International co-productions and collaborations between the Irish and New Zealand AV industries have taken a significant step forward following the Wellington-Galway Indigenous Animation Exchange 2025.
The Exchange, spearheaded by the Galway and Wellington UNESCO Cities of Film ran from March to May, and in its first year has opened doors between Irish speaking and Te Reo Māori animators and key film industry stakeholders here and in New Zealand, laying serious groundwork for growth opportunities for the Irish audiovisual industry; new avenues through which it can extend its international reach; and means to further increase the Irish language’s presence on screen outside of Ireland.
Supported by Ardán, WRAP, TG4, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Galway City Council, and Galway County Council in Ireland and Screen Wellington, Māoriland, and the New Zealand Film Commission in New Zealand, the Cities of Film Exchange is part of a wider development to empower indigenous language communities as they tell their own stories on screen and to provide support for those stories to reach the widest possible audience.
Growth of indigenous language production
The Indigenous Animation Exchange is focussed on talent development with its first recipients being Gaelgeoir Siobhán Ní Thuarisg, from Co. Galway, and Te Reo Māori speaker Seth Parata Stewart, from New Zealand’s North Island.
In March, Siobhán, an animator at Telegael, was in Wellington and Ōtaki to provide support to M.A.T.C.H. (Māoriland Tech Creative Hub) participants, to attend the Wellington Animation Festival and Māoriland Festival; and to speak with students at Massey University and YooBee College.
In May, Seth, from Ōtaki in Māoriland – the New Zealand equivalent of a Gaeltacht – was in Ireland attending Telegael (Connemara), Studio Meala (Roscommon), and Little Moon Animation (Dublin) to shadow and observe Irish language content creation in a professional setting.
Funding schemes supporting indigenous language film production are on the rise and streaming services now carry larger numbers of non-English language programming. Ireland has not been unaffected by this industrial shift as witnessed by the success of CRÁ, Kneecap, and the Oscar nominated An Cailín Ciúin. The Exchange now positions animation as a medium making its own linguistic leap forward, with Irish and Te Reo Māori in the vanguard.
Tanya Black, manager of Screen Wellington and Wellington City of Film, is thrilled to see a programme prioritising indigenous storytellers and their language.
“The Exchange is an important conversation starter, between language communities, and between the AV industry in different nations,” she said. “The impact of Siobhán and Seth’s experience is playing a real part in helping elevate Irish and Te Reo Māori original content internationally, while also creating a foundation for others to build upon.”
Co-production as key to sustainability
The Exchange’s benefits were not just individual or linguistic, but will be felt across the wider Irish film, TV, and animation industry, as it involved meetings and visits from leading figures in the New Zealand AV industry.
During the Exchange, Libby Hakaraia and Maddy de Young (Māoriland), Tanya Black (Wellington City of Film/Screen Wellington), Chris Payne (New Zealand Film Commission), and Bevin Linkhorn (New Zealand Film Commission), met with Irish screen industry stakeholders at Animation Ireland, TG4, Screen Ireland, and Screen Producers Ireland, as well as other local producers. The meetings involved discussions on collaboration opportunities, co-production possibilities, co-funding potential, and challenges when it comes to creative IP and AI.
“Ireland and New Zealand share a rich storytelling tradition and common creative values,” said Chris Payne, Head of Co-Production and Incentives at the New Zealand Film Commission. “Both our cultures treasure the spoken and written word, passed down through generations and champion authenticity and community. Our co-production treaty has been in place for nearly 20 years, and a key part of this longevity are the deep relationships NZFC has developed with Screen Ireland and the Irish industry, borne out by co-produced feature films such as Come to Daddy and Evil Dead Rise, and TV series, The Gone, now in its second season. The recent Cities of Film Animation Exchange and the resulting visits to TG4 in Connemara allows NZFC to build on this strategic connection between our island nations.”
Ireland and New Zealand – a new partnership
For smaller nations like Ireland and New Zealand, international co-productions are essential in allowing access to diverse markets; wider funding streams; shared resources of location, expertise, and financing; and facilitating cultural reciprocation. The Exchange has now emerged as another vital force in the Irish AV industry’s drive to find new markets and collaborations.
During Siobhán’s residency in New Zealand in March, Ardán CEO, Alan Duggan was also in the country showcasing Ireland to industry professionals at the Wellington Animation and Māoriland film festivals. He was also on a panel with the New Zealand Film Commission, discussing co-productions with Ireland, and Alan and Siobhán visited local NZ studios.
The resulting meetings with agencies and producers revealed significant interest in collaboration with Ireland and Gaeilgeorí in talent development and production, and across areas of mutual interest.
Collaboration – next steps
Through its management of the Galway UNESCO City of Film designation; WRAP; and the chairing of the Western AV Forum industry collective, Ardán is in a strong position to assist development of cultural collaborations and coproductions between Ireland and New Zealand.
“The bonds forged have already been exemplary in showcasing the creative potential between the Western Region in Ireland and our New Zealand partners,” said WRAP Executive Gar O’Brien-Collins. “We are excited to lay the groundwork for an ambitious co-production partnership that celebrates and elevates our indigenous languages and shared cultures on screen.”
That process has already begun. Last week, New Zealand Film Commissioners were given tours by the Ardán and WRAP team of Galway locations as sites for possible co-productions, while the New Zealand Embassy and Screen Wellington hosted a showcase with Irish and New Zealand producers in Dublin to celebrate this bilateral collaboration.
The success of the exchange continues to be spotlighted in France this June at the Annecy Animation Film Festival and then in Paris on the Showcase Stage at the UNESCO Creative Cities AGM.
“International collaboration and connection in the screen sector are more important than ever,” said Ardán CEO and Galway City of Film Director Alan Duggan. “Safeguarding and support for independent film and audiovisual creation is vital to prevent it from being overwhelmed by AI and global monopolies, so indigenous culture and creativity can flourish, and democratic access to diverse stories for the screen can continue.”
ENDS
For more information contact:
Kathryn Reynolds
Comms, Marketing & PR Executive, Ardán
087 6036452
Notes for Editors:
Ardán is a registered charity based in the CREW Enterprise and Innovation Hub, Wellpark Road, Galway city, and operating in the West of Ireland and beyond. We support creatives in the audio-visual industry, in film, TV, games, and animation, through funding, training, and events, and by providing opportunities for entry, emerging, and established individuals working in the screen sector.
Previously Galway Film Centre, Ardán rebranded in 2022 to reflect the broader geographic and sectoral focus of the organisation which includes the greater Western Region and newer industry sectors including games and animation.
Within its screen talent development remit, Ardán manages the Galway UNESCO City of Film designation, WRAP (Western Region Audio Visual Producers’ Fund), the National Talent Academy for Film & TV Drama, the annual FÍS TV and Games Summits, and Ardán is the Chair of the Western AV Forum collective.
Ardán also co-manages several other funding and training opportunities including the CÚRAM Science on Screen Documentary and Animation Commission, the RTÉ Short Film Commission, the national Digital Games Portfolio with Imirt, Innovative Gamified Solutions (IGS), and much more.
Galway City of Film/Ceantar Scánnan UNESCO designation and annual programme of activities is managed by Ardán, and is made possible by support from Galway City Council / Galway City Arts Office, Galway County Council/ Galway County Arts Office, Fís Éireann/ Screen Ireland and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
Galway-Wellington City of Film Animation Exchange 2025 is a new animation programme supported by Ardán, Galway City of Film/Ceantar Scannán, TG4, Wellington City of Film, Screen Wellington, and Māoriland. The Exchange was open to Irish applicants fluent in Irish (ideally from the Galway Gaeltacht); working in the animation industry; and who were interested in participating in an animation exchange programme in New Zealand, where they would work with a Māori animation studio, experience the creation of content for a different first language in animation, attend the Wellington Animation and Māoriland festivals, and Represent Ceantar Scannán at an Irish embassy hosted event.
Siobhán Ní Thuairisg was the 2025 Galway-Wellington City of Film Animation Exchange Recipient. From Indreabhán, Connemara, Siobhán is an Animation Designer with 6 years experience in the industry. She is currently a design lead on the pre-production team at Telegael, An Spidéal, Co na Gaillimhe, a studio with international success and who operates through Irish and English. She has a special interest in the effect media has on attitudes toward native languages, and wrote a thesis on the subject: ‘The Importance & Impact Media has on Native Language Speakers.’, examining the link between Irish, Māori, and Welsh, and keeping these indigenous languages relevant.
WRAP is an initiative of Ardán and the Western Development Commission, supported by the local authorities of Clare, Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Leitrim and Sligo, and Údarás na Gaeltachta. It was developed in 2018 to encourage more screen production in the West of Ireland, with the goal of promoting more creative enterprise, to support local talent and crew, while also feeding back into the local economy.
