Leading consultancy firm puts Limerick’s local film sector under spotlight

Innovate Limerick through Film in Limerick launched aim to gather feedback for a report on developing Limerick film sector. Minister Kieran O’Donnell pictured with members of Film in Limerick and Innovate Limerick. Pic. Brian Arthur

Innovate Limerick through Film in Limerick have launched a series of roundtable events to gather feedback for a report on developing the Mid-West Film & TV sector

The Film and TV sector in the region has seen unprecedented growth in recent years, with several returnable TV series including Hidden Assets, Smother and the upcoming Blackshore series being produced here in the Mid-West.

Leading this development is Film in Limerick, the film office for the Mid-West, which works to promote the region as a location for film production and supports productions filming here. The sector has gone from strength to strength and has built up a large local crew base, through initiatives such as the Crew Academy, run by Film in Limerick in partnership with Screen Ireland.

Innovate Limerick has now commissioned leading Film/TV consultancy Olsberg SPI to undertake an in-depth analysis of the Mid-West’s current film production capacity. The report will look at its strengths, weaknesses, constraints and capacity gaps in key areas of production and skills, as well as opportunities for future growth. The study includes a thorough analysis of the Mid-West’s existing production industry infrastructure and resources to provide a detailed assessment of challenges in the region. It will also identify opportunities to increase current levels of production and training and to establish the Mid-West as a screen production hub.

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A series of roundtable events to bring together key stakeholders was led by Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, Kieran O’Donnell. The events took place at Innovate Limerick’s new Engine Collaboration Centre building at Engine on Cecil Street and involved representatives from the region’s training and education institutions, public sector stakeholders, as well as local film industry producers and crew.

Paul C. Ryan, Regional Film Manager at Film in Limerick said: “Our vision is for the region to be a major centre for production. Not only high-end inward TV productions but also a focus on developing new local talent and companies. We are excited to be working with the team at Olsberg SPI to carry out a detailed analysis of the local industry, the results of which can be leveraged to create a sustainable growth plan for the future”.

The report, made possible by support from Mid-West Regional Skills Forum, Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board and the Local Enterprise Offices in Limerick, Tipperary and Clare, will be launched early next year.

Find out more about Film in Limerick here.
Read more Film stories here.