Over 200 events form part of this year’s award winning Cinemagic festival which begins next month.
It’s that time again – the 29th Cinemagic Film and Television Festival for Young People, in association with Hagan Homes. It returns to Belfast in October and November, jam-packed with creative opportunities to inspire and motivate young people.
The festival boasts an ambitious and exciting programme of film screenings, world cinema, masterclasses with film and television industry professionals, school workshops, Q&As, and young critics’ panels.
It kicks off on October 2 with the world premiere of Cinemagic’s second feature film, Grace and Goliath.
With a superb home grown cast and cameos from Ciarán Hinds, Suranne Jones, Sally Lindsay and Bronagh Waugh, Grace and Goliath is set to be the family film of the year.
The opening weekend of the Cinemagic Festival will also be marked with a special preview of Smallfoot, the much-anticipated animated adventure from Warner Bros.
Audiences can travel the world from their cinema seats and celebrate stories, peoples and cultures from around the globe with a diverse film programme for all ages to enjoy at Movie House Cinemas. Cinemagic is looking for enthusiastic ‘CineSeekers’ and ‘CineFocus’ film reviewers, to watch and judge the in-competition films of the festival. Highlights of the children’s features include Captain Morten and the Spider Queen, Next Door Spy, Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver, Harvie and the Magic Museum and Cats and Peachtopia.
New World Cinema presents 12 fascinating and thought-provoking features from countries such as Germany, France, Canada, Italy and Sweden. Highlights include the intelligently crafted Godless Youth; graphic novel adaptation, Virus Tropical; the gripping and tender Cross My Heart; and ZOOks, a contemporary fairytale about people and nature.
The Documentary Forum presents four superb films – Cyborgs Among Us, Complicit, The Carnivore’s Dilemma and Hobbyhorse Revolution. Fans of animation shouldn’t miss the Super Dark Tales thread of the programme with screenings of amusing and macabre, Zombellenium; The Last Fiction, based on the classic thousand-year-old Persian poem; Tito and the Birds, a thrilling adventure; and Hoffmaniada, a stunning stop motion fantasy from Russia based on three of E.T.A Hoffmann’s tales. CineFocus Film Reviewers are also being sought for the Documentary and Animation strands.
Working in partnership with QFT 50 Cinemagic will be celebrating the films of Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon in a special retrospective season that includes all three of their Oscar nominated features – The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea and The Breadwinner will all be screened as part of this exciting programme strand. The Festival is delighted to welcome Cartoon Saloon’s Paul Young (Co-Founder & CEO) and Nora Twomey (Co-Founder & Creative Director) to Belfast for the celebrations.
Returning for his 14th visit to the Festival is film critic Mark Kermode. Mark will be taking part in two exciting events – his annual Cinemagic Film Night including a screening of The Breadwinner, and the Festival will host the Belfast leg of Mark’s UK Book Tour Mark Kermode: How Does it Feel?
Talent Labs give 16-25 year olds an invaluable insight to working in film and television and the festival is offering masterclasses in Music Video Production with critically acclaimed DJ and producer, Corin Douieb; acting with award-winning Coronation Street actress Lucy Fallon; directing with Peaky Blinders director David Caffrey; casting with double Emmy award winning Carla Stronge, directing with multi-award winning film and television professional, Brian Kirk; and production with Terry Bamber, whose career has taken him to the James Bond series of films including Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Career Crafts masterclasses are designed to introduce young people to the different roles and jobs in film, and this year feature sessions in Prosthetics and SFX Make-Up and Creature Effects.
The Ulster Museum will host an eclectic series of films and special events for all the family. The Master Storytellers focus is on E.B. White and films based on the novels Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little are on offer accompanied by arts and crafts workshops. Celebrating the Dippy on Tour exhibition, dinosaur fans will have a roaring time at a programme of special themed events including movies Ice Age: Dawn of The Dinosaurs, The Land Before Time, Early Man and Music from the Movies, Dino Drama, Dino Comic Book Making and Dinosaur Lego Building. The annual Cinemagic Pyjama Party, with storytelling and a screening of Sleeping Beauty, Basil the Great Mouse Detective and Mr Hullaboloo’s Happy Halloween make up the activity screenings. Creativity Corner workshops offer practical opportunities with Aardman Model Making and Special Effects Make-Up with Sophie Knox.
All generations can participate in the Cinemagic family classic films at Strand Arts Centre where movie showings of Doctor Dolittle and Bedknobs and Broomsticks feature as part of Belfast City Council’s Positive Ageing Month programme.
No Alibis Bookstore will host Shorts for Shorties and Ted Sieger’s Molly Monster, and the ever-popular Tales at Twilight returns with introductions to films from local authors Sheena Wilkinson, Kelly McCaughrain and Pauline Burgess who will introduce The Sword in the Stone, The NeverEnding Story and The Little Vampire respectively.
Young filmmaking talent will be celebrated at a weekend of short film showcases, Q&As and awards presentation for the culmination of the 2018 Cinemagic Young Filmmaker Competition.
Teachers and educators from nursery to primary, post-primary and colleges can support learning through film and television with the comprehensive Cinemagic education programme.
Cinemagic’s Chief Executive, Joan Burney Keatings MBE, said they are delighted to unveil such an ambitious and exciting programme of film and television events for children, families, teenagers, young filmmakers and school groups.
“With the support of our valued funders and partners, we are able to present an eclectic range of opportunities to educate, motivate and inspire young people under the age of 25, offering them an invaluable insight into the magic of film, television and digital technologies,” she said.
This year’s Cinemagic Festival in Belfast is in association with Hagan Homes, one of Northern Ireland’s largest homebuilders.
James Hagan, Chairman, Hagan Homes said as a local home-grown business that is committed to building affordable, quality, stylish homes, they are thrilled to support this year’s Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival for Young People in Belfast.
“Cinemagic has an exciting programme lined up and we are really looking forward to being part of it!” he added.
The Cinemagic Festival is funded by Northern Ireland Screen supported by the Department for Communities, Belfast City Council and Tourism Northern Ireland.
Film and television charity Cinemagic started working with young people in 1989, and has since run festivals, workshops and masterclasses in Belfast, London, Castres (France), New York and Los Angeles to encourage involvement in the industry. Cinemagic patrons include Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan, Saoirse Ronan, Paula Malcomson, Julian Fellowes, and Suranne Jones to name a few.
To find out more about the Cinemagic Festival 2018 programme check out www.cinemagic.org.uk.