Through the new co-development fund for female filmmakers, €120,000 is available for the pilot year, or €40,000 for each project, split 50/50 by the Luxembourg Film Fund and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland. The first call for projects kicks off already this month. 

“It is no secret that women in the film industry are underrepresented, also in Luxembourg,” Luxembourg Film Fund CEO Guy Daleiden said in a communiqué. “This incentive is specifically designed to tackle this issue. I am looking forward to this collaboration with our Irish friends and to seeing exciting projects from our two countries.”

His counterpart at Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, James Hickey, called the grand duchy “a long-term co-production partner of Ireland”. Indeed, “The Breadwinner” and “Song of the Sea”, both academy award nominated films, have been only a couple results of such a fruitful collaboration. 

The signature was attended by Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel, who was visiting the Cannes Fim Festival over the weekend. During his visit, he presented Hickey with the “Order of the Oak Crown” for his role in fostering Irish-Luxembourg relations, particularly in the audiovisual sector.