The Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) is to delegate responsibility for film finance to the Northern Ireland Film & Television Commission (NIFTC).
Since 1995 ACNI has made 51 awards totalling £3.3m to film production and 25 development awards totalling £350,000. The hand-over, for a three-year pilot which started on April 1, will see 13% of ACNI Lottery funding allocated annually to NIFTC, amounting to more than £1m in the first year. Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive of ACNI, said:?It is a sound principle of public administration that policies should be made and grant decisions taken by those with the greatest expertise and the designated remit.We are confident that this new partnership with NIFTC will develop the full ambitions of the sector as well as securing adequate funding for film-making which has a wider, culturally-significant value.?
Published: 08-04-2002