Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland — the Irish national agency for film, television and animation — continues to be a leading funder of Irish animation, with seven new Irish animated projects on the agency’s 2024 Production Slate coming to international markets and audiences this year.
Irish delegates and production companies across the animation sector were in attendance at the Kidscreen Summit this week, to pitch and launch sales for a range of upcoming projects. The official Irish stand was supported by Screen Ireland, Animation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen.
Last month, Screen Ireland showcased its slate of more than 40 productions for the year, including animated series like Maddie + Triggs, Doodle Girl and interactive multi-platform project Where the Wild Geese Go. Live-action series for young audiences are also included in the agency’s slate.
“Screen Ireland is delighted to continue its support for the Irish animation sector with an official presence at the Kidscreen Summit, in partnership with Animation Ireland and Enterprise Ireland,” said Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive of Screen Ireland. “It is a fantastic opportunity for Irish animators and production companies to connect with international industry. Our presence at Kidscreen is to showcase the breadth of what Ireland offers as a creative production partner — as well as the incredible range of work coming to the market in 2024.”
Ronan McCabe, Chief Executive of Animation Ireland, commented, “Animation Ireland is pleased with the growth in animation production despite the challenges and uncertainty in the current market. The support of Screen Ireland and our other stakeholders is an essential element in the continued success of Irish animation internationally. Kidscreen is an important market in the animation calendar. Irish studios and delegates are attending in big numbers this year. Animation Ireland is delighted to be part of the Ireland stand at the event along with our industry partners.”
Screen Ireland announced screen industry production figures for 2023, revealing a total production spend of €322 million in the Irish economy across local goods and services — despite high levels of international disruption due to industry strikes. Animation in particular saw growth in both local and incoming productions, up 68% overall to reach a total spend of €80 million.
Irish animation has been a long-standing international success story. With major global players like Brown Bag Films, Boulder Media, Giant Animation and Cartoon Saloon, the commercial and critical success of Irish animation is due to a mixture of business acumen, state support via the state tax incentive Section 481, a skilled and talented workforce, and a strong reputation for storytelling and visual artistry.
The full Screen Ireland 2024 project catalog is available at screenireland.ie.
Screen Ireland Animation 2024
Stories from the Backwoods (Ink and Light)
Rooney is a city raccoon and the first Park Ranger in Backwoods Forest. Utterly out of her depth in this strange new place, Rooney befriends the extremely enthusiastic but a little-too-loud local Hare. Hare helps Rooney tackle her new ranger tasks as they get to know each other and together they try to learn valuable lessons about friendship and community — with sometimes hilarious results.
Doodle Girl (Studio Meala, Alt Animation)
Doodle Girl takes place in a fantastical world inside a sketchbook, where everything and everyone is made of drawings, arts, and crafts! At the helm of this imaginative world is Doodle Girl, a whimsical and adorably whacky doodle equipped with an uncannily positive outlook and a magic pencil. When she says her magic words — “Doodle-Oodle-Doo!” — anything she draws becomes real and interactive. While she tends to doodle herself into a bit of trouble, there is nothing she loves more than making the sketchbook a happier place and helping her fellow doodles through creativity and imagination.
Ray of Sunshine (Daily Madness Productions, Elk Studios)
Ray is a sunshine-y, seven-year-old boy who lives in the Sunshine Apartments in the middle of Dublin city. A very sociable, outgoing kid with the gift of the gab, Ray loves to talk about anything and everything to anyone and everyone. Living in an apartment complex with his very own garden patch, Ray brightens the lives of his colorful neighbors with the only thing he loves more than a chat — tea parties where everyone is invited!
Sir Mouse 2 (Avalon Films, Fabrique Fantastique)
Bossy knight Sir Mouse and her forgiving, gentle friend Dragon share an unusual friendship. In this comedy series, each episode tells a daring tale about the two heroic friends in a medieval universe. With a modern feminist twist, the two friends challenge our preconceptions of all fairytale clichés.
Maddie + Triggs (Turnip + Duck)
Maddie + Triggs follows the adventures of a little girl called Maddie, who happens to have a visual impairment, and her doggy best friend Triggs. They live with their mum and dad in the colourful town of Higgledy-Piggledy. Together they experience the music and sounds of everyday life by really listening to the world around them.
Featuring audio-first storytelling, immersive sound design, vibrant animation and an original song in every episode, this is a truly inclusive and accessible TV show that can be fully enjoyed by audiences even if they cannot see it.
Sullivan Sails (Distillery Films)
Sullivan Sails follows a five-year-old child who is fascinated by the natural world, featuring beautiful music, artwork and a new destination in each episode. Inspired by his atlas, Sullivan creates a world of his own that is bursting with nature, adventure and color. Accompanied by his imaginary friend Benji — a talking fox and expert navigator — Sullivan encounters a new environment in every episode, from the darkest caves to the highest treetops!
Sullivan Sails encourages a love of adventure, exploration and imagination in young audiences, while introducing them to incredible facts about the natural world and encouraging discovery, play and interaction with their own environment.
Where the Wild Geese Go (EZ Films)
Tracking the brent goose’s annual migration using GPS, Where the Wild Geese Go brings young viewers on a journey alongside a team of scientists in this multi-platform project. This interactive hybrid animation/documentary series explores diverse cultures and global issues while taking children on a fun and engaging adventure as ‘goose detectives.’
