Following its success in 2006 and again in 2008, the Arts Council and RTÉ have announced a third round of RTÉ Dance on the Box.

The Arts Council and RTÉ are calling on artists in film and dance to combine their talents and collaborate on the creation of four short dance films, which will be premiered on RTÉ television during Dublin Dance Festival 2010 (May 7–23, 2010).

This scheme aims to provide an opportunity for collaborations between choreographers and filmmakers, to continue to develop a culture of dance on film in Ireland and to build audiences for dance-based work on television. Eight films have been commissioned to date, reaching an Irish television audience of over 900,000 and screening in over thirty film festivals in Africa, Australia, Europe, South America and the USA.

Up to four films will be commissioned under this round of Dance on the Box. Each film should be between five and six minutes in duration and will have a maximum budget of €22,000. The choreography and direction in each film should be original, rather than an adaptation of existing work.

The Arts Council and RTÉ will look for projects that combine directors, producers and choreographers with a track record of quality and creativity in film and/or television production and dance, respectively. Priorities will also include the ability to address a peak-time television audience and to foreground artists resident in Ireland

The deadline for receipt of applications is 5pm on Friday, 29th January 2010. Applicants must be available for interview on Friday, 5th February and be in a position to deliver completed films on, or before, 5th April 2010. An information session designed to provide prospective applicants with further details about the scheme will be held in Dance House on the afternoon of Monday, 18th January 2010. Anyone interested in attending should register with Filmbase (details below).

RTÉ Dance on the Box is administered by Filmbase, on behalf of the Arts Council and RTÉ.
Further information and application forms are available here, or call Filmbase on +353 1 679 6716.