Board & Governance

The Irish Film Institute (IFI) is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated on the 2nd June 1945 and is a registered charity with the Revenue Commissioners and the Charity Regulator. IFI 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.

IFI is governed by a voluntary Board of Directors; a full list of current Directors’ biographies can be found below.

IFI is committed to a culture of good governance and transparency and our statement of compliance with the governance code for community, voluntary and charity organisations in Ireland can be found here.

IFI operates in accordance with its governing document, available here.

The Enterprise and Governance Working Group advises the Board on financial and governance matters, and the terms of reference can be found here.

The Institute keeps detailed books and records and maintains strict financial controls, with audited financial statements available for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

The Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) for charities is accepted as best practice in the preparation of financial statements and we incorporate elements of the SORP into these financial statements and work with our Auditors towards full compliance.

IFI 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. IFI is 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. Senior Management salary bands are here.

The IFI Environmental Policy can be found here.

The policy for dealing with complaints to the Irish Film Institute can be found here.

The IFI acknowledges the Arts Council’s policy on Paying the Artist and, where possible, the IFI endeavours to compensate Artists within the scope of that  policy and in line with best practice.

 

IFI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

ADRIAN CRAWFORD 

Adrian is an Honours Law Graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, a barrister-at-law, and a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and the Irish Taxation Institute. He is also a former President of the Irish Taxation Institute, the premier body representing tax professionals in Ireland. He is a former tax partner in KPMG and was based in the US for half of his time for the past 10 years, advising many of the large US groups with operations in Ireland. He now acts as a consultant and still spends significant amounts of time in the US.

He has had an interest in the arts generally for many years, was on the board of Cooperation Ireland for a decade, and has been involved in fund raising for various philanthropic organisations over the years.

Adrian has been on the IFI Board since July 2017.

 

CLAIRE MCHUGH

Claire McHugh is CEO and Co-Founder of Axonista, a multi-award winning developer of interactive video technology. Established in 2010, with a team of 50, Axonista’s software platform powers streaming services for global media companies including Virgin Media, QVC, WaterBear and Oxfam.

Passionate about the confluence of storytelling and technology, Claire has a background in digital media and broadcast. Prior to Axonista, Claire was part of the team that established and managed the Setanta Sports channels in Ireland and the UK. An advisor to Scale Ireland, Claire is recognised as one of Ireland’s leading entrepreneurs, and is an active participant in the global startup community. She has served on the European Innovation Council jury, has been a lead entrepreneur on Ireland’s Going for Growth female entrepreneurship programme, and is an advisor to social enterprise Grow Remote, helping them realise their vision to make remote work accessible to local communities in Ireland. Together with the IFI, the team at Axonista was the recipient of the 2019 Best Creative Staff Engagement Award at the Allianz Business to Arts Awards for their collaboration on the IFI Archive Player. Claire has been on the IFI Board since 2021.

 

GER MC NAUGHTON

Ger is Creative Director and an Owner of TileStyle, which is one of Ireland’s leading homeware brands. TileStyle has been committed supporter of the arts in Ireland for over 30 years, most recently with the annual Jim McNaughton / TileStyle Prize for an artist. Ger is a creative and strategic business leader with over 25 years’ experience who values collaboration, inclusivity and accountability. His professional career has involved extensive work in business development, sales, marketing, operations, customer service, stakeholder relations and overall business strategy.

Ger has served on the board of Business to Arts since 2009 and was its Chair for five years. He has extensive experience with arts sponsorship, development and fundraising. He regularly mentors artists and creative workers and sits on a number of Advisory boards in the arts. Ger has been on the IFI Board since 2020.

 

JOHN MCGRANE (Chair)

John McGrane is Director General of The British Irish Chamber of Commerce, a private sector organisation which he co-founded in 2011 to represent businesses with interests in the two islands and their economies. He is a retired financial services professional having completed a 40 year career with the Royal Bank of Scotland / Ulster Bank Group in Ireland. His career has spanned substantial initiatives in the enterprise and corporate sectors, both indigenous and foreign direct investment.

He is Founder of NSI Technology, a tech start-up which helps Not For Profits become Not For Losses. He is a Board Director at Dublin Chamber of Commerce and at The British Irish Chamber of Commerce and a number of charities. He retains active roles in the Cultural, Tourism and Trade Development sectors, having served on a number of related Boards and Government taskforces. He joined the IFI Board in June 2020.

 

JUANITA WILSON

Juanita is an award-winning filmmaker who has worked extensively in the industry as a writer, director and producer. Her first film, The Door was shot in Ukraine and won many awards across the world including an academy award nomination.

Her first feature, As If I Am Not There, was inspired by testimonies from the Bosnian rape camps and her second feature was an adaptation of Daniel Woodrell’s crime novel Tomato Red, starring Julia Garner, Jake Weary and Anna Friel.Along with her partner, James Flynn, Juanita developed and produced the film H3 written by surviving hunger striker Laurence McKeown and Inside I’m Dancing which was directed by Damien O’Donnell and starred a young James McAvoy in a breakout performance.

Recently Juanita has been working with many of the new generation of Irish talent on films with The Lir and as a guest lecturer with Bow Street Acting Academy, Colaiste Dhulaigh and the National Film School. She is regularly invited to participate as a jury member, panellist and mentor at film festivals both in Ireland and abroad. Juanita has been on the IFI Board since 2019.

 

KATHERINE MCSHARRY

Katherine McSharry is Deputy University Librarian at the University of Galway. She was previously Director of Cultural Heritage in University College Dublin Library, and before that a member of the executive team at the National Library of Ireland for over a decade, with responsibilities including fundraising and philanthropy, communications and public affairs, digital development and collection digitisation, and learning and public engagement. She was the lead on the National Library’s partnership with University College Dublin to create the Museum of Literature Ireland, and project director for the major public-private partnership with the Bank of Ireland to create the award-winning exhibition Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again at the Bank of Ireland Cultural and Heritage Centre in Dublin city centre. A literature graduate of University College Galway, she also holds a Masters in Library and Information Studies from UCD, and an MPhil in Digital Humanities from TCD. She was a founding member of the Board of the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) and is a former member of the Governing Authority of the University of Galway and the Board of the National Library of Ireland. Katherine joined the IFI Board in 2023.

 

MARY-ELAINE TYNAN

Mary Elaine Tynan is an Education Officer at the NCCA. Mary-Elaine is a teacher, best-selling author and award winning radio documentary-maker from Dublin. Mary-Elaine’s documentaries include The Rough with the Smoothie, Small Lives and Great Reputations which won a Bronze award at the PPIs, Seven Years and Nine Months which follows a couple’s journey through surrogacy, Finding Private Branch which was awarded the coveted Gold Medal at the New York Festivals 2019 and The Undetectables. I’ll Send You Butterflies is a deeply personal story about her mother, Margaret. Margaret was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease in March of 2020 and agreed that Mary-Elaine would record whatever was to unfold. The result of hundreds of hours of recording is the documenting of Margaret and her family’s time together in the final months of her life. That documentary won numerous awards in 2022 including IMRO Awards – Silver; New York Festivals – Silver; Prix Europa award – Winner, and Prix Italia Competition – Winner. Mary-Elaine’s most recent documentary was The Very Thought Of You, a pretty unique story about an older couple in love. Mary-Elaine has written several books. After making a radio documentary about Paddy Armstrong, in 2017 she co-authored the critically acclaimed Life After Life – A Guildford Four Memoir with Paddy. She has also co-authored the leading Junior Cycle English textbooks Fire and Ice. For 18 months, she wrote a popular weekly column about the joys and challenges of motherhood for the Sunday Independent. Mary-Elaine co-created the Documentary on One education section and the resources that are used by teachers all over Ireland in the junior cycle English classroom. These resources were nominated for an award at Prix Europa. Mary-Elaine joined the IFI Board in 2023.

 

DR NEASA HARDIMAN

Neasa Dr Neasa Hardiman is a BAFTA-winning director of international prominence. Her début feature film, Sea Fever, premiered on the opening night of TIFF 2019, winning critical acclaim and worldwide distribution. Neasa has made numerous prestige television projects, working with global stars to make hit dramas with Amazon, BBC, and Netflix. Most recently, Neasa directed Eric Bana in the upcoming Netflix limited series Untamed. Neasa is the founder of two successful companies, Language and Big Stories. In addition to her work with the IFI, Neasa serves on the governing board of RTÉ, and on the governing board of Trinity College Dublin. Neasa has been on the IFI Board since August 2020.

 

PAUL CONVERY

Paul is a partner in William Fry LLP’s Litigation & Investigations department. He advises corporations involved in domestic and multi-jurisdictional issues including financial services, shareholder, reputational and corporate disputes and investigations.  Paul is a fellow of the International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators and Vice President of the Commercial Litigation committee of the Union Internationale des Avocats. He is Vice-President of the American Bar Association (‘ABA’) International Litigation committee and is an Assistant Editor of the ABA International Dispute Resolution News.  He is a regular lecturer and published authority on litigation matters.  Paul joined the IFI Board in 2024.

 

 

 

PATRICK O’NEILL

Patrick O’Neill is the Managing Director of Wildcard, an Irish-based film distribution company with credits including The Young Offenders, Moonlight, Black 47, AMY, and Wolfwalkers.  Wildcard has recently expanded into production, with credits including Kneecap and Fréwaka. Patrick has 25 years of experience in the film industry including seven years working in business affairs at the Irish Film Board (Screen Ireland/Fís Éireann). Prior to Screen Ireland, Patrick worked in international sales and film production, and has an M.Sc. in Cyberpsychology, an M.A. in Audiovisual Management, and a B.A. in Business Studies. Patrick joined the IFI Board in 2017.

 

REBECCA O’FLANAGAN

A graduate of UCD and King’s Inns, Rebecca worked in a freelance capacity for a number of years in the Irish film industry before she moved to the Irish Film Board to work as a Development Manager, selecting and managing the Board’s vast development slate including shorts, animation, television and film. In 2004 she left the Board and established Rubicon Films. In that year she also produced the RTE/Film Base-funded short Right Now Ladies and Gents. In 2006, she produced a 4 x 1 hour TV series for TG4 called The Running Mate, which won the IFTA for Best Drama Serial. Also in 2008, Rebecca executive produced The Eclipse for Treasure Entertainment, a feature film written and directed by Conor McPherson which won the award for Best Actor at the Tribeca Film Festival for Ciaran Hinds and also won the IFTA for best film. In 2009, Rebecca produced the feature film My Brothers which also premiered in Tribeca. In the same year she produced Your Bad Self, a six part TV sketch show for RTE, winner of the IFTA for best entertainment programme. In 2011 Rebecca executive produced BAFTA nominated Good Vibrations. In 2012 Rebecca produced John Butler’s The Stag, and in 2016 she produced John Butler’s second feature Handsome Devil. Both films premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Her most recent credits include Paddy Breathnach’s Viva, which was shortlisted for Best Foreign Language Oscar, Hugh O’Conor’s debut feature film Metal Heart, which premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh 2018, and John Butler’s latest feature Papi Chulo, which premiered at TIFF 2018. Rebecca lectures on the MA in Screenwriting course at the School of Film and Digital Media in NUI Galway, as well as guest lecturing at on a number of other film courses. Rebecca has been on the IFI Board since 2021.

 

DR SUSAN LIDDY

Dr. Susan Liddy lectures in the Department of Media and Communication Studies in MIC, University of Limerick. Her research interests relate primarily to gender equality in the Irish film industry; motherhood and caring; and the representation of women over 40 on screen and behind the camera.

She is editor of Women in the Irish Film Industry: Stories and Storytellers (Cork University Press. 2020); Women in the International Film Industry: Policy, Practice and Power (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020) and Women, Ageing and the Screen Industries: Falling off a cliff? (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023). She is co-editor of Media Work, Mothers and Motherhood: Negotiating the International Audio-Visual Industry (Routledge, 2021). Susan has also co-authored a number of industry reports: Auditing gender and diversity change in Irish media sectors (2021); The Pursuit of Change: Issues Affecting Parents & Carers in Ireland’s Screen Industries (2022) and Behind the Scenes: Exploring harmful behaviours in the Irish screen industries (2024).

She is President of Women in Film and Television International; Chair of Women in Film and Television Ireland; a board member of the Writers Guild of Ireland and Raising Films Ireland. She is the Founder and Director of Catalyst International Film Festival, Limerick – a festival that prioritises films and filmmakers from underrepresented groups. Susan joined the IFI Board in 2022.

 

TADHG O’SULLIVAN

Tadhg O’Sullivan is an artist and filmmaker. He works primarily in film but has made work for radio and for gallery installation also. His films often draw on archive, and on literary sources. His fourth feature The Swallow premiered at the Dublin International Film Festival in 2024, with its international premiere at Telluride. Previous features – To the Moon (2020), Yximalloo (with Feargal Ward, 2014) and The Great Wall (2015) have screened at numerous major film festivals including Venice Days, FiD Marseille, MOMA Doc Fortnight, CPH:DOX, Dokufest Kosovo and been broadcast internationally. He produces a regular short radio essay for Lyric FM called The Cloud of Unknowing. Tadhg has been on the IFI Board since 2021.

 

 

TERENCE O’ROURKE

Terence is Chairman of RTÉ and ESB and was previously Chairman of Enterprise Ireland.  He is a chartered accountant and was Managing Partner of KPMG Ireland from 2006 to 2013. He was President (2004/2005) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.

He is also currently Chairman of Ballymore Ireland, the Hugh Lane Gallery and Kinsale Capital Management Ltd. He chaired the 2014 Strategic Review Group for the Arts Council. Terence graduated from University College Dublin with a B.A. in Economics and History.   Dublin City University conferred Terence with the award of Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) in October 2023, acknowledging his contribution to Irish business, education, the arts and public services.  Terence has been on the IFI Board since 2014.

 

TORLACH DENIHAN

Torlach Denihan is employed by Ibec and since 1993 has served as Director of several Ibec industry representative bodies including Retail Ireland, which he established, the Audiovisual Federation, Financial Services Ireland, the Telecommunications and Internet Federation and Private Hospitals Ireland. During his career with Ibec, Torlach has represented Irish businesses, home grown and multinational, large and small, to government ministers, political parties, TDs, senators, Members of the European Parliament, Oireachtas Committees, senior civil servants, regulators, state agencies, local authorities, the European Commission, European trade associations including Business Europe, and in the media.

Prior to joining Ibec, Torlach worked on marketing and business development with one of Ireland’s largest companies and in the Department of Finance. He obtained an M.A. from University College Dublin and an M.B.A. from Dublin City University and was previously a member of the board of directors of the Foundation for Fiscal Studies and ECDL Ireland. He is currently a member of the board of directors of Yazda UK, the Yazidi NGO that assists survivors of genocide and human trafficking. In this latter capacity he has engaged with the European Parliament, the European Commission, the foreign ministries of several European countries and worked as a member of the support team of Nadia Murad, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking. Torlach has been on the IFI Board since July 2017.

DR ZÉLIE ASAVA

Dr Zélie Asava is a Screen Studies academic. She is the author of The Black Irish Onscreen: Representing Black and Mixed-Race Identities on Irish Film and Television (Peter Lang, 2013) and Mixed Race Cinemas: Multiracial Dynamics in America and France (Bloomsbury, 2017), and co-editor of a Special Issue of the Journal of Scandinavian Cinema (2022). Her work addresses the intersections of race, gender and sexuality in Irish, French, Francophone African and US cinema and television. She has lectured at UCD, IADT and DkIT where she was a director of academic programmes in Screen Arts and a member/chair of management boards, panels and reviews.

She currently sits on a number of Boards including Screen Ireland (co-Chairing the Gender, Equality and Diversity subcommittee), French Screen Studies, the Irish government’s Advisory Committee on Women’s Stories in the National Collections and the European Commission’s Capital of Culture panel, and works as an independent scholar, script reader and film classifier. She has been on the IFI Board since 2021.