LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following the success of the inaugural 2010 Cinemagic USA Festival in Los Angeles, the award-winning Belfast, Northern Ireland-based film festival whose mission is to educate, motivate and inspire young people throughout the world through the medium of film and all forms of moving image, will return to the US February 10-26, 2011 expanding its program to include Los Angeles, New York, Boston and San Francisco.
Cinemagic USA Festival is produced by Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival for Young People (CIFTF). Working in conjunction with local area schools, the festival will again deliver another packed program of special events, educational and entertaining film screenings, workshops and master classes led by leading entertainment industry professionals from the world of film, television and digital technologies.
A short film produced at CIFTF’s first ever international film camp held in Belfast 2010 entitled ‘Gone’ will premiere at the opening of Cinemagic Los Angeles on February 21, 2011 and will include participants from the young filmmaker exchange program.
Other highlights of the 2011 Cinemagic USA Festival include ‘Changing the World Through Sesame Street’- a chance for young people to meet the producers of Sesame Street, enjoy show clips and find out what it takes to create a Sesame Street show around the world; tours of the Museum of the Moving Image, Sony Wonder Technology Lab, the Walt Disney Family Museum; a unique master class hosted by a Disney animator and a behind the scenes look at Walt Disney Animation Studios; a puppetry master class hosted by The Jim Henson Company, a presentation by HBO; a tour of Variety; a screening of Northern Ireland made, award-winning film ‘Mickybo & Me’, directed by Terry Loane; Jury film screenings, at which young people will critically debate a series of short films, a screening of Irish made, award-winning film ‘A Shine of Rainbows’, directed by Vic Sarin; and workshops in film, television and documentary production, film music composition, visual effects, animation, screenwriting, cinematography, acting, and radio production hosted by some of the best participants in the entertainment industry.
Among the professionals supporting the Cinemagic’s USA events are Visual Effects artist Brian Freisinger; Emmy-winning music editor Daniel Carlin; actors Patrick Bergin, Sile Bermingham and Michael York; screenwriter Ryan Rowe, and television presenter Brian Worley.
The full program for 2011 Cinemagic USA Festival, its sponsors and participants can be found at www.cinemagic.org.uk
CIFTF Chief Executive Joan Burney Keatings states: “The Cinemagic USA Festival gives young people the opportunity to work with others from different cultural backgrounds and to create new channels of communication through the medium of film. The workshops help develop not only the young people’s film making skills but also their inter-personal skills, and the overall process of film viewing contributes to a deeper understanding of cultural difference.
“Building on the huge success of last year, our industry partners have come on board to share their knowledge and skills with young people, through workshops, film screenings and question and answer sessions. This interaction provides vital encouragement for young people, inspiring them to pursue their ambitions.”
CIFTF Patron Liam Neeson states: “I would like to wish the Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival the best of luck in their United States projects in 2011. Cinemagic is a great organization providing educational and cultural opportunities for young people on an international scale and bringing them together to inspire and motivate. For the last 20 years they have done some incredible work and I am very proud to be associated with them."
The Cinemagic USA Festival is produced by CIFTF in association with Titanic Belfast, a new $150m visitor attraction opening in April 2012 on the site where the Titanic was built in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Funders include the following organizations and companies: The Department of Culture and Arts in Northern Ireland; Culture Ireland; Imagine Ireland; The Worldwide Ireland Funds; Harcourt Developments; Tourism Ireland; Northern Ireland Bureau.
Established twenty years ago, CIFTF has developed a worldwide reputation for excellence in children’s programming and is currently the largest film event of its kind for young people in Ireland and the UK. In addition to Belfast’s annual Festival in November, events are now held in Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland, England, France and the USA.
To date, CIFTF has hosted approximately 250 master classes with leading industry professionals. These have spanned a wide range of genres ranging from Directing, Production, Scriptwriting, and Acting to Design, Music Soundtracks for film, 3D Modelling, Cinematography, Visual Effects and Animation.
CIFTF has consistently enjoyed support from entertainment industry professionals that include Aardman Animation, Ciaran Hinds, Colin Hanks, Dame Helen Mirren, Danny Boyle, Julian Fellowes, Kenneth Branagh, Mark Kermode, Mike Leigh, Patrick Bergin, Ralph Fiennes, Roy Disney, Sir Alan Parker and Stephen Rea. Patrons include Liam Neeson, Brian Cox, Patrick Bergin, Saoirse Ronan, The Jim Henson Company CEO Lisa Henson, screenwriter Julian Fellowes, cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, casting directors Ros and John Hubbard and producer Mark Huffam, and more.
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