Bord Scannán na hÉireann/ Irish Film Board (IFB) has published its full slate of productions for 2017.

2016 was a landmark year for the IFB as its projects achieved record global box office figures and production activity in Ireland surpassed €250m for the first time.

James Hickey, IFB Chief Executive; creative team from "The Drummer and The Keeper" Jacob McCarthy,Actor; Dermot Murphy, Actor; Nick Kelly, Writer and Director; Kate McColgan , Producer; and Dr Annie Donna, IFB Chair at today's launch / Naoise Culhane

Here's what's coming in 2017:

• Stephen Burke’s MAZE starring Tom Vaughan-Lawlor and Barry Ward

• Amination works including Nora Twomey’s animated feature The Breadwinner which has Angelina Jolie as Executive Producer

• Good Favour directed by Rebecca Daly, which looks at the experience of a young man who joins a devout Christian community in a remote existence in central Europe

• The Belly of the Whale, starring Pat Shortt and directed by Morgan Bushe

MAZE

• Children’s animated television works Jam Media’s Becca’s Brunch, Salty Dog’s Brewster the Rooster and Brown Bag’s Gilbert & Sadie

• Two Catalyst projects The Drummer and the Keeper by Nick Kelly and Kissing Candice by Aoife McArdle

• Lance Daly’s Black ’47, a revenge thriller set in an Ireland devastated by the Great Famine of 1847

• Mark O’Rowe’s directorial debut Delinquent Season starring Cillian Murphy and Andrew Scott

• Song of Granite, directed by Pat Collins which is a lyrical portrayal of great traditional Irish singer Joe Heaney

• Genre feature film The Third Wave directed and written by David Freyne

• Halal Daddy, a cultural clash comedy drama filmed in Sligo and starring Colm Meaney and Sarah Bolger

• Aithri/Penance, starring Peter Coonan as a priest who is unequivocal about the need for violence to force Britain out of Ireland

• Michael Inside, a story of a young teenager who spends three months in prison

• Genre film The Lodgers, directed by Brian O’Malley, which looks at the life of Anglo-Irish twins Rachel and Edward

• A number of documentaries including Blinder films Grace Jones: The Musical Of My Life, Outside the Factory by Feargal Ward and Elián by Ross McDonnell

With demand for Irish films, TV and animation on the rise, the IFB says that there is still "significant potential for further growth."

Ireland will feature in Star Wars Episode VIII at the tail end of the year. During 2017 the IFB will embark on an international advertising campaign to promote Ireland as a location for production with a focus on North America.

A still from Irish animation ‘Second to None’

In 2015/2016 Irish films made a record breaking $170m over 18 months at box offices around the world.

Room grossed €1.3m in Ireland, The Young Offenders is described by the IFB as a "local sleeper hit," it made over €1.2m - while Brooklyn finished its successful Irish run having earned over €3.1m and indie hit A Date for Mad Mary had sales of €220,000.

Brooklyn

Older than Ireland, Atlantic, and Strange Occurrences in an Irish Village also drew huge TV audiences - while Amazon and Netflix's Irish acquisitions and commissions grew.

Commenting, Dr Annie Donna, IFB Chair said: "We are delighted to be working with the Creative Ireland programme, which is placing creativity at the centre of public policy. We intend to support the continued development of Ireland as a centre of excellence for the film, animation and television sector as is identified by Creative Ireland as one of its five central pillars.

"We look forward to working with Minister Humphreys on the recently commissioned audio-visual report on the value of the sector so that we can strategically plan around building necessary policy for the industry."

Strange Occurrences in an Irish Village

James Hickey, IFB Chief Executive said: “The slate of productions we are launching today is exciting and impressive, showcasing diverse themes and genres by both experienced and new creative talent.

"The quality and quantity of the work demonstrates our long-term commitment to investing in talent and developing sustainable career paths for Irish storytelling on screen."