Film seminar told industry needs better co-ordination

THE political climate which helped foster the emergence of an Irish film industry through Section 35 financial incentives and support structures such as the Irish Film Board "may not be as supportive as many might think", a seminar on the future of the industry was told yesterday.

The director of IBEC's audiovisual production federation, Mr Thomas McCabe, told the seminar at the Galway Film Fleadh that while a change of government could easily lead to a change in attitude to the industry, he was in favour of the retention of Section 35 at least until 2010 with the necessary support framework.

Future strategic planning needed, however, to take cognisance of the dramatic changes in television with the arrival of digital TV, which has in turn been superseded by the Internet, Mr McCabe said.

The reality was that the youth market was driving the Interact market, principally in the form of video games which were in turn technology driven. "Cinema audiences are subservient to TV audiences who are in turn subservient to the Internet."

The Irish film sector still lacked co-ordination. Mr McCabe said this could be overcome by setting up the appropriate umbrella organisations which would meet on a regular basis. Asked where they would meet, Mr McCabe replied. "On the Internet."

Changes in the 1996 Budget on Section 35 did not bring the debate to an end, Mr Chris O'Grady of the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, said. Attempts were being made to counteract problems of small, poorly resourced Irish film production companies producers who were diffuse and incoherent, and certain trade union restrictions.

While a major training initiative to counteract skills shortfalls had been delayed by lack of funding, it would proceed, he said.

The 680 plus young people emerging each year from third level institutions had some level of competence in TV/film production, but did not have the sharpness required. He did not accept, however, that those institutions could not compete ink the marketplace.

The Government was still committed to establishing a film commission, but consideration of how best to do it was ongoing and a budget had yet to be allocated for it, Mr O'Grady said.

Such a commission would play an important role in providing a one stop shop for incoming film production companies and could help indigenous companies by having a data base, according to Ms Lelia Doolan, chairwoman of the Irish Film Board and Stutcom, a committee made up of State agencies which is working to remove obstacles to the creation of a strong infrastructure for Irish film.

"Film is the art form of our time. It is also big business", she said. "What we hope to do, in the next 10 to 15 years, is to establish the cultural and industrial framework to sustain and give permanence to this vital national asset."

The independent film maker Mr Joe Comerford said that a failure to develop film in Ireland as an art form meant that the process of ensuring a sustainable industry with the very necessary business element was also going to fail.