Cinemagic Los Angeles
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JUNE 2023
Belfast Teens Set for Inspiring Cinemagic Los Angeles IGNITE Experience!
Teenagers from Belfast have set off (today 23rd June) on a week-long trip of a lifetime as part of this year’s Cinemagic LA programme. The teenagers are participants of IGNITE, an innovative youth leadership initiative established and spearheaded by George Best Belfast City Airport, in partnership with Cinemagic which aims to provide young people from all backgrounds with life-changing opportunities.
The award-winning Belfast based Cinemagic Film and Television Festival for Young People will provide an inspiring and motivational week (June 23rd-28th) for the young people who will hear from a host of professionals in the field of film, tv, broadcasting, arts, entrepreneurship, musical theatre, stage combat and will be partnering with LA based youth filmmaking non-profit Film2Future for a joint international program where students will spend a day learning and making shorts together. As well as practical filmmaking opportunities, the young people will visit some of Hollywood’s top studios and movie locations including the Universal Studios Lot, Creative Visions, and 87 North.
Guest speakers during the festival week include director and producer Andrew Molina (Bates Motel: The Check Out, Heaven on Earth), cinematographer Sarah Brandes (Ad Astra, The Morning Show), producers James Longman (The Late Late Show with James Corden) and Jill King (Rachael Ray), screenwriters Ryan Rowe (Charlie’s Angels) and Adam Lorenzo (Everybody Hates Chris, Everybody Loves Raymond), five time Academy Award nominated, Belfast-born sound mixer, Peter J. Devlin (Ant Man and the Wasp, Wakanda Forever), Sharon Carpenter, TV host & broadcast journalist, business leaders Ellis O’Connor, MD at BDT & MSD Partners, and Sam Jagger, General Manager, Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Shelley Reid, Head of Business Affairs at Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment TV Group, and Cynthia Yorkin, actress and producer (Blade Runner 2049).
The culmination of the week is a Cinemagic Gala showcase hosted by presenters Jenn McGuirk and Darren Kennedy, to celebrate creativity sponsored by NI Connections, which will bring the week’s activity to a close on 28th June.
The talents of young people from 40 different schools in Belfast and Los Angeles will be on show to a VIP audience in the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica. Each young person from Belfast will have graduated from the IGNITE programme, achieving both academic accolades and building significant personal growth that will help them fulfil their aspirations.
Cinemagic CEO, Joan Burney Keatings MBE said: “We are so thankful to our incredible sponsors and partners in supporting us to provide inspiring talks, tours, and masterclasses with top talent in film and television production in the heart of moviemaking in LA from 23rd to 28th June. We look forward to showcasing Cinemagic as a global player in the creative industries and celebrating Northern Ireland’s success stories internationally.
“Uniting young people from George Best Belfast City Airport’s IGNITE programme in Northern Ireland and students in Los Angeles to collaborate with the film industry sparks so much creativity and learning, and together with NI Connections and NI Bureau we can inspire and motivate the next generation of creatives.”
Head of NI Connections, Moira Loughran said: “Head of NI Connections, Moira Loughran said ‘We are delighted to be partnering with Cinemagic as sponsor of the Los Angeles Gala as we see it as a fantastic opportunity to be able to help and showcase the immense talent of our young people from Northern Ireland.”
“It is an opportunity to make and build industry connections in the USA and for us at NI Connections, that is what we are passionate about – making those connections and providing our diaspora with an opportunity to demonstrate the full potential of their talent and influence.”
Director of Corporate Services at George Best Belfast City Airport, Michelle Hatfield, said: “At Belfast City Airport, we are passionate about building the workforce of tomorrow and championing young people to become future leaders. Through our IGNITE programme, in partnership with Cinemagic, the young people on this trip have already achieved great things and shown incredible potential. The LA gala is the perfect opportunity to reward their hard work and dedication and celebrate their successes.”
Deputy Director, Northern Ireland Bureau, Eamonn McConville added: “It's such a pleasure to partner with Cinemagic on the LA programme, which is helping shape our future leaders; and providing them with the inspiration to be part of Northern Ireland's flourishing Creative Industries.”
The Cinemagic LA Gala sponsored by NI Connections will take place on 28th June at Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Santa Monica, LA. Cinemagic LA is supported by George Best Belfast City Airport, NI Connections, NI Bureau, Aer Lingus, Creative Visions, Universal Studios Lot, 87 North.
ENDS//
For all media enquiries please contact Claire Shaw, Cinemagic Press Officer on 07793025910 / 028 90 311 900 or email claire@cinemagic.org.uk
MAY 2023
The award-winning Cinemagic Film and Television Festival for Young People and NI Connections have joined forces for Cinemagic’s Los Angeles Gala on 28th June.
The Gala sponsored by NI Connections marks the culmination of a week-long programme for young people from Northern Ireland and Los Angeles who will benefit from talks, tours and masterclasses with top talent in film and television production.
The 20 teenagers representing Belfast at Cinemagic LA are participants of IGNITE, an innovative youth leadership initiative established and spearheaded by George Best Belfast City Airport, in partnership with Cinemagic which aims to provide young people from all backgrounds with life-changing opportunities.
Each young person on the once in a lifetime trip will have graduated from the IGNITE programme, achieving both academic accolades and building significant personal growth that will help them fulfil their aspirations.
The Gala sponsored by NI Connections, hosted by presenters Jenn McGuirk and Darren Kennedy, will showcase the young people’s work, talent and achievements, empowering them to unlock their creativity and build industry connections in the USA.
The teenagers will hear from a host of professionals in the field of film, tv, broadcasting, arts, entrepreneurship and musical theatre.
Cinemagic CEO, Joan Burney Keatings MBE said: “We are incredibly proud to be working in partnership with NI Connections as the sponsor of the Cinemagic Los Angeles Gala this June. The support enables us to showcase Cinemagic as a global player in the creative industries and profile Northern Ireland’s success stories internationally.
“Uniting young people from George Best Belfast City Airport’s IGNITE programme in Northern Ireland and students in Los Angeles to collaborate with the film industry ignites so much creativity and learning, and together with NI Connections we can inspire and motivate the next generation of creatives.”
Head of NI Connections, Moira Loughran said:
“Head of NI Connections, Moira Loughran said ‘We are delighted to be partnering with Cinemagic as sponsor of the Los Angeles Gala as we see it as a fantastic opportunity to be able to help and showcase the immense talent of our young people from Northern Ireland.”
“It is an opportunity to make and build industry connections in the USA and for us at NI Connections, that is what we are passionate about – making those connections and providing our diaspora with an opportunity to demonstrate the full potential of their talent and influence.”
Director of Corporate Services at George Best Belfast City Airport, Michelle Hatfield, said:
“At Belfast City Airport, we are passionate about building the workforce of tomorrow and championing young people to become future leaders.
“Through our IGNITE programme, in partnership with Cinemagic, the young people on this trip have already achieved great things and shown incredible potential.
“The LA gala is the perfect opportunity to reward their hard work and dedication and celebrate their successes.”
The Cinemagic LA Gala sponsored by NI Connections will take place on 28th June at The Fairmont Miramar – Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, LA. Cinemagic LA is also supported by NI Bureau.
ENDS//
For all media enquiries please contact Claire Shaw, Cinemagic Press Officer on 028 90 311 900 or email claire@cinemagic.org.uk
Note to Editor
Cinemagic (www.cinemagic.org.uk) is an award-winning film charity established 34 years ago during the Northern Ireland Troubles to unite young people from different communities and teach them about film making through film exhibition, workshops, masterclasses and film productions. In addition to its highly successful annual film festival in Belfast, it has produced multiple short films on a range of issues including homelessness, mental health, discrimination, gender-based violence, climate change and the environment. It has also produced feature two feature films, A Christmas Star and Grace and Goliath, both of which trained aspiring young filmmakers. Patrons include Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, Pierce Brosnan, Dermot O’Leary, Julian Fellowes, Suranne Jones. Cinemagic engages with 40,000 young people each year. It educates the next generation of filmmakers, from camera operators and sound engineers to actors, writers and directors, with a particular focus on inclusion and those who might face barriers entering the industry.
Cinemagic delivers programmes and festivals in Belfast, Dublin, London, New York, Los Angeles, and most recently the Middle East, where it produced ‘Abia’, a short film in partnership with Jordanian NGO Generations for Peace, with Syrian and Jordanian young people, to profile the issue of gender-based violence. ‘Abia’ supported by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Ireland in Jordan won Best Foreign Language Film at the 2022 British Short Film Awards. It was screened in New York, during the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the UN’s observance of International Women’s Day 2023. Cinemagic was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of the City of Los Angeles at a screening of Abia in the Consulate General of Mexico. The certificate commended the film charity for its talent and courage shown while producing the film and how it inspired a call-to-action and important conversations around gender-based violence.
Other notable Cinemagic productions that helped spotlight social issues and inspire young people include climate change film ‘Heaven on Earth’, made with the support of the British Consulate LA and the GREAT programme, and ‘So What If It Rains’ made to mark the 25th Anniversary of The Good Friday Agreement.
NI Connections is the global diaspora initiative for Northern Ireland. The goal is to enhance the economic prosperity of our region by working with one of our greatest global assets – our diaspora. Our mission is to celebrate what makes Northern Ireland such a great place to live, work, study, visit, invest and do business, to harness the talent and influence of our global diaspora to attract new international trade, foreign direct investment, education, innovation and business tourism opportunities and to showcase quality career opportunities for those considering return or relocation to thriving sectors of the NI economy. We connect the diverse strands of the Northern Irish community abroad and are passionate about providing our diaspora with an opportunity to demonstrate the full potential of their talent and influence. We are inspired by the fact that our diaspora has such a strong global entrepreneurial influence, and we recognise that this has led to international investors choosing Northern Ireland as their location of choice. Northern Irish Connections provides a network for partners from all walks of life. Domestic and international, public and private and all members share our ambition to make Northern Ireland the global player it deserves to be.
IGNITE is an innovative joint youth leadership initiative established by George Best Belfast City Airport in partnership with award-winning film charity Cinemagic, which aims to provide 100 young people from all backgrounds with life changing opportunities.
Launched in 2019 by Senior Vice President of HBO and Game of Thrones creator Jay Roewe, IGNITE inspires participants from secondary schools and higher education colleges across Greater Belfast to develop valuable employability and life skills that will open doors in the future and allow them to gain an NLP Diploma in Personal and Career Development.
FEBRUARY 2023
Cinemagic and The British Consulate in Los Angeles have joined forces to launch a creative and innovative new film production that will stimulate debate and discussion on environmental and climate change issues using film and media as the vehicle.
The award-winning Belfast based Festival marks its return to events and projects in Los Angeles in February 2023 and the team are embarking on new creative industries opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds.
Cinemagic has been delivering film and television industry opportunities in Los Angeles for 13 years, engaging with thousands of young people and schools in partnership with all the major film studios and production companies. Industry supporters and partners have included Pierce Brosnan, Liam Neeson, Ross King, Roma Downey, Gary Lightbody, Colin Farrell, Paula Malcomson, Ryan Rowe, Lance O’Connor, Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Fox Music, The Jim Henson Company, Sony, Warner Bros, CAA, HBO, CBS, Remote Control Studios, Creative Visions, New York Film Academy, Jordan High School, Pepperdine University, Hamilton High School, NI Bureau, Friendly Sons of St Patrick, Britweek, American Ireland Funds.
Under the guidance of Cinemagic industry professionals, young people aged 15-21, will create a short film supported by British Consulate in Los Angeles addressing social responsibility to inspire change and give a platform to the opinions and voices of young people. The participants will have the chance to develop their talents and employability skills in a range of production areas as well as earn a credit on the film that is going into production later this year.
Joan Burney Keatings MBE, Cinemagic Chief Executive said, “With thanks to funding from The British Consulate in Los Angeles we look forward to offering this valuable skills development programme over the next 10 months. Cinemagic has a long-established relationship with The British Consulate and are excited to build on this with a new project for 2023. We are immensely proud to partner with the UK Government, a global leader in the fight against climate change to help share the story of our planet from the perspective of the next generation of young leaders.
The completed film will be screened in the British Consulate in Los Angeles, in schools throughout LA and submitted to international festivals. Cinemagic will work with the young people to devise a script and story on environmental issues that they are passionate about and issues that affect their community.”
Emily Cloke British Consul General in Los Angeles said, “This project gives young people a platform to express their thoughts, hopes and fears about how their generation will live with climate change. This is a wonderful example of the strong links between the British and Los Angeles film industries and I will be proud to share those stories.”
Ends:// Press Information Claire Shaw, Cinemagic Press Officer, claire@cinemagic.org.uk
Notes to Editor:
The British Consulate in Los Angeles represents the interests of the United Kingdom in Southern California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah, as well as the US Pacific Territories. As part of our commitment to building deeper relationships with the United States, we work within communities to strengthen the bonds between our peoples, and act as a force for good along our shared values. COP26 is the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – a treaty agreed in 1994 which has 197 Parties (196 countries and the EU). United Nations climate change conferences are among the largest international meetings in the world.
Cinemagic Based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Cinemagic is a charitable festival for young people. The festival was conceived as a cultural antidote and a creative arena for self-expression for all young people during the troubles. For 34 years the organisation has provided a vital outlet of independent cinema showcasing & promoting a programme that offers a unique window to the world. The sustained quality and considered nature of the festival’s cultural programming and the calibre of industry events, guests and film showcases marks Cinemagic out as the premier youth arts organisation in Northern Ireland. As well as providing an essential safe and welcoming space for local cinema-lovers, and the arts community in general, the role the festival has played in uniting communities and its dedication to promoting inclusivity is to be celebrated. Cinemagic delivers festivals and productions in Belfast, Dublin, London, New York, Los Angeles. In 2022 Cinemagic embarked on its first project in the Middle East in Jordan, creating a short film profiling gender-based violence which went on to win Best Foreign Language Short Film at the British Short Film Awards.
Cinemagic passionately believes in the huge benefits to our audiences of young people from visiting creatives and speakers attending the festival to present their work as well as sharing advice, tips, and knowledge to the next generation of film, television, radio, and online professionals. Hearing first hand from those working in the industry inspires and ignites active and memorable learning. In recent years the festival has welcomed industry leaders including Danny Boyle, Kenneth Branagh, Mike Leigh, Liam Neeson, Saoirse Ronan, Alan Silvestri, Julian Fellowes, and M. Night Shyamalan. Cinemagic inspires and motivates young people through film and creative opportunities in the form of festivals, film productions, training opportunities, education programmes and outreach programmes including talks, workshops, masterclasses and Q&As. In the last 6 years Cinemagic has produced two feature films, A Christmas Star and Grace and Goliath, and has produced numerous short films including 22 films and behind the scenes documentaries in the last 22 months. Patrons include Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan, Saoirse Ronan, Julian Fellowes, Colin Farrell, Dermot O’Leary, Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Suranne Jones and many more.
2019 marked the 30th anniversary of Cinemagic and to celebrate the milestone in Los Angeles, on June 27th 2019, the annual Cinemagic Gala at the MSD Capital, LLC and Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, Los Angeles took place, showcasing the work and talents of young filmmakers to an audience of top film and television professionals. They included Saffron Burrows (Mozart In The Jungle) and Ben Robson (Animal Kingdom). A week of festival events opened with a special Q&A masterclass from Irish Hollywood actor and Cinemagic patron, Colin Farrell. School students from 18 educational institutions in Boston, LA and across Northern Ireland united to participate in talks, workshops, masterclasses and film screenings designed to motivate and inspire future filmmakers. Industry supporters included Sean Barney, Julia Ormond, Maryann Yee, Lance O’Connor, Kevin Huvane, Colin Farrell, Ross King, Ryan Rowe, Fox Studios, Sony, Warner Bros, Celebration at the British Consulate, CAA, HBO, Remote Control Studios, LMU.
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