Two new major projects from the BBC will be filmed in Ireland, employing hundreds of people in the economically struggling country. ‘Ripper Street’ and ‘Vexed’ are expected to invest a much needed €11 million in the economy in the first quarter in 2012, according to the Irish Film Board.

The Journal reports that the BBC’s eight-part mini-series ‘Ripper Street’ will be filmed in Dublin and plans to employ more than 250 cast and crew for the project. The production is set to provide an investment of  €8 million. The series will be produced by Tiger Aspect, Lookout Point and Element Pictures over a span of 19 weeks.

Another BBC series, ‘Vexed,’ will also provide some economic growth in Ireland. The project, directed by Irish directors Kieron J Walsh and Ian Fitzgibbon, will employ 100 cast and crew and will invest €3 million. Still in pre-production, ‘Vexed’ has received funding from the Irish Film Board.
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These two new projects come as the result of a visit made by UK producers and broadcasters organised by BSÉ/IFB with funding from the IFB international production fund, said IFB Chief Executive James Hickey.

Hickey went on to add that “These projects demonstrate the huge contribution the industry is making to the Irish economy and is similar in scale to recent international film and television co-productions such as Titanic: Blood and Steel, Ek Tha Tiger and Shadow Dancer – all of which provided employment for Irish cast and crew working in Ireland.”

18 new films that will be Irish made were outlined by the IFB last night. With the list of upcoming films, Hickey noted that the Irish film industry is not only great for local economic growth, but also for bolstering worldwide visibility into the country.

Similarly, the recent Oscar nominations for Irish made films ‘Albert Nobbs,’ ‘Pentecost’ and ‘The Shore’ have helped spur more interest in the Irish film industry.