Why Ireland and Canada are perfect partners in film

British Columbia in Canada is the third largest film and television production centre in North America. In Vancouver, or ‘Hollywood North’, walking past a film or TV series being filmed is an everyday occurrence.

Just north of Vancouver, the ski resort of Whistler is home to the annual Whistler Film Festival + Content Summit. For 2024, Ireland featured as the Country of Focus as part of the ‘Emerald Lens’ initiative.

The Emerald Lens, developed as a partnership between Ireland’s Consulate in Vancouver, Screen Ireland, Culture Ireland and Tourism Ireland, aims to showcase the dynamic relationship between the Canadian and Irish film industries, spotlighting opportunities for co-production, cultural exchange, and the unique storytelling traditions of both countries.

The Canadian and Irish film industries have a long shared history, since the signing of the first Co-Production Treaty in 1989. Reflecting on these successful past collaborations, Consul General of Ireland to Western Canada, Cathy Geagan, said:

“Irish-Canadian film co-productions, including Room, Brooklyn and The Breadwinner, have enjoyed enormous success around the globe. Film is a vibrant industry that plays a vital role in our economies, and I look forward to the creative and economic partnerships that will emerge from this festival.

With one in seven Canadians claiming Irish heritage, the shared history and cultural ties between our nations and our film industries creates a unique connection that we are excited to celebrate through the power of film.”

Ireland is one of Canada’s top co-production partners and since 2003, 72 Irish-Canadian co-productions were approved for Screen Ireland funding, with many of these films moving on to international award and festival success.

Speaking at the event, Steven Davenport, Head of US Production and Partnerships at Screen Ireland, said: “We are honoured to be the Country of Focus at the Whistler Film Festival, illuminating the flourishing ties between the Irish and Canadian film industries. This initiative paves the way for future collaborations and shared storytelling, offering unique opportunities to both countries.”

Irish language cinema has seen unprecedented growth in the post-pandemic years. Two Irish language films were included in the Festival programme – Fidil Ghorm, which had its Canadian premiere at the festival, and Kneecap, which sold-out the first scheduled screening as well as a second screening that was organised due to phenomenal demand.

The festival featured a panel discussion, Cinematic Voices: Bridging Language and Global Audiences, which examined the unprecedented growth and exposure of Irish language cinema in recent years and its commercial success globally.

Here in British Columbia, over 35 First Nation languages are spoken, representing more than half of all First Nation languages in Canada.

Preserving our cultures and languages is something that is a key priority for Ireland, and since its opening in 2018, the Consulate General of Ireland, Vancouver has worked to build ties with the indigenous communities of Western Canada to promote these common goals.

Speaking on this, Consul General Geagan explained: “Irish people have long valued the power of stories to preserve history, identity, and language. Both countries share a rich tradition of story-telling, and through film we can explore the narratives that unite us.”

Ireland has long been a firm favourite amongst Canadians as a holiday destination. Canada is the 10th largest market for overseas tourism to the island of Ireland, and the 5th strongest market for the island of Ireland in terms of holidaymaker revenue.

The festival offered an opportunity to think more widely about Ireland’s incredible and diverse scenery as a perfect backdrop for many kinds of film and television productions. The opportunity for stunning filming locations is endless.

Locations throughout the island of Ireland have the proven ability to be used for stories set in the Middle-Ages, as is seen in Vikings, for period regency dramas like Love & Friendship, in other-worldly sci-fi universes like Star Wars, as well as in 20th century-based Irish dramas like Brooklyn and The Banshees of Inisherin.

Tourism Ireland hosted an Industry Après Reception at the festival to facilitate networking and collaboration opportunities for filmmakers and industry experts while highlighting Ireland as a filming location.

Irish Ambassador to Canada John Concannon and Tourism Ireland’s Sandra Moffatt introduced a screening of Tourism Ireland’s ‘Fill your Heart with Ireland’ campaign video, which gave a taste of the landscapes available in Ireland, before every film screened at the festival.

The Emerald Lens initiative at the Whistler Film Festival shone a spotlight on how Irish-Canadian collaboration in film is going from strength-to-strength. With a growing list of benefits for Canadians looking to make films in Ireland, this initiative continues to pave the way for future collaborations and shared storytelling, offering unique opportunities to both Ireland and Canada.

The Whistler Film Festival has created many chances to develop meaningful connections between our two film industries, but while we wait for the next big Irish-Canadian film, enjoy some of the films highlighted at the festival this year.

Irish films featured at the Whistler Film Festival:

• Sharp Corner: An Irish-Canadian co-production directed by Jason Buxton, and starring Ben Foster and Cobie Smulders, this is a powerful exploration of purpose and identity. A gripping tale of one man’s unravelling as he becomes obsessed with saving the lives of car accident victims on the sharp corner in front of his house.
• Kneecap: Directed by Rich Peppiatt, and starring the band Kneecap as themselves, this Irish language film captures the raw energy and dark humour of the rap trio from Belfast’s story.
• Fidil Ghorm: Directed by Anne McCabe and starring Edith Lawlor and Barry McGovern, the film follows 10-year-old Molly on a heartfelt mission to bring her father out of a coma, with the help of an unlikely accomplice.
• Housewife of the Year: Directed by Ciaran Cassidy, this is an intriguing documentary that offers a surreal and compelling look at Ireland’s complex history of gender roles, told through the lens of a prime-time televised competition where Irish women once vied for the title of Housewife of the Year.