Commenting on the line-up, Chairman of the Organising Committee Prof Sean Fulton said ‘This Festival confirms Belfast’s renaissance as a world-class conference venue. The calibre of the guests coming speaks for itself, and we have the chance to show a truly international audience that we live in a truly modern and outward-looking city.’
Names such as Adrian Dunbar, Paul McGann and Seamus McGarvey will be in attendance. Premieres at the Festival will include Persistence of Vision, on the life of legendary Hollywood cinematographer Jack Cardiff, and Is Mise an Teanga, one of the most notable Gaelic productions in recent years.
With 88 titles on view and writers, directors, producers and actors packing the Waterfront Hall and other City Centre venues, this promises to be an unmissable event. Highlights include:
Screening – Persistence of Vision
A feature documentary by Craig McCall about cinematographer Jack Cardiff, whose name became a byword for history and excellence in the world of film.
McCall details Cardiff’s extraordinary career through interviews with Martin Scorcese, Kirk Douglas and Katherine Hepburn amongst others. Along with clips from Cardiff’s groundbreaking films, Persistence of Vision contains unseen 16mm footage from the sets of African Queen and other works.
Armagh’s own legendary cinematographer, Seamus McGarvey, will be in attendance to discuss the film with McCaul on the evening of Thursday 3 April in the Waterfront’s NTL Studio.
Premiere – Is Mise an Teanga
Murray Grigor’s remarkable work on the making of Leabhar Mor na Gaeilge, a masterful piece of work from an original idea by Malcolm MacLean. This magical film will set the tone for the ensuing discussion – an opportunity for the audience to get inside the heads of the filmmakers and creators.
The premiere is shown and discussed on the evening of Friday 4 April.
Session – From Withnail to Hanging Gale
Well-known actor Paul McGann is interviewed by Brian Henry Martin and delegates on 20 years in the film and television industry.
This is the ideal opportunity for media students to get involved, as McGann explains how he got involved in the business and stayed at the top for so long. He has given endlessly of his time over the past five years in assisting young people from Northern Ireland to gain a foothold in the film and television business. There are few professionals that are both willing and able to draw on such a well of experience from all aspects of the industry for the benefit of the next generation of actors, writers and producers.
Representatives from Skillset, the UK’s film and television business training organisation, will also be in attendance to discuss a career in the industry with students of all ages.
CFTF would like to thank the sponsors of the Festival. BBC NI, UTV, RTÉ and TG4 have contributed generously, and Channel 4 is also providing sponsorship in kind. ITC is also sponsoring and assisting.
We would also like to express our gratitude to our core sponsors – Arts Council of Northern Ireland (Awards for All), Belfast City Council, Columba Initiative, Foras na Gaeilge, Invest NI, Laganside Corporation, Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, and the ULTACH Trust.
Delegate registration is still open at £70 (€120) per day or from £150 (€250) for the whole week. Students can attend for £20 (€30) per day or £50 (€80) for the week. For further information, contact Jude Sharvin on +44 (0)28 9024 4747.
The 24th Celtic Film and Television Festival (CFTF) comes to Belfast’s Waterfront Hall from 2-5 April 2003 . The provisional Programme can now be viewed online at www.celticfilm.co.uk.
