Pictured at the launch of the new WRAP Fund at the Fís TV Summit last week is Aideen Doherty from Donegal Film Office with Declan Gibbons Galway Film Centre , Geraldine McLoughlin, Investment Executive, Western Development Commission, Minister Sean Kyne, Celine Curtin, Chairperson of Galway City of Film
Donegal Film Office welcomes a new €2 million fund to encourage the film, television, animation and game industry in the West of the country was launched last week by the Minister of State for Rural Affairs and Natural Resources Seán Kyne. It is estimated that this investment will create 90 direct additional jobs within the industry in the Western Region.
The Western Region Audiovisual Producer’s Fund — or WRAP Fund — is an initiative of the Galway Film Centre and the Western Development Commission (WDC). It will run over a three-year period in association with the local authorities in the counties of Clare, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo.
The objective of the new WRAP Fund is to facilitate the development of, and investment in, film, television, gaming and animation projects in the Western Region. It is hoped that it will increase the number of screen content production projects undertaken in the region, creating direct employment of 90 jobs. As well as supporting local projects, it is hoped that the Fund will also help attract international production companies to the western region, having knock-on benefits for the wider economy and for future tourism to the region.
The WRAP Fund is aiming to support 15 development projects, with an expectation that at least 20 per cent of these would secure resources to go into full production. Around another 10 internationally funded co-productions will be supported in the region. To be eligible for the fund, projects must demonstrate commercial potential and have a significant presence in the Western Region.
The aim of investing in projects with commercial potential will allow the Fund to make a return on investment in order to create a legacy fund for future projects within the region. Full details of the eligibility and how to apply will be available once the WRAP Fund is up and running early next year.
Recruitment of a WRAP Fund Development Manager will begin in the next few weeks.
Funding for the initiative has been ring-fenced by the WDC from its Revolving Evergreen Western Investment Fund. The local authorities in the counties involved will provide funding towards operational costs.
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