Friday 22nd June sees the launch of the North West Film Archive at the Nerve Centre, Co. Derry. The archive, which features a range of film and video content from Derry and Donegal, will officially be launched by international TV director Enda McCallion.
Buncrana man Enda’s TV credits include ads for Golf’s Ryder Cup, and the worldwide campaign for Judderman Schnapps. He will also announce a significant contribution of his own work to the new archive.
The new digital resource provides free public access to over 90 hours of film in the form of 260 separate items including documentaries, news reels, television news, drama, short films, animation and Super 8 home movies. Contributors include local film makers as well as BBC NI, UTV, RTE, Channel 4 and The Irish Film Archive.
The launch sees the culmination of almost three years work at the Nerve Centre from a partnership including Derry City Council Museums Service and Donegal County Museum, with funding support from the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation, administered by the Cross-Border Consortium and managed by Co-Operation Ireland.
Highlights of the collection include the films of local filmmakers Terence McDonald, James Canavan, John Grant and Atsy McCaul, who documented the social and cultural life of the North West region over the past 50 years.
Over the summer months this educational and tourism resource will be available free to the public at the Nerve Centre and Donegal County Museum, Letterkenny, and from the autumn at the Tower Museum and the new Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny.
The launch will take place at 12.00pm on Friday 22nd June at the Nerve Centre, Magazine Street, Derry.
