The Irish Film and Television Academy has announced details of five events that will be held throughout February and March – with topics ranging from television trends to music on the screen and guests including Oscar nominee Whit Stillman, Casting Director Maureen Hughes, and IFTA winning documentary filmmaker Maurice Sweeney.
In Conversation with…Oscar nominee Whit Stillman on February 3rd
IFTA will welcome Oscar nominated writer/director Whit Stillman on February 3rd.
Whit Stillman is one of American independent cinemas’ most distinctive and unique filmmakers, best known for his films Metropolitan, The Last Days of Disco, Barcelona and Damsels in Distress.
Music for the Screen with Stephen Rennicks on February 10th
Putting music centre stage, in discussion with composer Stephen Rennicks, ‘Music for the Screen’ will explore the collaborative relationship between composer and director, the possibilities and practicalities around the business of music composition for the screen.
Known as a key collaborator of director Lenny Abrahamson over the past decade, Stephen Rennicks has cemented his position as one of Ireland’s leading composers with three IFTA nominations and a filmography consisting of celebrated Irish films like ‘What Richard Did’, ‘Garage’, ‘Man About Dog’, and ‘Adam and Paul’ and has recently won a BIFA Award for his work on ‘Frank’.
Casting Screen Talent with Maureen Hughes on March 5th
Casting Director Maureen Hughes explores the process of casting for the screen.
Maureen Hughes has cast over 40 Irish features and 22 dramas, with credits including ‘Once’, ‘Love/Hate’, ‘Raw’ and most recently the acclaimed political biopic ‘Charlie’. At this IFTA Academy Members event, Maureen will explore the process involved in casting for the screen – working with the director, auditions, watching a lot of shorts, and creating chemistry between actors in casting.
In Focus Maurice Sweeney – March 12th
Director Maurice Sweeney has made some of the most talked about documentaries on Irish television in the last ten years. Well-known for diverse projects including Cromwell in Ireland, Flann O Brien: The Lives of Brian, The Irish of 9/11 and WB Yeats No Country for Old Men, Maurice has also delved into dramatic territory with the docu-drama Saving the Titanic (starring David Wilmot and Liam Cunningham) and more recently The Roaring Boy and After Braveheart.
In Focus will explore Maurice’s acclaimed IFTA award-winning work across his arts documentaries, sports documentaries and docu-dramas.
For more information on IFTA’s upcoming events, go to:
www.ifta.ie.