Filming in Mayo in the last 12 months was worth €785,000 to Westport's economy according to Mayo liaison to the Irish Film Board and local election candidate Cllr Keith Martin. Cllr Martin says that upon his election to Mayo County Council that he will establish a film office to promote Mayo as a venue for filmmaking.
In 2005 Cllr Martin established Westport Town Council's film budget of €5,000 making Westport the only town council in Ireland to promote itself as a film friendly location, consequently the greater Westport area has reaped the rewards according to the figures released today by Cllr Martin.
According to Cllr Martin "the vast majority of the local spend is from the German film "Heart's Desire" which was filmed in and around Westport last year. The spend here in Mayo amounted to roughly €750,000 on accommodation, food, equipment, rentals, office hire, transport, labour, extras etc and only last week the Slovenian production 'Circus Fantasticus' finished filming on Silver Stand and they estimate their local spend to have been about €35,000.
"This kind of spend is fantastic for the local economy and is one of the reasons why we must continue to market Westport and Mayo as a venue for filmmaking. The other spin off benefit is that there is a tourism benefit to being the location for filming. One only has to look at "Quiet Man" which is still drawing tourists to Mayo from all over the world more than 50 years after it was made."
Cllr Keith Martin has served as the liaison officer with the Irish Film Board since his appointment by the Irish Film Commissioner Naoise Barry in late 2004.
Following the meeting Cllr Martin and in the absence of a formal film office in Mayo Cllr Martin became the "de facto" Film Commission for Mayo and has been of assistance to many productions scouting Mayo for locations and assisting those filming here in Mayo.
On more than one occasion he has had to put his local knowledge and connections to the test and once at very short notice was able to rustle up a horse in Westport for a film production in Achill at a couple of hours notice!
All of this work is done on a volunteer basis, though Cllr Martin is supported by Mayo County Council and Westport Town Council and both authorities have built a fantastic reputation for themselves as film friendly councils.
To date Cllr Martin has assisted 12 productions since 2004 in Westport and Mayo and Cllr Martin estimates the value of these productions, which include no less than three feature films, to run into millions of euro.
"That is why when I am elected to Mayo County Council that I will establish a full time film office to promote Westport and Mayo as a venue for film making. We should not forget that Mayo is the home of such memorable and successful films such as "The Quiet Man" and "The Field" which still attract tourism to this day. Mayo has massive untapped filming potential and I will exploit that to create jobs and attract investment."
Keith Martin
086 0691182
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