual. It returned to its traditional spot in February for this year's festival, which opened with John Carney's Sing Street.

“The directors have appropriate plans and strategies in place to fund the company into the future,” the organisation said in an accompanying note.

Diff's board includes festival chairman Gaby Smyth, film director and producer Paddy Breathnach, former RTÉ Radio managing director Clare Duignan, and The Irish Times culture editor Hugh Linehan.

The festival, founded in 2003, has hosted over 500 well-known guests including Al Pacino, Julie Andrews, Danny DeVito and Richard Gere since it was established.

The organisation employed seven people last year with staff-related costs totalling €299,947.

Submissions for filmmakers for the 2017 festival opened in late April with entry available to features, documentary, family, animation and short-film until October.