28 March 2024 The Irish Film & Television Network
     

Irish Film and Television Network

 »

Festivals / Markets

 »

Festivals News



Belfast Media Festival hosts Kenneth Branagh for virtual In Conversation to celebrate the Festival's 11th edition
12 Nov 2020 : News Desk
Kenneth Branagh in Tenet
Kenneth Branagh talks about his optimism for the future of the Northern Ireland creative industries, the necessity for the arts at this time, his latest films Death On The Nile and Belfast, as well as giving practical advice to young people starting out in their careers, in a special interview to mark the 11th Belfast Media Festival (BMF) this Thursday, November 12th.

This session was recorded virtually with Kenneth Branagh in Twickenham Studios and Kathy Clugston asking the questions from her front-row seat at the QFT. It will be available to view from this Thursday at 12.30 pm free of charge for those who register for BMF via its website www.belfastmediafestival.co.uk.

Speaking about interviewing Branagh, Kathy Clugston told IFTN:

“It was a pure delight to interview for this special BMF 2020 one of the world’s leading film and TV makers, who just happens to come from Belfast. He’s a man of so many talents - actor, director, producer, writer - both on stage and on screen. He’s generously given his time for this unique interview. Speaking to him was inspiring - and great fun."

Kenneth Branagh may have left the city when he was still a young boy, but he talks about how those early years contributed to who he is today,  giving BMF an exclusive insight into his latest film Belfast, which he describes as “auto-fictional”“It’s a very personal film, set partly in Belfast and partly elsewhere, partly set in the past and partly set in the present. I hope that there is humour and I hope that it’s emotional; it’s a look at a people and a place in tumult through the eyes of a nine-year-old movie-mad kid,” said Branagh.

“My experience of Belfast when I was growing up was to be part of a larger extended family, one that lived nearby each other, in a world in terms of television that had three channels in black and white. We listened to the radio extensively, listened to records extensively, and we went to see films extensively and when we weren’t doing that, we visited each other,” Branagh continued.

Belfast features Northern Ireland actors Ciarán Hinds, Bríd Brennan, Colin Morgan, and Jamie Doran, as well as Dame Judi Dench, Caitríona Balfe, and newcomer Jude Hill. Filming took place over the summer with daily Covid testing, cast bubbles, and vigilance from everyone involved with 50% of scenes taking place outdoors.

Branagh highlights the importance of humility, diversity, inclusivity, and working collaboratively in the creative industries. Talking about the future given the current global difficulties due to Covid 19, he said: “I’m by nature an optimist, people need stories, and we need to know we are not alone. We have to share our experience with others in fictional forms across the medium we are all lucky enough to work in.

“What’s been available for people to watch on their screens at home during lockdown has been invaluable, it has been a lifesaver for many people, it has certainly diverted, and entertained. These are incredibly important things at moments of understandable stress. I feel for everybody in our business who has been having a rough time across this lockdown period and I wish them good work in the coming months and years.”

Kenneth answers questions put forward by students from Queens and Ulster Universities with some advice for those starting out that “imagination and hard work will always yield opportunities” noting that “the first ten years of my career were marked by a sort of ‘pinch me pinch me’ in case I woke up, thrilled that I was getting to do something that I recognised I loved, I hadn’t expected to do and that I was thrilled to be working in.”

Helen Thompson, producer, Belfast Media Festival said:

“We are incredibly grateful to Kenneth Branagh for giving us his time for what is both an uplifting and inspirational interview, so perfect to represent our virtual festival at this strange time. Here’s to BMF 2021 when we hope to put in place an exciting two-day event at the Mac once again.”

BMF in conversation with Kenneth Branagh is sponsored by Future Screens NI and was produced and directed by Frank Delaney, Queens University Belfast (QUB), with technical support from QUB students Ryan Elliman and Samuel Robertson and staff Craig Jackson and Ben Brown, presented by Kathy Clugston and graded by Yellow Moon.

The Belfast Media Festival is supported by its partners BBC Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen who help to ensure the event remains free for attendees.

To watch this unique 11th Belfast Media Festival go to www.belfastmediafestival.co.uk.





FEATURES & INTERVIEWS
Sharon Horgan, Róisín Gallagher, and Éanna Hardwicke among BAFTA TV Award nominees
IFTA Awards 2024: IFTA nominations announced
Free Industry Newsletter
Subscribe to IFTN's industry newsletter - it's free and e-mailed directly to your inbox every week.
Click here to sign up.






 
 the Website  Directory List  Festivals  Who's Who  Locations  Filmography  News  Crew  Actors
 

Contact Us | Advertise | Copyright | Terms & Conditions | Security & Privacy | RSS Feed | Twitter

 

 

 
canli bahis siteleri rulet siteleri deneme bonusu veren siteler bahis siteleri free spin veren siteler deneme bonusu veren yeni siteler yeni casino siteleri yeni bahis siteleri betwoon grandpashabet