19/12/2022 - The deal was inked in Paris on 12 December by the Ambassador of Ireland to France, Niall Burgess, and the French Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul-Malak

French Minister of Culture Rima Abdul-Malak (left) and Ambassador of Ireland to France Niall Burgess during the signing of the treaty

Last week, the governments of France and Ireland signed a historic co-production agreement, which promises to “enable and encourage increased collaboration and production between both countries”. The deal was signed on 12 December in Paris by the Ambassador of Ireland to France, Niall Burgess, and the French Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul-Malak.

During the signing event, Burgess and Abdul-Malak spoke about the countries’ shared passion for cinema, and the importance of supporting cultural diversity and European unity. The agreement builds on the “already strong and existing relationships in animation between France and Ireland, which have resulted in Academy Award-nominated animated films like Wolfwalkers [+see also:
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The press release published by Screen Ireland, the country’s audiovisual agency, explains how the treaty “will enable Ireland to develop a closer working relationship with French producers and production companies.

“If a project is certified as an official co-production, it confers national status of all of the co-production territories upon that project, and it is effectively regarded as a national production in each of the co-producing territories. The production is then eligible to benefit from local territory benefits in the co-producing country, such as broadcast licence fees, access to tax incentives, regional subsidies and the local distribution market,” the communiqué continues.

During the signing event, it was also announced that a Franco-Irish industry workshop is set to take place at the Cannes Film Festival next May in order to encourage and facilitate co-production projects between the two countries.

Susan Bergin, chair of the board of Screen Ireland, commented: “This treaty is a fantastic opportunity for Ireland to build closer working relationships with French producers and production companies, and to tell cultural stories across both nations, recognising our countries’ shared values and distinct offerings as cinematic storytellers. As a result of this new agreement, we’re looking forward to creating more feature films for the big screen together, as we continue to champion European co-production for decades to come.”

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin TD added: “The signing of this co-production agreement will lead to benefits for the industry in Ireland and will incentivise work between our two film industries. The bilateral basis of the agreement allows for cultural stories to be told across both territories, recognising our shared values and opening up access to a wider talent pool based in both France and Ireland. There is great potential now to deepen the cultural conversation between Ireland and France further, and create further employment opportunities.”

For Ireland, this is the second co-production treaty sealed with an EU Member State, following the first agreement inked with Luxembourg in 2011.