Since then it has grown to become many things to many people; from nurturing new music and film talent to its award winning creative learning activities and large scale cultural events.

Est.1990

Nerve Centre’s commitment and passion to transform lives through creativity remains at the heart of every programme we deliver benefitting more than 120,000 people across Northern Ireland annually.

Large scale cultural productions include Making the Future and Reimagine, Remake, Replay helping people engage with issues of heritage, identity, culture and community.

Nerve Centre’s latest cultural production is Our Place in Space, a 3D scaled model of the solar system delivered in partnership with artist Oliver Jeffers.

As one of Nerve Centres most prestigious projects, Foyle Film Festival offers an exceptional opportunity for brand association, audience engagement and marketing reach through a high profile festival event.

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What inspires us?We love film

At Nerve Centre we make and produce films and we want film to filter into every part of our community.

Through Foyle Film Festival we celebrate contemporary, classic and cultural cinema with audiences across the North West and we provide a platform for new work from emerging filmmakers and artists.

Oscar and BAFTA accredited awards attract filmmakers from across the world and our focused education programme for schools and colleges reaches right across the North West bringing the festival to thousands of students to build the audiences and the creative entrepreneurs of the future in Northern Ireland.

Cry of Grainuaile
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Who dowe reach?

Over 10 days Foyle Film Festival attracts over 6,000 admissions to its screenings, workshops and special events.

Foyle Film Festival’s stand-alone education programme offers feature films, documentaries, workshops and outreach screenings to an audience of 2,500 aged 5–25.

This programme is the largest dedicated education programme for audiences from both primary and secondary schools and colleges across the North West.

The festival celebrates the achievements of film and animation students from across Northern Ireland at its annual Moving Image Arts Awards event.

The festival also platforms new and emerging talent, some of whom are alumni of Nerve Centre’s vibrant programme of film and music for young people across Northern Ireland.

Nerve Centre delivers BFI Film Academy and Northern Ireland Screen Academies in animation, games design and VFX for young people across Northern Ireland aged 16–25.

Foyle Film Festival offers a dedicated programme of industry facing events to promote pathways into the Screen Industries labour market and to connect Industry directly with new talent.

We have a reputation for excellence within the creative education sector and the wider screen industry and we are also committed to engaging with a range of diverse and disadvantaged communities across the North West through our outreach screening and education programme.

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The NumbersThe Numbers

Some of our stats and reach from Foyle Film Festival 2023

60006000

Average attendees over 10 day festival period

100100

Filmmakers from across the world as part of our Light in Motion Competition

5555

Film titles shown across 2 flagship venues (Nerve Centre & Brunswick Moviebowl)

40004000

Festival programmes distributed across Northern Ireland and ROI

10001000

Education programmes distributed across NI schools

35K35K

Web page visits during festival period

1m1m

Social media reach during festival period

1.99M1.99M

Press campaign opportunities to see (OTS) during festival period

Foyle Film Festival is funded by Department for Communities through Northern Ireland Screen and Derry City & Strabane District Council.

Become
a friend

If the sponsorship packages are not your thing, we have many other opportunities to support the festival.

This could be as simple as making a one-off donation, or producing a Foyle Film Festival themed coffee in your coffee shop that we can promote and feature on our socials. We’re all ears for all the ideas!

Talk
to us

If you want to know more or chat about sponsorship options, contact Christopher Morrison c.morrison@nervecentre.org

Your Support Counts

Every gift, large or small, helps us to realise our mission

2023 Sponsors with Thanks2023 Sponsors with Thanks

BrunswickMoviebowl

Brunswick Moviebowl has been our venue partner for the past 10 years.

They share our love for film and provide the perfect venue to showcase the festival on the big screen.

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Brunswick Moviebowl
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City of DerryCrystal

City of Derry Crystal was established in 1991 by a master cutter and engraver who previously worked for Waterford Crystal.

Michael Bond bought City of Derry Crystal in 1994 and his son, Kevin, joined the business in 2003.

City of Derry Crystal has been providing our beautiful Light in Motion competition awards for many years.

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City of Derry Crystal
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ScreenSkillsHETV

Over its 10 years, the High-end TV (HETV) Skills Fund has invested in further developing industry connections and offering new opportunities to local talent in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

When productions pay into the High-end TV Skills Fund they are supporting the longevity and quality of crew for the UK's high-end TV industry.

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ScreenSkills HETV
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TheSandwich Co.

Local legends The Sandwich Co opened their first sandwich bar in 1991 in the heart of Derry City. Their goal was simple and still remains at the core of their business: to serve Ireland’s finest sandwiches, made fresh each day, to customers in a friendly and comfortable atmosphere. They now have six cafes across the Northwest.

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The Sandwich Co.
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Mekong

Mekong are not only our Nerve Centre neighbours but they also offer the best Asian street food in town.

The flavours at Mekong are so authentic, the ingredients so fresh, and the welcome so genuine as you sink your chopsticks into an ever-evolving menu of dishes such as Donegal mackerel and spicy papaya, stone bass and sour orange curry, or Bangkok-style pork broth with shrimp egg noodles.

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Mekong
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