Irish Film London has restructured and rebranded itself to become Irish Film & TV UK, as it 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).
IFTUK’s emphasis remains on promoting Irish Film, TV, Animation, Culture and Education in the UK and it is looking forward to November when IFTUK’s 2023 Annual Irish Film Festival & Awards Ceremony will take place 15- 19 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 also plans to expand its St Brigid’s and 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 are 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 and 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 of JoJo Dye, a seasoned events and film festival expert, Martin Myers, the highly respected film distribution, exhibition and festival expert, Paddy Oglivy whose expertise lies within information technology and governance, David Clark, an experienced film royalty accountant, Michael Martin, Vice Chair and Treasurer, is an accountant experienced in the not-for-profit sector.
Part of the board’s strategic review was to recruit a legal expert to the Board and IFTUK have appointed 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.
Carey Fitzgerald commented: “This is an exciting time of IFTUK with the re-brand and plans for the future. We are delighted to welcome Steven to the Board. Steven’s expertise complements the skills of the rest of the Board, ensuring we are a well-rounded and strong Board”.
Vice Chair & Treasurer Michael Martin added: “IFTUK’s Board Members possess an excellent set of skills that will bring IFTUK forward in a professional and well-structured manner. Steven’s expertise will significantly contribute to IFTUK’s future ensuring the organisation is built on strong governance and financial security”.
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 film makers in general with a wide-reaching platform, including networking opportunities, to help them to engage and collaborate.
In another exciting development, The Irish Film Festival London are to be included on this year’s list of qualifying festivals for Features and Short Films at the British Independent Film Awards 2023 so films selected could qualify automatically for BIFA.
