Comments from Lelia Doolan to contribute to the debate on the future of the IFB's low/micro-budget initiatives.

Dear BSÉ, Could You Let Us Know:

How many people (fulltime and part-time) now work for the Board? Could we have their names, roles and a short biography of each?

Might we know where they are located?

Would the Board set out its policy on cultural filmmaking. What priority does the market have in its decisions in relation to, say, single screenwriters, first-time Irish directors, experienced Irish directors?

Is the creativity/originality of the script preferred to the deal? Or vice versa? Have criteria for this process been reviewed?

The Board appears to be introducing aggressive new fiscal policies. Would it care to set out its recoupment approach (rates, duration etc.) to the various categories of films that it supports?

Similarly, could the Board publish its attitude to copyright ownership etc.

Does the Board expect to make a profit on its loans? If so, of what order?

At what point does the Board require a Sales Agent to be attached to a project – and is this true for short films, animation, documentaries and feature films?

What is the average time for an application to be accepted/rejected?

How many readers does the Board employ and what role in reading/assessing of projects do Board member undertake?

What Appeals mechanisms does the Board operate in relation to rejected applications?

Finally, would the Board think it part of its function to simplify and clarify its procedures so that as many as possible of the obstacles standing in the way of Irish filmmakers might be dismantled?

Lelia Doolan

This article was printed in Film Ireland 103 (Mar/Apr 2005)