THE NEW MEMBERS of the Irish Film Board/Bord Scannán na hÉireann have been announced, and include RTÉ broadcaster Bill O’Herlihy as chairman.

O’Herlihy’s appointment as chairman designate is to be confirmed by the Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht at a future date.

The members of the board, who will hold their appointments for four years, are:

• Bill O’Herlihy, television broadcaster working for RTÉ, who has been in broadcasting since the 1960s and is also a public relations executive.
• Maurice Sweeney, documentary filmmaker behind Cromwell in Ireland and winner of four IFTAs.
• Dr Annie Doona, president of Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT).
• John Rice, company director, co-founder and CEO of JAM Media, an award-winning animation company. He has worked on films such as Anastasia and Titan AE.
• Kate O’Toole, Irish actress, and cast member of Channel 4′s Forgiven, Showtime’s the Tudors, winner of awards for her theatre work, and board chairwoman of the Galway Film Fleadh.
• Seamus Deasy, award-winning cinematographer who has won an IFTA for his work on The Tiger’s Tail.
• Katie Holly, MD of Blinder Films, whose debut feature One Hundred Mornings received a Special Jury Award at the 2010 Slamdance Film Festival.

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan, said that the “seven very talented individuals” are joining Bord Scannán na hÉireann/Irish Film Board at a very important time for Ireland’s film and audiovisual sector.

Supporting and creating employment – across all sectors – is a priority for this Government. The film and audiovisual sector is playing its part, and it is vital that we grow the contribution that this sector can make to Ireland’s ongoing recovery.

He said he believes that the new board “can be a catalyst to help the agency grow and develop and to nurture the next generation of audiovisual talent in Ireland”.

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