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Irish Film & TV UK appoint new director to the board and members to the IFTUK advisory group

Film makers including Neil Jordan and festival oragnisers pictured with the Ambassador Martin Fraser and his wife Deirdre at the embassy for the Irish Film London Awards in November.

Irish Film & TV UK (IFTUK) have announced the appointment of Mark Costello to the board today.

Originally from Dublin, Mark attended Trinity College Dublin and later qualified as a corporate and commercial solicitor at a leading law firm in Dublin.

Prior to joining Sony Pictures in London, where he works as Legal Counsel, Mark developed expertise in media and entertainment law.

Mark was previously part of the IFTUK Advisory Group and served as a Jury Member for the Best Feature Documentary category at the 2024 Irish Film Awards.

In his new role, he will lead on Fundraising and Sponsorship, with former Director of Sponsorship Nicola Wadell taking the lead on Production & Broadcasting.

Mark commented on his appointment: “I am delighted to join the Board of IFTUK and to play a role in supporting its mission of promoting Irish film and culture in the UK. IFTUK does incredible work championing Irish talent and connecting communities through storytelling, and I’m excited to contribute to its growth and continued success.”

IFTUK also recently appointed an advisory group, whose members continue to support the Board and the Delivery Team.

The members include journalist and multimedia producer from Derry, Mary Carson. Mary has produced short and long-form journalism across all platforms. She co-produced Barbaric Genius with Irish director Paul Duane in 2011, returning to journalism to produce, direct, and commission short and long-form content at The Guardian, before being enticed back to the world of independent documentary.

Digital producer, podcaster, presenter, and social media manager Michael Sheridan has also joined the group. He is chair of Channel 4’s climate network 4Earth and has represented the Channel at global conferences including the United Nations COP. Michael has presented podcasts for Audi and the Edinburgh TV Festival, as well as public speaking engagements for the BBC, Royal Television Society, Media Trust, and The Sustainability Show. Michael is also an ambassador for the NGO One Campaign and the LGBTQ+ charity Just Like Us.

Advisory group member Kevin Law has been actively involved in international film and TV sales and acquisitions for the past twenty years. Currently consulting for London-based genre specialists Jinga Films and previously Territory Sales Manager at High Point Films & TV, Kevin handles Event Management for trade body Film Export UK, where he is responsible for the planning and implementation of the Berlin EFM UK umbrella stand. He was a Jury Member for the Short Film Category at the 2024 Irish Film Awards and regularly advises Irish filmmakers on their projects as part of the Industry Marketplace at the Galway Film Fleadh.

IFTUK Chair Carey Fitzgerald commented on the appointments: “We are delighted to welcome Mark to the Board of IFTUK and know his expertise and contacts will be an important and integral addition to the well-rounded IFTUK Board. Although as a Board we are laser-focused on good governance, legal and financial stability, our Board Members are all experts in their field of Film & TV and Irish Culture. Mark’s experience and contacts add to this perfectly. The IFTUK Advisory Group is new to the organisation and the members’ broad industry experience and expertise complement each other and are a great addition to the IFTUK Team as a whole. We have great plans for 2025, which will be an exciting year for IFTUK and Irish Film Culture as a whole.”

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