Following three eventful days, the festival has issued awards to filmmakers across the Celtic isles. RTÉ and TG4 were among the big winners with both picking up Bronze Torcs for Excellence.
The festival officially opened on Wednesday with Derry-born actress Bronagh Gallagher presenting the ‘Derry on Screen’ film, which features archives from Derry city.
Chairman of the Celtic Media Festival Dòmhnall Caimbeul said the festival had gotten off to a triumphant start. “[I am] truly excited at the talent, creativity and innovation on show. As ever, the award shortlist was especially strong, but the winners are a fantastic representation of the work which has emerged from the Celtic nations over the past year,” he said.
Thursday saw Peter Johnston, director of BBC Northern Ireland, deliver the keynote speech, while other events featured RTÉ’s Steve Carson and Derry-based journalist Eamon McCann.
The first round of awards was presented by RTÉ presenter Miriam O’Callaghan on Wednesday (April 18). RTÉ scooped two awards in the first round, including the first Bronze Torc of the week for documentary ‘Behind the Walls’. Sheila Ahern, researcher for the documentary, dedicated the award to the late Mary Raftery who produced ‘Behind the Walls’. The awards came just two days after the broadcaster received three awards at the New York Festival’s International Television and Film Awards on Tuesday.
TG4 won big in the Drama Series category on Thursday with crime drama ‘Copr+Anam’, while BBC Knowledge and Learning Northern Ireland picked up the Kieran Hegarty Award for Interactivity for its documentary ‘The Siege’. The award is in honour of late BBC broadcaster Kieran Hegarty. A different documentary by Irish-born writer and broadcaster Carlo Gébler also called ‘The Siege of Derry’ was screened at the festival on Thursday night.
Short films were also recognised at the awards ceremony, with ‘The Taxidermist’, a Royal Conservatoire of Scotland production, winning in the Short Drama category.
Full list of winners:
Factual Series
Behind the Walls
Mary Raftery
Misha Films/RTÉ
Factual Single
Wonderland: The Men Who Won’t Stop Marching
Alison Millar
Erica Starling Productions/BBC NI
Factual Entertainment
Rhod Gilbert Work Experience
Presentable/BBC Cymru Wales/S4C
Entertainment
The Savage Eye
David McSavage
Blinder Films/RTÉ
Arts
Passion in Port Talbot… It Has Begun
Rupert Edwards
Prospect/BBC Cymru Wales
Feature Length Drama
Stella Days
Thaddeus O’Sullivan
Newgrange Pictures/RTÉ
Drama Series
Corp+Anam
Darach Mac Con Iomaire
Magamedia/TG4
Animation
The Boy in the Bubble
Igloo Films /RTÉ
Kieran Hegarty Award for Interactivity
The Siege
BBC Knowledge and Learning NI
Radio Documentary
The Mouse Trap and Me
BB Radio Wales
Radio Presenter/Personality
Frances Nic Géidigh
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
Current Affairs
Week In Week Out: Cash for Qualifications
BBC Wales
Young People Bronze Torc
Ó Tholg go Tolg
Red Pepper Productions/TG4
Children’s Award
De A-nis?
BBC Scotland/BBC Alba
Spirit of the Festival Award
Corp+Anam
Magamedia/TG4
Radio Station of the Year
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
RTÉ
The Jury Award
Burton
Green Bay Media
Best Fiction (Student category)
Shellshock
John Corcoran/Jean Igoe
DIT
Best Entertainment (Student category)
Growing Up
Mark Armstrong/Jason Cullen
IADT Film School
