Belfast Film Festival/Docs Ireland & Yellowmoon
The Context
Yellowmoon is one of Ireland’s leading post-production houses and was home to shows like Game of Thrones, Line of Duty and Derry Girls. Over the last 25 years they have been involved with the vast majority of high–end film and television that has come to these shores to be produced.
Belfast Film Festival sees the coming together of a full and exciting programme of premières and gala screenings, panel talks, and special events which showcase the wealth of local talent and also shines a spotlight on the best up-and-coming international talent in the industry.
The Docs Ireland Marketplace is a hub for funding, sales and distribution of documentaries in Ireland and globally, and an incubator for nurturing domestic talent so that the film industry can continue to thrive and grow in the future.
The Challenge & The Solution
The challenge was an ambitious one - the partners wanted to promote Belfast as a destination for the UK / Irish / European / International film industry, to broaden the reach of Yellowmoon’s brand in NI and to enhance its profile further afield with international delegates and potential customers. They also wanted to ensure an increased focus on creativity and innovation as distinctive features of the Irish / N Irish / global filmmaking sector. They aimed to create world-class content and support economic growth in Ireland north and south and create new production opportunities for filmmakers.
The solution was a 3-year partnership with Yellowmoon, Ireland’s leading post-house, with the clear purpose of enhancing the partners’ international recognition and connections through the further development of the Docs Ireland Marketplace and the establishment of BFF’s new International Competition on the worldwide film festival circuit.
The Results
The results were impressive as Docs Ireland audience figures increased substantially and the business of documentary cinema on the island shows continued growth. Docs Ireland delivered 58 events in 12 venues over 5 days raising Yellowmoon’s brand awareness and associating the business with world-class documentaries and filmmakers. Yellowmoon was front and centre of the marketplace, which attracted 35 international delegates, who considered 27 Irish, UK and international projects. The International Competition at BFF was widely acknowledged, attracting high-calibre films and global filmmakers – Cannes, Venice, Berlin award-winners amongst them. This, in turn, resulted in programmers being able to select world-class content for the next festival, as the profile of the festival increases due to the international competitive elements. Exposure to existing internationally recognised and new film-making talent and industry delegates was achieved at various high-profile and exclusive events enabling Yellowmoon to link up with decision-makers and potential new clients. Their brand identity was greatly enhanced and opportunities to engage in creative collaborations were provided.
“We are delighted with the first year of partnership with Yellowmoon. Having such a prestigious business partner, and cornerstone of the local film industry, has contributed to the overall success and sustainability of both Docs Ireland and Belfast Film Festival. As well as the obvious key benefit of financial support, establishing strong business partnerships can contribute to the long-term sustainability of the film festivals and lead to new and exciting creative connections. Regular collaborations with reliable partners can create a stable foundation for future editions, ensuring continued success and growth and we are sure there are more businesses out there who would love to partner with us in the future.”
”