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Carey Fitzgerald
Now in its twelfth year, Irish Film London (IFL) has restructured and rebranded itself to become Irish Film & TV UK (IFTUK). IFTUK plans to increase its engagement with the Irish diaspora and encompass every nation and region of the UK, not just in London. From an organisational perspective, it will remain as Irish Film London but will trade under the banner of ‘Irish Film & TV UK’ (IFTUK).
The Board of IFTUK is currently working on its long-term strategy, putting together its plans for the next five years. IFTUK’s emphasis remains on promoting Irish Film, TV, Animation, Culture and Education in the UK.
The Board is looking forward to November when IFTUK’s 2023 Annual Irish Film Festival & Awards Ceremony will take place in London on15th to 19th November. The Board is in the process of creating a Selection Committee & Jury for its November 2023 Festival, enabling IFTUK to be more inclusive and diverse. In addition to the Festival Screenings and Workshops, IFTUK plans to showcase work in progress and new talent coming from Ireland and Irish filmmakers around the world.
The Organisation plans to expand its St Brigid’s & St. Patrick’s Festivals in 2024, promoting both female and male filmmakers respectively, focusing on talent with an emphasis on both female and male issues. An addition to the IFTUK calendar includes plans for LGBTQ+ events during the 2024 Pride month. The Board is also planning to collaborate with other organisations to help IFTUK better focus on supporting other issues, such as physical & mental health and social issues, particularly within the Irish Community.
IFTUK will be relaunching and re-branding its website in the coming weeks embracing new technology with the addition of the IFTUK App to keep the world up-to-date on IFTUK’s activities.
The Chair of IFTUK is film industry veteran Carey Fitzgerald and recently the Board has been developed to include people who possess a range of skills that are relevant, diverse and industry-focused. The current board is made up as follows:
JoJo Dye – a seasoned Events and Film Festival expert whose experience extends to running events at the Cannes, Berlin, and Abu Dhabi Film Festivals.
Martin Myers – a highly respected Film Distribution, Exhibition & Festival expert with a UK-wide reach.
Paddy Oglivy – whose expertise lies within Information Technology and Governance bringing better operational structure to IFTUK.
David Clark – an experienced film royalty accountant who brings financial expertise.
Michael Martin, Vice Chair and Treasurer – an accountant experienced in the not-for-profit sector who joined IFL in2020.
Part of the Board’s Strategic Review was to recruit a legal expert to the Board and IFTUK announced today the appointment of Steven Greenfields who will lead on
Development, Legal & Business Affairs. Steven was Head of Legal and Business Affairs at leading independent production company, Scala Productions, working on numerous productions, including the Oscar-winning The Crying Game and Oscar-nominated Little Voice. He then worked on some of the biggest deals of his generation at some of the best-known law firms in the world before setting up his own multi-award-winning international law firm in 2009, SZ Greenfields.
IFTUK is looking forward to the future, a future where it can raise the profile of Irish Film, TV, Animation and Culture across the whole of the UK. It will provide Directors, Producers, Actors, Screenwriters and filmmakers in general with a wide-reaching platform, including networking opportunities, to help them to engage and collaborate.
The organisation is keen for Irish filmmakers to promote their professions and encourage newcomers to the industry.