22 April 2016
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Film In Cork is pleased to announce that the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is sponsoring its monthly Production Club training initiative. The announcement coincided with the latest Production Club event, which took place in RTÉ Cork on Thursday, April 21st.
One evening each month, Film In Cork’s Production Club hosts industry experts at local and national level, offering invaluable insight to the participants attending. The Production Club, which kicked off in January and runs until June this year, offers a tangible and accessible opportunity for the expansion of the production community in the region and is aimed at writers, directors and producers in Cork City and County.
Speaking about the initiative, Michael O’Keeffe, Chief Executive of the BAI said “Through its sponsorship support of events and activities such as Film in Cork’s Production Club, the BAI seeks to contribute to the growth and continued development of the industry in Ireland. We sees the value in investing in training initiatives such as this and are delighted to assist, in some way, in realising the opportunities it offers to the production community in Cork. ”
The calibre of speakers featuring on a monthly basis at these training sessions is helping to elevate the evolution of Cork’s production industry. Guest speaker at the April Production Club event was Paul Young, CEO of the twice Academy Award and BAFTA nominated animation studio, Cartoon Saloon, who, supported by Film In Cork and Screen Training Ireland, hosted an animation workshop for professionals and students in the field of animation earlier that day in Cork.
Past speakers, such as Cork producer Conor Barry, reflect the talent that has emerged from the region to date. Conor’s feature film “Mammal” had its world premiere in competition at Sundance earlier this year, and he offered insight and advice on his professional journey as a producer at the Production Club series last month.
Commenting on BAI’s sponsorship, Rossa Mullin, who runs Film In Cork said “We’re thrilled to have the BAI sponsor our Production Club. Having attracted considerable interest from Cork’s large pool of talented writers, directors and producers, the level of demand demonstrates the need for similar creative initiatives going forward and this is only possible through the support of organisations such as the BAI.”
The Production Club takes place in RTÉ Cork’s studio, which is an invaluable resource to Cork’s production community. There is constant production in the studio throughout the year, including series like ‘The Today Show’ and ‘Nationwide’.
Speaking about hosting the Production Club, Colm Crowley, Head of RTÉ Cork said “Here at RTÉ Cork, we are delighted to host Film In Cork’s monthly Production Club events. It is important, particularly for emerging talent, to see that this is an industry where focused hard work goes on, week in, week out, all year around; and we’re proud to say that nowhere demonstrates this better than RTÉ Cork’s studio.”
Supported by both Cork City Council and Cork County Council Arts Offices, Film In Cork provides production, location and training services to those working in film, television, and animation.
