The Cork Screen Commission (CSC) is delighted to announce that Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons has signed up to be an ambassador for CSC, which is a jointly funded initiative by Cork City Council and Cork County Council. CSC is a one-stop shop for all film needs in Cork City and County, helping film and television producers find, secure and make the best use of Cork’s magnificent locations and highly skilled film work force.
Speaking to Jeremy Irons it becomes immediately clear that he has a deep rooted love of Cork and of its magical landscape. ‘I was attracted to Cork by its end-of-the-roadness, by its culture, its music, by its landscape and by the way the waters knit into the land,’ explains Jeremy. ‘When I discovered Cork, which was 23 or 24 years ago, I thought it was sort of like paradise!’
And while a lot has changed in the intervening years, much has remained the same. ‘Well there was nobody here then,’ laughs Jeremy, ‘but that has changed, of course, with the Celtic tiger, there are more people here now but West Cork still has an extraordinary beauty and strength.’
Cork has many natural advantages that lend themselves to film and film-making, including the magical light and the wonderfully varied landscape. ‘I think the light here, with the water and the colours of the landscape is cinematic,’ says Irons. ‘Even on grey days, it’s good for cinema because the light is so balanced. But we get spectacular days here also. There’s a beautiful variety to Cork; the landscape is very different from West to East, you have Cork City, of course, and some spectacular mountains to the North.’
“I think one of the great benefits to Cork is that things are pretty easy to do here, transport is good, there’s a willing and highly skilled labour force, it’s just a lot less hassle shooting here than, for instance, shooting on the outskirts of London,” added Jeremy.
‘I would love to make a movie in Cork because I love to work from home,’ says Jeremy adding that he would encourage filmmakers to come and look at Cork. He is full of praise for the place, for the people and for the lifestyle.
‘There’s a lot of great characters too, when you need extras or whatever, it’s a varied, spectacular landscape. Cinematic characters and cinematic landscapes, it’s all here for the taking!’
‘We’re absolutely delighted to have Jeremy agree to be an ambassador for Cork Screen Commission,’ said Jason O’ Mahony, Cork Screen Commission. ‘He’s one of the most respected actors of all time and it’s an absolute honour to have him involved. I think it speaks to the beauty of Cork that Jeremy would choose to live here but it also speaks to the quality of the film professionals in the area that Jeremy would agree to be an ambassador for Cork Screen Commission in an effort to attract more film work to the area.’
And with the Irish film and television sector identified as a key economic contributor by the Government Smart Economy Report, Cork Screen Commission seems perfectly positioned to ensure that Cork benefits from any uptick in production, which is expected to more than double in the coming years from 2010 levels, which saw €225 million generated.
For more information about Cork Screen Commission please email Jason O’ Mahony at jason@corkscreencommission.com
