THE IRISH TEAM LOOKING TO PULL FOCUS ON INTERNATIONAL FILM PRODUCTION

DUBLIN, 17TH OCTOBER 2023: The Irish government’s Budget 2024, announced last Tuesday, could prove to be a historic one for the Irish audiovisual sector. It included “significant” expansion of the Section 481 credit, a tax benefit currently enjoyed by the film industry. Given that the relief had been due to expire at the end of 2024, the news was all the more significant for those working hard to attract international productions to Ireland.

CineArk’s Irish team were amongst those celebrating news which couldn’t have come at a better time - as they launch a dedicated new facility in Dublin. The management team comprising Will Rothschild (Video Operator, Dublin), Sean Leonard (DIT, Dublin) and Niall McDonald (Video Operator, Belfast) made the new move in response to local demand from a host of big budget studio productions based out of Dublin and Belfast.

Rothschild was instrumental in the formation of the new facility after growing frustrated with the lack of resources available in the region ‘film sets have changed enormously over the past few years with a great deal more reliance on portability, streaming and interconnectivity. By utilising CineArk’s cutting edge engineering, support and services, we want to play a role in bringing a dynamic and modern approach to this sector on home turf’.

The company (first established in 2016 in the UK) has enjoyed steady, organic growth of its equipment rental business in Ireland, owing in no small part to the region’s steady stream of international, location-based productions requiring highly specialised tools and technicians. Leonard comments: ‘Because of the sheer volume of location work around Dublin and the Wicklow area and in Northern Ireland, we knew that we needed equipment that is lightweight, portable and capable of quick deployment. We’ve also streamlined our DIT rigs and adapted our cases and trolleys to suit the terrain.’

The launch of CineArk in Dublin mirrors the broader growth of the film sector in Ireland which has already seen the expansion of studio space at Ardmore and the imminent arrival of an enormous Greystones studio complex. This week’s budget news has made it clear that the industry is seen as a key contributor to Ireland’s cultural output.

McDonald says, ‘we know the enormous appeal that Ireland holds for both home grown and international productions and by developing first class equipment, services and playing our role in training the next generation of technicians, we want to play our role in growing the industry and making Ireland a first-class filming destination.’

CineArk are already delivering on that ambition having previously supported a wide range of productions in Ireland, including; Cocaine Bear, Dungeons & Dragons and Disenchanted, working with Paramount, Universal and Disney.

It’s been reported that the decision to extend and expand the tax relief came after a Department of Finance cost benefit analysis recommended that this would provide certainty to the sector. With their new dedicated space in Kinsealy and a highly skilled team at the helm, CineArk Ireland is now “certain” to make the most of the opportunity open to the Irish audiovisual industry.

CineArk Ireland is now fully operational and located in a bespoke warehouse at Kinsealy Business Park, Unit 3, Kinsealy Lane, Dublin K36 FN80