Board & Governance

The Irish Film Institute is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated on the 2^nd June 1945 and is a registered charity with the Revenue Commissioners and the Charity Regulator. Its council members are drawn from a broad community of cultural practitioners, broadcasters and educators, with a particularly strong representation from the film community in Ireland and the current membership list is available here.

The Institute is governed by a voluntary Board of Directors; a full list of Directors’ biographies can be seen here and below.

The Institute is committed to a culture of good governance and transparency and has embarked on a journey of compliance with the Governance Code.

The Institute operates in accordance with its governing document, available here

The Institute keeps detailed books and records and maintains strict financial controls, its most recent audited financial statements are available here. The Statement of Recommended Practise (SORP) for charities is accepted as best practise in the preparation of financial statements and we incorporate elements of the SORP into these financial statements and are working with our Auditor towards full compliance.

The Irish Film Institute is open, honest and fully transparent in its fundraising activities, the proceeds of which all go towards its core activities of Exhibition, Preservation and Education. The IFI are committed to complying with the Statement for Guiding Principles for Fundraising and has formally discussed and adopted the Statement at a meeting of the IFI Board. See full statement here.

IFI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

LENNY ABRAHAMSON

A native of Dublin, Abrahamson studied philosophy at Trinity, where he co-founded the Trinity Video Company. This entry into filmmaking led to his first short, 3 Joes, which won a number of awards at European festivals. His first feature Adam and Paul premiered in 2004, followed by Garage in 2007. Abrahamson’s What Richard Did wowed critics and audiences alike and was a huge hit at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival in New York and the Toronto Film Festival in 2012. His latest film Frank, an oddball comedy starring Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Fassbender, opened in cinemas in Spring this year to critical acclaim. 2015 will see Abrahamson’s next picture, Room, adapted by Emma Donoghue from her novel and starring Brie Larson, William H Macey and Joan Allen. Lenny has been on the IFI Board since 16th September 2014.

PADDY BREATHNACH

Paddy Breathnach started his directing career making natural history documentaries. He went on to direct a number of sports documentaries and observational documentaries for his company Treasure Films. His first feature, Ailsa, won the Award for Best First/Second Film at the San Sebastian Film Festival. Breathnach’s second feature I Went Down (BBC films) starring Brendan Gleeson, also won the New Directors at the San Sebastian Film Festival in 1997. At Thessaloniki and Bogota, Paddy won the Best Director Award. The film was released in many territories and was screened at festivals including Sundance. In 1997/98 Breathnach produced SouthPaw, a feature documentary that was selected for Sundance in 1999. It got a US and UK theatrical release. Breathnach then went on to direct Blow Dry (Miramax) which was released in 2001. It starred Natasha Richardson, Alan Rickman, Rachel Griffiths, Bill Nighy and Josh Hartnett and Rachel Leigh Cook. His next film was Man About Dog, which was produced by Robert Walpole and Simon Channing Williams and was released in 2003 becoming one of the most successful independently produced Irish films at the Irish box office. Breathnach completed ‘Shrooms, a horror film set in Ireland in 2006. It was released in the UK in autumn 2007. He completed another horror Redmist in 2008. In 2012 he completed the feature length documentary An Oiche a Gineadh m’Athair for TG4. He’s currently finishing his seventh feature a Spanish language drama set in Cuba – Viva starring Jorge Perrugoria, Luis Alberto Garcia and Hector Medina. He is also a board member of The Dublin International Film Festival and is vice chair of The Screen Director’s Guild of Ireland. Paddy has been on the IFI Board since 3rd July 2013.

MICHAEL M COLLINS SC

Michael is a Senior Counsel practising in the fields of commercial litigation, EU law and arbitration. He is a graduate of University College Dublin with Master’s degrees in both economics and law. He graduated with an LL.M. from the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School of Finance before joining the New York law firm of Shearman and Sterling. He returned to Ireland in 1981 to commence practice at the Irish Bar. A member of the England, Northern Ireland, New York and US Supreme Court Bars, Michael also practices from Monckton Chambers in London. In 1996 he was appointed by the Irish Government as Chairman of the Competition and Mergers Review Group the majority of whose recommendations were subsequently implemented into Irish law in the Competition Act 2002. Michael also appears in commercial arbitrations (domestic and international) both as counsel and as arbitrator. He has had appointments as arbitrator from the ICC Court of Arbitration, the London Court of International Arbitration and is one of Ireland’s representatives on the ICC Commission on Arbitration. He is also a member of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) Panel of Arbitrators and is a former President of Arbitration Ireland. Michael is Chairman of the Irish Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (Irish Sports Council), former President of Irish Rule of Law International and a former Chairman of the Bar Council of Ireland. He was elected a Bencher of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 2007 and the following year was elected as a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers in the United States of which he is also a director. Michael has been a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Economics at the Maynooth University on Legal Aspects of Competition and Regulation in Maynooth’s Master of Economic Science Programme. He is currently Adjunct Professor of Law at UCD Sutherland Law School. In the much more interesting parts of his life he is a board member of All Hallows College, a former Council member of the Dublin Theatre Festival, a member of the Wexford Opera Development Council and in his spare time plays the piano exceedingly badly. Michael has been on the IFI Board since 15th October 2012.

MAEVE CONNOLLY

Maeve Connolly has lectured on art and media programmes at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design & Technology since 2003. Through her teaching and research, she explores the diverse cultures and economies of cinema, television and contemporary art. She has programmed screenings and discussions at Darklight Film Festival, FACT, LUX, Project Arts Centre and Tate Modern, and has contributed to many journals and magazines, including Artforum, Frieze and Screen. She is the author of two books, TV Museum: Contemporary Art and the Age of Television (Intellect, 2014) and The Place of Artists’ Cinema: Space, Site and Screen (Intellect, 2009). Maeve has been in on the IFI Board since 3rd July 2013.

SHEILA DE COURCY

After studying for a BA (History and Archaeology) in UCD Sheila de Courcy spent almost 6 months working in Dublin Public Libraries followed by 6 years working in the Art and Industry division of the National Museum of Ireland. Since joining RTÉ in 1986, Sheila has worked largely in TV, but also in Radio, producing, directing and commissioning programmes of all types from drama and current affairs to arts and entertainment. Appointed Controller, RTÉjr and Cross Divisional Head of Children’s Content in 2012, Sheila currently manages RTÉ’s output for young people across all platforms. While working in RTÉ, Sheila studied for a Diploma in Film Production, DIT, aswell as a post-grad Diploma in Adult Education and Community Development, NUIM. Sheila loves to recharge her batteries by walking in the hills, swimming in the sea, playing music, singing in a choir and just hanging out with Family and friends. Sheila  has been on the IFI Board since 28th July 2010.

GARRY HYNES

Garry Hynes founded Druid in 1975 and has worked as its Artistic Director from 1975 to 1991, and from 1995 to date. From 1991 to 1994 she was Artistic Director of the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. Born in Ballaghadereen, Co Roscommon in 1953 Garry moved to Galway with her family in 1965. In 1971, she started an Arts Degree (History & English) in University College, Galway, now NUI Galway. Upon leaving college in 1975, Garry founded Druid Theatre with Marie Mullen and Mick Lally. Garry has also worked with The Abbey and Gate Theatres (Ireland) and internationally with The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Royal Court (UK), and with Second Stage, Signature Theater and Manhattan Theater Club in New York; and with The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Garry has been on the IFI Board since 21st January 2009.

NEIL JORDAN

Biog to be uploaded shortly

MARGARET KELLEHER (Chair)

Margaret Kelleher is Professor of Anglo-Irish Literature and Drama at University College Dublin where her research fields include Irish literary and cultural history, women’s writings, and digital humanities. She was founding director of An Foras Feasa Institute at Maynooth University from 2007-2012 and joined the IFI board in 2012. She is a member of Science Europe’s international humanities committee and was a national representative to the European Science Foundation from 2007-2012. She is President of the International Association for the Study of Irish Literatures and member of the board of the Irish Theatre Institute. Margaret has been on the IFI Board since 15th October 2012.

TRISH LONG

Trish Long is Vice President & General Manager of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Ireland and since 1994 has held a variety of roles within The Walt Disney Company. Her present role combines core responsibility for WDSMP in Ireland, working with the International and European teams, while also working across Disney franchises and with other Disney lines of business to grow the Walt Disney brand in Ireland. She is also a member of the Disney Strategic Foresight EMEA team. Prior to joining Disney in 1994, Trish Long was the first Marketing Director of the Irish Film Centre. Before moving to Dublin in 1992 she held the position of Publicity Manager at the Belltable Arts Centre in Limerick. She began her career as a newsreader, presenter and producer in Big L radio station in Limerick in the 1980s. She later trained as a counsellor and ran the Limerick Rape Crisis Centre in its first four years. She has a long history of involvement in women’s issues at a national and local level. Long has a 1st class honours Masters in Cultural and Communication Studies from Dublin City University. Her audio essays have been broadcast on RTÉ’s Sunday Miscellany and she has been published in its recent anthology of Irish writing. She has sat on the Film Advisory Committee of the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTA); is a member the Irish Industry Trust; and is a member of the Governing Authority of the University of Limerick. Trish has been on the IFI Board since 18th September 2013.

KEVIN MORIARTY

Managing Director of Ardmore Studios until retirement in 2012. Over 40 years in the Film Industry, including several in freelance production working on films such as John Boorman’s “Excalibur” and Neil Jordan’s “Angel”. Former Chairman of “The Irish Film and Television Guild”, “Film Makers Ireland” (now Screen Producers Ireland), “Media Desk Ireland” and the “Kerry Screen Commission”. Also served on the Boards of the “Irish Film Commission” and the “Wicklow Film Commission”. A member of the 1992 Taoiseach’s “Special Working Group” on the industry and of the “Strategic Review Group” which produced the “Kilkenny Report”. Served two terms as a member of the Irish Film Board from 2005 to 2013. Kevin has been on the IFI Board since 21st January 2009.

HARVEY O’BRIEN

Harvey O’Brien teaches Film Studies at University College Dublin. He is the author of Action Movies: The Cinema of Striking Back (Columbia University Press, 2012), The Real Ireland: The Evolution of Ireland in Documentary Film (Manchester, 2004) and co-editor of Keeping it Real: Irish Film and Television (Wallflower, 2004). He the author of numerous articles and books chapters, in addition to having an extensive back catalogue of film and theatre reviews in print, online, and on radio. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Irish Film Institute, former editor of the peer-reviewed journal Film and Film Culture, and a former Associate Director of the Boston Irish Film Festival. His current research projects include a series of two books for Columbia University Press on Action and Adventure cinema. Harvey has taught at several educational institutions over time, including Dublin City University, the National College of Art and Design, the Irish Film Institute, Trinity College Dublin, and New York University, Dublin. He has served as an extern or consultant for other institutions including NUI Maynooth, Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design, and Technology, Dundalk Institute of Technology, and the Dublin Business School (the latter two serving in the capacity of a representative for HETAC – The Higher Education Training Awards Council). In addition, he has been an invitee or has given guest lectures in France, the UK, The Czech Republic, and at the Harvard Film Archive. He was keynote speaker at the launch of the University of the West Indies’ film studies programme in Trinidad, where he also served as a consultant advisor. Harvey has been on the IFI Board since 16th September 2014.

TERENCE O’ROURKE

Terence was appointed Chairman of Enterprise Ireland in August 2013 and was previously Managing Partner of KPMG Ireland. He is a director of Hibernia REIT plc and of Irish Times Ltd. Terence joined KPMG Ireland in 1975, became an audit partner in 1988 and was elected Managing Partner in 2006. He was a member of KPMG’s Global Board, Global Executive Team and EMA Board, from 2007 to 2013. Terence is a Fellow, and was President (2004/2005) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. He is currently Chairman of Enactus Ireland, a member of the Council of the Irish Management Institute, the Governing Authority of Dublin City University. He also sits on the boards of The Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane and the Institute of International and European Affairs. He chaired the 2014 Strategic Review Group for the Arts Council. Terence graduated from University College Dublin with a BA in Economics and History. Terence has been on the IFI Board since 10th September 2014.

DEARBHLA WALSH

Dearbhla Walsh is an Irish TV and film director. In 2009, she won an Emmy for her direction of the BBC’s multi-award nominated Charles Dicken’s Little Dorrit. She has directed the BAFTA winning Shameless, Funland and Custer’s Last Stand Up. She was cited by the industry bible, Broadcast Magazine, as one of the Top Ten Drama directors in the UK. Most recently, she has directed Penny Dreadful and Borgia and has also directed a BBC adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot starring Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench. Dearbhla joined the board of the IFI in 2012. Dearbhla has been on the IFI Board since 15th October 2012