Reel News

A roundup of this week's other film newsd

Film funding from Kildare

Ahoy, budding film-makers. The Kildare Co Council Arts Service will award a €2,500 bursary to film-makers living in or originally from that picturesque place. Applications, due by March 19th, will be accepted from individual film-makers or from production companies. Application forms and other information can be found at kildare.ie/artsservice.

Game epic set for filming in North

The prestigious US cable network HBO has confirmed that its adaptation of George RR Martin's epic Game of Thronessequence, one of the key fantasy series of the age, is to be largely shot in Northern Ireland. Mark Huffam, the Irish producer of such films as Captain Corelli's Mandolin, will be in charge, and the cast includes such luminaries as Sean Bean, Jennifer Ehle and Peter Dinklage.

Informed that one of the biggest series ever made in Europe was coming to Ulster, Arlene Foster, the Northern Ireland enterprise minister, offered her support. “This is extremely positive news for Northern Ireland and a development which will deliver major economic benefits, not only by utilising our growing film and television expertise but also in profiling our unique and attractive landscape to visitors around the world.”

Come to think of it, Arlene does come across a little like a sword’n’sorcery enthusiast.

Tarantino sued for Kill Bill

Did you see Kill Bill? Did you recognise the references to Lady Snowblood, They Call Her One Eye, Game of Death and Samurai Reincarnation? Of course you did. Well, you won't be surprised to hear that Quentin Tarantino is being sued for plagiarism. It transpires, however, that the plaintiff is not one of the older film-makers who influenced QT. One Dannez Hunter claims he submitted a treatment to Miramax back in 1999 featuring a character named Ren Short – a kind of samurai – who, when a child, saw his mother brutally murdered "in a cartoon format".

Hmm? Good luck with that, mate.

Squeaky clean films for Florida

An interesting hoo-ha is blowing up in the perennially strange locale that is steamy Florida. The Sunshine State’s film commission recently launched an initiative to draw movie production to the area. Fair enough. But examine the small print and you will discover a provision that permits denial of tax breaks to films that feature “non-traditional family values”. What can this mean?

"Think of it as Mayberry," Stephen Precourt, a Republican politician, said, referring to the idyllic setting of ancient sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. "That's when I grew up – the '60s. That's what life was like. I want Florida to be known for making those kinds of movies: Disney movies for kids and all that stuff. Like it used to be, you know?"

Precourt was asked if the inclusion of gay characters in a script would be enough to deny a film state support. “That would not be the kind of thing I’d say that we want to invest public dollars in,” he replied unambiguously.

There’s the great makings of a really serious brawl in this developing controversy.

Thank you mom and dad for turning me on to such a groovy profession

- Oscar winner Jeff Bridges retains his legendary cool at the microphone

• See Donald Clarke's blog at irishtimes.com/blogs/ screenwriter