Coming Up in Belfast

Northern Ireland Screen has teamed up with Channel 4 and Touchpaper TV to host a special Coming Up event in Belfast on Wednesday 19th May.

Coming Up is the only talent scheme currently in the UK where emerging film-makers have the opportunity to make an authored drama with a guaranteed network broadcast.

Ben Stoll, Channel 4’s Coming Up commissioning editor, Elinor Day and Emma Burge, Touchpaper producers, will be in Belfast along with local writer Ronan Blaney, who wrote Boy one of the successful 2010 Coming Up films. Three of this year’s diverse 30 minute films will be screened, including Boy.

Applications are now open for Coming Up 2011, after the screening Ben will explain what Channel 4 is looking for. Emma and Elinor will discuss how the production works and Ronan will speak about his experience of the scheme. There will also be time to network following the event.

This is an excellent opportunity for writers and directors who are trying to break into the film and television industry.

The event is free of charge and Northern Ireland Screen strongly encourage all local writers, directors and emerging short and feature film makers to attend. Places are limited so please contact ursula@northernirelandscreen.co.uk as soon as possible to secure a place.

Date: Wednesday 19th May
Time: 6.00pm
Venue: Moviehouse Cinema, Dublin Road
Contact: ursula@northernirelandscreen.co.uk

Further information on Coming Up can be found here.

Irish Meet-Up at Edinburgh

Culture Ireland, the Consulate General of Ireland to Scotland and Irish Theatre Institute will host a networking event in Edinburgh on August 22nd to celebrate and promote the programme of Irish work at this year's Festival which includes:

• Faith Healer, The Yalta Game and After Play - The Gate Theatre’s presentation of Brian Friel plays
• RAW by Fidget Feet
• Luck by Making Strange, performed by Megan Riordan
• Little Gem by Elaine Murphy produced by Gúna Nua
• Unsung by Rex Levitates, choreographed by Liz Roche
• Dialogue by Fearghus Ó Conchúir with Li Ke and Yin Yi (This run has now come to a close)

This annual networking event enables the Irish companies and artists to meet with international presenters and to promote their work with a view to international touring in 2010/11.

Fit for purpose?

Exchange Dublin in association with Temple Bar Cultural Trust are organising Culture and the City - The Debate: "Is this City fit for purpose?"

Speaking about the event Lorraine Maye, Cultural Projects Manager at Temple Bar Cultural Trust (TBCT) said 'We are delighted to host this event on Meeting House Square; a fresh, bold new take on traditional debate formats and a timely opportunity for people to have their say about culture in Dublin. All are welcome and we would encourage everyone to come along, participate in and experience what promises to be a lively, informative and fun event.'

All audience members, invited guests and crew will be required to wear a white upper face mask upon passing a screen at the entrance to Meeting House Square and all will remain anonymous throughout. This theatrical experiment aims to break down some of the barriers that exist to real discussion and debate, using anonymity to encourage people to give their truthful opinions.

Posing the question 'Is this City fit for purpose?', Dylan Haskins of Exchange Dublin and Debate Curator says 'In a city like Dublin where everyone knows everyone, this event is an opportunity for people to say what they really feel as users of the city without worry of who it might offend. The only thing we ask is that people leave their associations behind, be it business, political, friendship or otherwise and speak as individuals.'

This event will take place in Meeting House Square, Temple Bar on Wednesday August 19th at 6.30pm (gates open at 6pm), a landmark outdoor public space in Dublin city centre which for one week only, from Sunday 16th - Sunday 23rd August, will be equipped with a marquee roof covering. Join us as we bring the debate out into the open!

This is a free event and does not require tickets - just come along!

Cork Guild Meeting

The first meeting for all members of the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild who live in or about Cork will take place at the Cork Film Centre on Thursday 30th July at 6.30pm.

There will be an open agenda, but to give the meeting some structure, David Kavanagh, CEO of the Guild, will present the 2nd Annual ZeBBies Report.

The report covers the period July 2007 to June 2008, and will provide detailed information on the amount of work which was available to writers, the number of writers who developed projects and produced work, and the rates of pay involved therein.

Members are welcome to invite fellow writers, be they Guild members - or mere mortals - for a sober discussion and (if we're very lucky) a non-sober drink.

We need a minimum number of members to hold this meeting, so please RSVP your attendance to: info[at]script[dot]ie.

Cork Guild Meeting

The Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild is organising its first meeting for all members who live in or around Cork city.

It will take place at the Cork Film Centre at 6.30pm on Thursday 16th July.

There will be an open agenda, but to give the meeting some structure, David Kavanagh, CEO of the Guild, will present the 2nd Annual ZeBBies Report.

The report covers the period July 2007 to June 2008, and will provide detailed information on the amount of work which was available to writers, the number of writers who developed projects and produced work, and the rates of pay involved therein.

Members are also welcome to invite fellow scribes, be they Guild members - or mere mortals - for a sober discussion and (if we're very lucky) a non-sober drink.

If you would like to attend please RSVP to: info[at]script[dot]ie

Change of Venue

The location of the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild's events on Thursday 9th July during the Galway Film Fleadh have been changed to the Entertainment Centre at the Radisson Hotel, Galway.

Both the 10.30am presentation of the 2nd Annual ZeBBies Report, and the noon discussion with Irish Equity in relation to on-going problems with contracts, will take place at the Radisson Hotel.

We apologise for the late change of venue, but feel the new location will better facilitate the event and our members.

Pact in Belfast

Pact, the UK trade association that represents and promotes the commercial interests of independent feature film, television, digital, children's and animation media companies, is having a roadshow in Belfast on the 19 June from 08:30 - 10:30am in the Europa Hotel, Great Victoria St.

Admission is free, but tickets must be booked in advance from the web site.

The subject of the event is: Managing The Downturn: how Pact can help you make the most of challenging times

Pact knows times are tough for producers, and we are working harder than ever to get you through this challenging period.

Hear from chief Executive John McVay, Director of Business Affairs Andrew Chowns and other specialists in the Pact team about Pact’s key lobbying initiatives to open up new opportunities for you, the inside track on where the industry is heading and what this means for you, as well as how we are tackling industrial relations and legal issues for your benefit.

Awards Info Session

Filmbase and RTÉ are running an information session on applying for their Short Film Awards Scheme at 2pm, Thursday 11th June in the Filmbase building.

The session will consist of a panel presentation on the selection process by Filmbase MD Alan Fitzpatrick and Jo Schofield from the IPU at RTÉ. Also on the panel will be filmmaker Michael Lavelle who will talk about his experience of making his short film Out of the Blue through the scheme. The panel session will be followed by a brief Q&A session.

The session is free but places must be booked by emailing Clare at Filmbase on clare[AT]filmbase[DOT]ie. Please include 'Award info session' in the subject line and make sure to include your full name and (where applicable) the name of your production company.

The deadline for the next round of the award is 5pm on Friday 26th of June 2009.

Writer/Director Speed Dating

The Irish Playwrights & Screenwriters Guild, in association with the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, will host a Writer/Director 'Speed-Dating' event on Wednesday May 27th in the upstairs meeting room of the Irish Film Institute, in Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

The evening will start at 6pm with some light refreshments, and the business of the event will start promptly at 6.30pm with each writer and director matched for a five-minute meeting before moving on to another 'fix-up'.

There was great demand for this event when it was last run, so we expect intense interest from both writers and directors again.

Numbers will be limited due to the size of the venue, so early booking by email (info@script.ie) is advised to guarantee your place.

Room For Hire

The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland has an exclusive offer to members of the Irish Playwrights & Screenwriters Guild on a Meeting / Screening Room for hire.

The screening room is furnished to a high standard with large comfortable sofas, adjustable lighting, tea/coffee making facilities and wireless broadband connectivity. The room can accommodate up to 14 people.

Conveniently located in the heart of Temple Bar the room features a DVD and Blu-Ray projection system and is compatible for laptop interface to facilitate PowerPoint presentations.

Cost: €40 per hour / €90 for 3 hour SLOT (day), payable in advance.

If you are interested in booking the space please contact Liz Dodd on 01 633 7747.

Hirst at NFS

The National Film School (NFS), in association with Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, is hosting a conversation between the screenwriter/producer Michael Hirst and Roger Greene from the Department of Film & Media at the NFS.

Screenwriter Michael Hirst's credits include: Pat O'Connor's Fools of Fortune; Simon Callow's Ballad of the Sad Cafe; István Szabó's Meeting Venus; and Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth and Elizabeth : The Golden Age. He is perhaps best known for creating, writing and executive producing The Tudors.

The event will take place on Tuesday 21 April, and will be held in Room C026, Carriglea Building, IADT, Dun Laoghaire at 5.30 pm.

Belfast Roadshow

The BBC Writersroom Roadshow is coming to Belfast on Thursday the 29th of January, from 5:30pm - 7:00pm, in Studio One, Broadcasting House, Ormeau Avenue.

Here's your chance to put your questions to the people who assess up to 10,000 scripts a year for the BBC. You can also bring your script to hand in to us in person - but please make sure it meets our guidelines.

For a place on the guest list email your full name in the body of the email, with the subject heading Belfast Roadshow, to: writersroom.events@bbc.co.uk

Peg Bar

Filmbase reports that the first Peg Bar event will take place upstairs in Murray's Bar on O'Connell Street on the 7th August 2008 at 7.30pm.

It's a gathering of animators, who plan to discuss and view new and innovative animation. It's organised by Daniel Spencer, Ben Hennessy, Ben Harper and Anna O'Sullivan who are all highly motivated animation artists and filmmakers. All are welcome.