Irish Abroad: Tom Collins’ An Bronntanas seals major international distribution deal

A major French international distribution company, Lagardère Entertainment (LE) Rights has sealed a deal to distribute the hit Celtic Noir thriller, An Bronntanas (The Gift) to a worldwide audience.

Speaking of this new deal for An Bronntanas, Producer, Ciarán Ó Cofaigh said [quote]We are delighted that LE Rights has acquired world wide distribution for An Bronntanas. International Drama is a highly competitive market; it is an achievement in itself to be chosen by such a key distributor in this arena. Between crew, cast and funders, we always believed that we had delivered a drama series that can compete on a world stage.  LE Rights see the series as having great potential and this acquisition is testament to that.[/quote]

Frederick Range, LE Rights, Head of Acquisitions is equally enthusiastic about the new agreement. [quote]We are delighted to distribute An Bronntanas worldwide, it is a great addition to our slate. We distribute a lot of long running French series, but very few mini series so we are so thrilled to have a series of this calibre and excellence to take to market at MIP in Cannes. We will be showcasing about 25 new titles across documentary, fiction, youth and animation. An Bronntanas will be one of six new exciting fiction properties. Its a great story, very well written and produced, we really believe it will have huge appeal for the international market.[/quote]

When the 5 part series was broadcast on TG4 at the end of last year it was a tremendous success, receiving both strong critical acclaim and high audience figures with an impressive six-fold increase among 15-34-year-old audiences.

The film version of An Bronntanas has also enjoyed great success in recent months at festivals both at home and abroad.  To date screenings have taken place in Australia, Barbados, Washington, Chicago, Boston and Rome, with more to come in later months this year.  The film recently received the Jury’s Special Award at the Boston Irish Film Festival as well as receiving three nominations in this year’s Gradaim Chumarsáide an Oireachtais, including a nomination for ‘Best Television Series’.

Directed by Tom Collins (Kings), and produced by Ciarán Ó Cofaigh (Cré na Cille) and Tom Collins, An Bronntanas stars Dara Devaney (Na Cloigne), John Finn (Cold Case), Owen McDonnell (Single Handed), Michelle Beamish (Crisis Eile), Pól Ó Gríofa (Ros Na Rún), Charlotte Bradley and Janusz Sheagall. The series was shot in various locations in Conamara, with Cian de Buitléar as the DoP.

An Bronntanas is a contemporary thriller set against the background of a local independent lifeboat crew working off the coast of Conamara, in the West of Ireland. The rescue crew answers a distress call on a stormy night to discover an abandoned fishing boat, its only cargo onboard a dead woman and over a million Euros worth of drugs. The crew is challenged with a moral dilemma — bring the woman on shore and hand the drugs to the authorities or, leave the body, sell the drugs and save their struggling village.

An Bronntanas was produced by ROSG and De Facto Films with financial contribution from TG4, Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), The Irish Film Board, Northern Ireland Screen and Section 481.


Tá comhlacht mór idirnáisiúnta Francach, Lagardère Entertainment (LE) Rights, tar éis conradh a shíniú ar mhaithe leis an sraith iomráiteach An Bronntanas a dháileadh ar fud an domhain.

Deir Léiritheoir na sraithe, Ciarán Ó Cofaigh;

“Is cúis bróid dúinn go mbeidh An Bronntanas á dháileadh ar mhargaí idirnáisiúnta. Tá an iomaíocht an-ghéar ó thaobh drámaíocht teilifíse idirnáisiúnta de agus is éacht ann féin conradh mór dáiliúcháin a shíniú le leithidí LE Rights. Idir criú, aisteoirí agus maoinitheoirí, chreid muid uilig go raibh sraith dhrámaíochta ar ard-chaighdeán idirnáisiúnta léirithe againn. Seo cruthúnas ar sin.”

Tá Frederick Range, Ceannasaí Ceannacháin LE Rights, ar bís faoin gconradh.

“Tá muid thar a bheith sásta a bheith freagrach as dáileadh idirnáisiúnta An Bronntanas, cuireann sé go mór leis an “slate” atá muid ag brú sa margadh faoi láthair. Bíonn go leor sraitheanna aitheanta Francacha á dháileadh againn ach fíor bheagán sraitheanna gearra. Mar gheall ar sin is cúis áthais dúinn sraith ar an gcaighdeán ard seo a thabhairt ag margadh MIP ag Cannes na Fraince. Beidh muid ag seoladh 25 teidil nua ag MIP, idir Faisnéis, Ficsean agus Beochan, agus beidh An Bronntanas mar cheann do 6 mhór thogra nua Ficsean. Is scéal iontach atá ann atá scríofa agus léirithe ar an gcaighdeán is airde. Tá muid an-dóchasach go mbeidh an-tóir ar An Bronntanas ag na margaí idirnáisiúnta.”

D’éirigh thar cion leis an tsraith dhrámaíochta nuair a craoladh é ar TG4 ag deireadh na bliaina seo caite, agus le roinnt míonna anuas tá ag eirí go han-mhaith leis an leagan scannán ag féilte idirnáisiúnta. Bhí sé le feiceáil san Astráil, Barbados, Washington, Chicago, Boston agus sa Róimh, agus níos mó féilte le fógairt sna míonna amach romhainn.

Le deireanaí bronnadh ‘Duais Speisialta an Ghiúiré’ ar An Bronntanas ag an Boston Irish Film Festival, chomh maith leis sin d’éirigh leis trí ainmniúcháin a fháil ag Gradaim Chumarsáide an Oireachtais 2015, moladh don ‘Sraith Teilifíse is Fearr’ san áireamh.

Is thriller comhaimseartha é An Bronntanas atá lonnaithe i saol phobal an bháid tarrthála amach ó chósta Chonamara.

Ar oíche stoirme, tar éis glaoch tarrthála a fháil, tagann an criú tarrthála áitiúil ar lastas drugaí ar fiú os cionn milliún euro é, ar bhád iascaigh tréigthe. Nuair a dhéanann siad cinneadh an lastas seo a choinneáil dóibh féin titeann siad isteach i saol trioblóideach, foréigneach agus tragóideach.

Is iad Ciarán Ó Cofaigh agus Tom Collins a léirigh An Bronntanas do ROSG agus De Facto Films agus Tom Collins a stiúraigh. I measc na bpríomhaisteoirí tá Dara Devaney (Na Cloigne), Gael-Mheiriceánach John Finn (Cold Case), Owen McDonnell (Single Handed), Michelle Beamish (Crisis Eile), Pól Ó Gríofa (Ros na Rún), Charlotte Bradley agus Janusz Sheagall. Rinneadh An Bronntanas a scannánú ag láithreacha éagsúla timpeall ar Chonamara le Cian de Buitléar mar Ghrianghrafadóir.

An Bronntanas maoinithe ag TG4, An BAI, Bord Scannán na hÉireann, Northern Ireland Screen/ ILBF agus Section 481.