FilmOffaly has the great pleasure of inviting you to the launch of our Discount Vendor Card! The scheme will officially kick off on Monday 17th February at 5.30pm at Offaly County Council Offices, Áras an Chontae, Charleville Road, Tullamore and there will even be a special message from actor Brendan Gleeson telling us why Offaly is such a great place to be!

 

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The FilmOffaly Vendor Card seeks to attract more film production companies into Offaly and thereby give local businesses a chance to share in the lucrative film market. Over 30 businesses in Offaly have already signed up to the scheme, offering productions 10-25% discount on services such as accommodation & catering, tool hire, taxis and more.

 

This is the first scheme of its kind in Ireland and Naoise Barry of the Irish Film Board has remarked that “Offaly is now well tooled up to attract big productions into the county, and this proactive scheme no doubt will be emulated, which makes my job, pitching Ireland as a location much easier.”

 

During the launch, film companies and local businesses will be able to come along and see all the benefits that joining this scheme will have by creating a mutually beneficial relationship between film and Offaly. An exclusive interview with well known actor Brendan Gleeson will also be screened on the night as he discusses how much he enjoyed filming in Offaly during his 2010 shoot for short film ‘Noreen’.

 

Offaly has been gathering attention as an extremely attractive shooting location for some years now, with the 2007 film ‘Becoming Jane’ - starring Anne Hathaway - filming in Tullamore. Other acclaimed films that have shot in the area include Rebecca Daly’s ‘The Other Side of Sleep’ which was screened as part of the prestigious Director’s Fortnight at Cannes and winner of the FilmOffaly bursary award ‘Toy Soldiers’ which went on to win ‘Best First Short’ at Galway Film Fleadh in 2012.

 

The recent TV pilot for 'Reign' in Charleville Castle saw 130 cast and crew come to Tullamore for 6 days using a wide range of services from local petrol stations to hotels and restaurants. FilmOffaly is the first port of call for film productions looking for locations and services in Offaly and already in 2014, a feature Irish film is set to go on location at the end of this month in various locations around the county.

 

“This is a unique project for a local authority in Ireland, and it will give us a better competitive edge when attracting film productions into Offaly. It is a win/win situation for everyone and highlights a compelling case for the innovative way the arts can bring economic development to a county”, says Cllr. Nichola Hogan, Chairperson of FilmOffaly.

 

Participating businesses are advertised free of charge on www.filmoffaly.ie (a one-stop shop for Film Companies wishing to film in Offaly). The film company will be issued with a card to present to participating businesses for their discount whilst they are on location. The name of the production and an expiry date will be on the card, so that businesses can confirm they are valid.

 

We hope to see you on the night and to welcome more businesses to the scheme!

 

Businesses interested in participating should contact FilmOffaly at filmoffaly@offalycoco.ie or 057 9357400 to request an application form. However, businesses can sign up on an ongoing basis and the listings will be updated regularly. Companies can also opt out of the programme after a year or change the nature of their discounts, to make it flexible for their own needs. Terms and conditions are on the application forms and queries are welcome on 057 9357400.