Screen Ireland, the national agency for the Irish film, television drama, animation and documentary industry, has announced its 2025 slate of productions they have funded.
The slate includes over 80 productions across feature film, TV drama, animation, documentary and short film.
Highlights include Saipan, the Steve Coogan and Éanna Hardwicke-starring film about Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane's infamous quarrel ahead of Ireland's 2002 World Cup campaign, and the mockumentary Fran The Man starring Darragh Humphreys, Ardal O'Hanlon and Amy Huberman.
One Night Only from director David Gleeson, is a loving tribute to the cinema experience and a timely reminder of the power of community.
Set in a cinema in 1980's small town Ireland, the film stars Colin Morgan and is described as "a breathless tale told in real time over the course of a Friday night screening from hell".
Crazy Love, directed by Jason Byrne and Kevin Treacy, stars John Connors, Jade Jordan and Graham Earley.
A blurb for the film reads: "During his voluntary stay at an Irish mental hospital, manic-depressive Clayton falls head over heels for involuntary schizophrenic patient Anna."
Other film highlights include the co-production Four Letters of Love, featuring an all-star cast including Pierce Brosnan, Helena Bonham Carter, Gabriel Byrne and Fionn O'Shea and Hallow Road starring Rosamund Pike, Matthew Rhys and Megan McDonnell.
Four Letters of Love follows Nicholas and Isabel, a couple who are "made for each other, but fate does not always choose the easiest path to true love."
A description of the film reads: "Nicholas' father, William has abandoned family to move to the West to become an artist. Meanwhile Isabel and her family's charmed existence on a remote western island is broken when her brother suffers a terrible accident."
Hallow Road tells the story of two parents who receive a distressing late-night call from their teenage daughter, who has just accidentally hit a pedestrian.
They jump in their car and race to get there before anyone else stumbles across the scene.
The agency, also known as Fís Eireann, has also announced new TV dramas this year, including the dark comedy drama series Video Nasty, which tells the story of three teenagers who go on a quest to complete a cult VHS collection, The Walsh Sisters, which follows the lives of Claire, Rachel, Maggie, Anna and Helen as they navigate the peaks and troughs of early adulthood, and Irish Blood starring Alicia Silverstone.
A description of Irish Blood reads: "L.A divorce lawyer Fiona Murphy travels to Ireland to solve the murder of her long-estranged father with nothing more than his briefcase of full of mysterious clues to help her."
Also featuring on the TV drama slate is season two of Obituary and season three of Hidden Assets.
Irish documentary also promises a range of stories, including Blue Road - The Edna O'Brien Story, which is described as "a candid portrait of one of the world's greatest and most charismatic writers", Gays Against Guns, which "takes us to the front lines of the American gun violence epidemic" and A Quiet Love in which "three Deaf couples share their extraordinary love stories, through sign language".
New research commissioned by Screen Ireland (averaging data from 2021 – 2023) shows that the Gross Valued Added (GVA) of the audiovisual industry in Ireland is valued at over €1 billion, across live action and animation, digital production, distribution, publishing transmission and exhibition.
Screen Ireland is also announcing plans to launch a range of new initiatives and funds. This year, the agency plans to ring-fence funding of €5.5 million for nationwide development and Irish language storytelling across all genres and formats.
To prioritise talent development and direct initiatives for creative talent, 2025 will see the renewal of the agency’s initiative The Voice, a concept development fund for projects led at the earliest stage by the creative vision of a director.
In order to capitalise on the global opportunity for the digital games sector in Ireland, Screen Ireland will also launch a €500,000 digital games development initiative.
Chair of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland Ray Harman said: "The research we are publishing today is a comprehensive overview of the development of our sector since 2021 and underlines the valuable cultural and economic contribution that the Irish creative industry makes to the economy. Screen Ireland is proud of the role that we have played in nurturing film makers and strategically investing in industry development."
Chief Executive of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland Désirée Finnegan said: "At Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, we are delighted to launch our 2025 Production Slate today – with over 80 projects across feature film, documentary, animation, TV drama and short film.
"Irish storytelling on screen has never been more visible or more acclaimed on the world stage. This success has really highlighted the significant cultural value of seeing Irish life, heritage and our national language on screens all over the world."
For more movies news click here
.svg)