As Conan O'Brien prepares to hit the Oscars stage tomorrow night for the film industry's biggest event of the year, behind the scenes, members of the Irish film industry have been busy in LA using the build up to the awards to develop their upcoming projects.
But is there leverage from the multiple Irish nominations that can be used to help upcoming projects?
Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive of Screen Ireland, this week offers a unique opportunity for the Irish film industry to promote their business as pre-Oscar build up buzz grows.
"Last year we had a record breaking level of production activity in Ireland," she said, explaining that the "creative screen industries has become a billion euro industry, and we're here having meetings with international studios, streamers, and global co-production partners which is so encouraging to see".
Watch: Screen Ireland's Désirée Finnegan says there is an opportunity to promote Ireland's film industry
The Irish film industry visitors who travelled to LA this week are firmly of the view that the buzz around the Irish entire helps them all.
They gathered together at a pre-Oscars event hosted by the Consulate General of Ireland and Screen Ireland, where they shared information and advice.
Dublin-based Element Pictures is one of the success stories of the Irish industry, securing 30 Academy Award nominations and six wins since it was established in 2001.
This week, Element Pictures founders Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe are in LA, with nominations for three of their films in their grasp.
Mr Lowe said that they are having a busy time, and that "generally, they're very good here about taking meetings, but with Oscar week, it definitely offers a particular kind of context for people taking these meetings".
He described how "everyone wants to meet you when you're an Oscar nominated producer," adding that "while there's still hope, we may as well use that!"
The continued success of the Irish animation industry is reflected in the reaction for Oscar nominated short animation film, 'Retirement Plan' from writer and director John Kelly.
On his nomination, the animation's producer, Andrew Freedman, said: "I guess that you're playing with all the big boys when you're here in Hollywood, you're putting Ireland on the map in a really big way".
He said that the nomination "opens up just so many doors, so meetings that you might have dreamt to have had a couple of weeks ago, all of a sudden are now totally open".
The event itself drew guests, including visiting Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy, who was welcomed by Consul General Caitlín Higgins Ní Chinnéide.
For Ms Finnegan, the event was important as it demonstrates how "the work that we do is really about developing the industry, planning for long term growth, and really building Ireland out as a global production hub".
She added that it is "a very fast paced global industry that's changing a lot, and so we really have to remain competitive".
More: Irish nominees ready for red carpet close-up at Oscars
