Northern Ireland Screen is the national screen agency for Northern Ireland. Our main areas of activity include funding; locations, services and facilities; exhibition and audience development; education; business support, skills and training.

Development Funding

The Product Development Fund (PDF) is a recoupable loan targeted at supporting the development of both inward investment and indigenous film, television and digital content.

The maximum award is £100,000 typical for a slate of 5 projects (although smaller slates can be considered).

The fund is open to independent production companies based in Northern Ireland and those from Europe, which have an office and staff based in Northern Ireland. Financial assistance is provided for development costs of projects (inc TV drama, factual TV and digital content) aimed at a network or international audience.

Priority is given to projects with matching support from any of:
- Network broadcasters.
- Other third-party source.
- End-user.
- This fund is not available for local TV output development.

Production Funding

The Northern Ireland Screen Fund will invest between £150,000 and £800,000 up to a ceiling of 25% of the overall project costs, in the form of a repayable loan.

This fund is intended to assist in completing the budgets of productions that are almost fully financed (65%), and is open to all legally incorporated companies who can fulfil the Cultural Criteria and the Project Criteria.

Any projects must show an economic benefit to Northern Ireland. Incoming productions are required to spend a proportion of the total production budget in Northern Ireland.

Projects must be commercially viable and should be able to demonstrate clear possibilities for commercial exploitation. The Attachment of an experienced sales agent will be an asset, as will an experienced production and creative team with a proven track record.

Locations

Arguably the most exciting addition to Northern Ireland’s arsenal of locations and facilities, is the new studio facility “The Paint Hall” in the historically renowned Titanic Quarter of Belfast.  This massive build-space was used by Walden Media & Playtone Productions for the children’s fantasy sci-fi  adventure film City of Ember.  Set on an eight acre site five minutes’ drive from central Belfast, the building contains four 16,000ft² (1,487m²) “cells”.  Each  cell is 90ft (27.5m) tall and has one 3ft (1m)  thick external “wall” that is actually a 75ft (23m) tall door.  None of the cell ceilings is external and the building is “double skinned” thereby reducing noise pollution.  The cells are set out in a square and connected by an internal road and streets.  The facility also offers a suite of offices, toilets, a canteen, several large stores, a “green room” and it has its own internal electrical substation.

Northern Ireland is the most compact 5,196 square miles of back-lot in the world – offering myriad stunning locations from beautiful coastlines to idyllic villages, mountains, glens and loughs, through to urban landscapes and bustling cities with a diverse mix of architectural styles, from Victorian red-brick to 21st century glass and steel.

Able to be tailored to your specific requirements, our locations database comprises over 1,000 stills of Northern Ireland locations and is an unrivalled reference tool. Additionally, our fully searchable online Production Guide provides  invaluable information on Northern Ireland-based crew, production companies and facilities.

Northern Ireland Screen’s production department provides a service to the sector both locally and internationally.  Location managers, producers, directors and production teams interested in filming in Northern Ireland can contact the Production Department for hands-on assistance and guidance.