Expertise
"Matheson’s well-established practice has particular strength in film and television production, film financing, animation and music licensing."
European Legal 500
Matheson has one of Ireland’s most active entertainment law practices whose dedicated team members work exclusively on a daily basis in the areas of film and television and across the other sectors that comprise the creative industries.
Matheson are the ‘go-to’ firm for the Irish film and TV production sector and represent producers, lenders, financiers, distributors as well as networks, broadcasters that are commissioning, financing and producing content in Ireland.
Our film and television practice is recognised as a market leader and Tier 1 by the legal ranking directories Chambers and Legal 500. Matheson has the legal knowledge and unparalleled commercial experience to advise our clients in relation to the arrangements for the development, production, co-production, commissioning, financing or distribution of television content or feature films both in Ireland and internationally.
A principal focus of the practice is feature film and television financing including multiple party financings, equity investments, gap-financing, discounting, security and completion bond arrangements. We have vast experience of complex international financing activity including pan-European co-production deals as well as particular specialist expertise in negotiating facilities against Ireland’s tax credit for film production.
We also provide production and content advice to producers, broadcasters, networks and studios producing content in Ireland for international distribution. Our expertise includes contracting the necessary underlying rights and talent, providing the entire range of general production counsel services and extends to pre and post publication content and clearance advices including with regard to errors and omissions insurance requirements.
We collaborate with specialist teams from across the firm to provide commercial support in complex areas such as data privacy, cyber security and in other areas such as defamation, employment, immigration and general corporate advices.
Our Team
Our dedicated Entertainment Finance team is led by one partner.
Recent Feature Film Work
- Production counsel on the Academy Award nominated feature film "An Cailin Ciúin" which was the first Irish language film to be nominated for the prestigious award.
- Advising on the financing of the Irish tax credit on the feature film entitled “The Apprentice” which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024 and has been nominated in multiple categories at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and shortlisted for the Oscars.
- Irish counsel to the US studio financier / distributor on a feature film entitled "Abigail" starring Alisha Weir.
- Irish production counsel on the John Carney feature film entitled "Power Ballad" starring Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd filmed entirely in Ireland.
- Local production counsel on a feature film entitled “Father, Mother, Sister, Brother” starring Cate Blanchett and directed by Jim Jarmusch.
- Local production counsel on a feature film entitled “Hallow Road” starring Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys produced as an Irish / UK co-production under the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production.
- Local production counsel on the feature film provisionally entitled "Freud's Last Session" starring Anthony Hopkins including advising on the co-production structure, the various financing and security agreements and completion guarantor agreements in an Irish context.
- Acting as local production counsel on the feature film entitled "Flora and Son" written and directed by John Carney (Sing Street, Once) and starring Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon Levitt. The film was acquired by Apple TV Plus for $20 million at the Sundance Film Festival.
- Acting local production counsel on the feature film entitled "Visitation" starring Olivia Cooke, Olivia Williams and Isla Johnston. The film was produced by the multinational entertainment company Entertainment One (eOne) with Rumble Films Inc.
Recent Television Work
- Advising on indigenous TV productions e.g. seasons 1 and 2 of the drama series “Obituary” produced in Ireland as a co-production with About Premium Content UK and streaming on Hulu and Netflix.
- Advising on cross-continent television series entitled "Mix Tape" produced under the Irish / Australian Co-Production Treaty for broadcast on Foxtel in Australia and RTE in Ireland, with the support of Screen Ireland and Screen Australia and distributed by Boat Rocker Entertainment.
- Production counsel services on the audio-visual programme “Sanctuary” (seasons 1 and 2) commissioned for AMC TV.
- Irish production counsel services on the television series “Magpie Murders” and “Moonflower Murders” based on Anthony Horowitz novels of the same name and most recently “Marble Hall Murders” currently filming in Ireland Q2 2025..
Talent Advice and Representation
- We advise on rights arrangements in relation to creative talent involved in audio and audio-visual work including individual producers, directors, writers, rights owners, book publishing houses, actors and music composers, TV presenters and content service providers, particularly when dealing with broadcasters, financiers, publishers and distributors of their works.