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Northern Ireland is celebrating a bumper year as a filming location.<\/p>\nNorthern Ireland is celebrating a bumper year as a filming location.<\/p>\n
The second series of the Channel 4 hit Derry Girls and the highly-anticipated finale of Sky Atlantic\u2019s Game of Thrones were among the highlights.<\/p>\n
In total, nine TV dramas and six feature films were made in the region in 2018.<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland Screen chief Richard Williams said the industry in the region is now estimated to be worth \u20ac300 million.<\/p>\n
Game of Thrones is estimated to have brought more than \u20ac229m into the Northern Ireland economy over eight series.<\/p>\n
The HBO show\u2019s legacy is set to live on with a screen tourism project in the region.<\/p>\n
The 2018 roll call, which includes Mrs Wilson and Krypton series 2, were all filmed with funding support from Northern Ireland Screen.<\/p>\n
Cameras also rolled on Dublin Murders, Doing Money, Death and Nightingales and Line of Duty series 5.<\/p>\n
Torvill and Dean was also shot on location in Northern Ireland earlier in the year and is set to be aired in a prime time slot on ITV at 9.15pm on Christmas Day.<\/p>\n
However, it is not just dramas that are flourishing but the animation sector too.<\/p>\n
Sixteen South\u2019s Lily\u2019s Driftwood Bay being nominated for Best Pre-School Series at the 2018 International Emmy Awards and taking home the IFTA for Best Animation.<\/p>\n
Pablo from Paper Owl was nominated for a Children\u2019s BAFTA.<\/p>\n
There was success for local filmmakers, with The Dig written by Belfast native Stuart Drennan and directed by Ryan and Andrew Tohill winning Best Irish Feature at the Galway Film Fleadh and enjoying a North American premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival.<\/p>\n
Other independent films shot this year include Cathy Brady\u2019s Wildfire, Terry Loane\u2019s Agatha Christie & The Truth of Murder, Aoife Crehan\u2019s The Last Right and Paul Billing\u2019s Angel Makers.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the sixth installment in the Paul and Nick franchise, Paul and Nick\u2019s Big New Zealand Food Trip, broadcast on both UTV and STV to strong audience figures.<\/p>\n
NI Screen has also focused on skills development and training to help the sector grow in the region.<\/p>\n
This included employing 65 trainees in craft and technical, production, post-production, animation, gaming and VFX roles.<\/p>\n
The body also ran a new entrants training course for 36 people and placed 12 undergraduates in animation and gaming roles, and launched two new schemes, Aim High 5 and an Animation Internship Scheme as well as five other training programs.<\/p>\n
Mr Williams said 2018 has been a fantastic year for the screen industries in the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year we came to the end of Phase 1 (2014-18) of our Opening Doors strategy. We are delighted that over this period the overall value of the sector has doubled and the economic targets set out have been exceeded \u2013 reaching \u00a3270 million (\u20ac300m) against a \u00a3250 million (\u20ac277m) direct spend target,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we enter Phase 2 (2018-22) we hope to deliver a minimum of \u00a3300 million (\u20ac333m) in direct Northern Ireland spend, a 20% increase on Phase 1.\u201d<\/p>\n