Large quantity of documents donated to Film Archive
To mark thirty years since the establishment of the Irish Film Board in July 1981, Michael Algar has donated his collection of Film Board documentation to the Irish Film Archive. Algar was first Chief Executive of the Board until it was wound-up in autumn 1987.
Amongst the documents are bound copies of the minutes of all ninety-one Board meetings, as well as memoranda, speeches, reports and discussion documents by the Chief Executive. Also included are reviews of the Board and proposals regarding production financing and Ardmore Studios. Algar has included personal correspondence regarding his own appointment and the termination of his contract. Much of the documentation has been digitised for easier access.
The collection includes memoranda produced during the passage of legislation to establish the Board, as well as previous documents such as the 1968 Huston Committee report, Louis Marcus’ 1967 articles regarding the film industry, and the original Film Industry Bill 1970.
Board publications include the report of a Public Hearing in 1982, annual reports and accounts, a review of statistical data in 1984, a survey of international procedures by Neville Presho in 1984, and the statement issued by the Board following the government decision to close in 1987. There are also bound scripts of “Angel”, “The Outcasts” and “Attracta”, which were the first three fiction films financed by the Board. Nineteen volumes of parliamentary debates are included, covering both the enactment of legislation to establish the Film Board in 1980 and debates regarding its closure in 1987.
Algar said, “I’m pleased that these important documents in the development of Ireland’s film industry will now be preserved and available for research in the coming years. The first Film Board laid the groundwork for the healthy film industry we have today. Over the six years of that Board, ten feature films were part-financed. Currently, more than that number is produced each year now. With very limited resources and a staff of three, the Board assisted a wide variety of film activity, from production and development finance to training and marketing.”
The documents in detail are:
Bound Minutes of Board meetings 1-91
Bound scripts:
Angel
The Outcasts
Attracta
Algar:
Letter of appointment as Board member
Warrant of appointment as Board member
Letter of appointment as Chief Executive
Letter to Department re consultancy
Response of Department re consultancy
Chief Executive:
1982 review
1983 Celtic Festival speech
1984 Cannes diary
1984 Ardmore Studios report
1985 review of Board activity
1985 review of Board operational methods
1985 European Film Festival speech
1986 memo re Board operational structure
1986 discussion document
1986 memo re tax incentives
1986 Eh Joe screening speech
1986 memo re Board executive structure
Film Board:
Board members 1981-87
1981-82 Annual Report and Accounts
1982 Proceedings of public hearing
1983 Annual report and Accounts
1985 “Irish Films” booklet
1985 review
1985 review additional information
1985 production financing proposal
1987 “Films in Focus” booklet
1987 statement re closure
1981-87 filmography
Miscellaneous:
1983 Presho report
1984 review of statistical data
1986 Huston telegram re Ardmore Studios
1992 report of Working Group
Pre Film Board: 1967 Louis Marcus articles
1968 Film Industry Committee report
1980 “Yellow Book” amendments to Film Board Bill
Parliamentary debates on Film Board and Ardmore Studios – 19 volumes
Film Industry Bill 1970
Irish Film Board Bill 1979 with explanatory memorandum
National Film Studios of Ireland Limited Bill 1979
Irish Film Board Act 1980
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