This May, the Cinemagic Film and Television Festival for Young People returns to Dublin from its annual film festival. From May 10th-20th, a bursting schedule featuring 100 events including world cinema screenings, film and television masterclasses, school workshops, Q&As and young critics panels will set out to inspire and motivate young film fans.
An award-winning charity organisation, Cinemagic is the largest film and television festival designed for and by young people in the UK and Ireland. Since 1989 they’ve worked to break down boundaries and encourage creativity in young people on both sides of the border as well as over the sea, with patrons including Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan, Julian Fellowes, Saoirse Ronan and more.
Speaking earlier this month, Joan Burney Keatings, Cinemagic Chief Executive said:
“We are looking forward to our 2018 Cinemagic Dublin Film Festival in May. The programme is action packed with fantastic film and television events for children, families, teenagers, young filmmakers and school groups. With the support of our valued funders and partners including the Department of Education and Skills we are able to present an eclectic range of opportunities to educate, motivate and inspire young people under the age of 25.”
The 11th edition of Cinemagic Dublin Festival will feature guests from the world of film and television including Saoirse Ronan, who will take part in a Q&A session in Cineworld before a screening of her hit film Lady Bird. Ever-rising Irish filmmakers Irish filmmakers will be represented with Aoife McArdle (Kissing Candice) and Frank Berry (Michael Inside) in attendance during Cinemagic Film Festival 2018 and local animation will be be spotlighted with exciting events and screenings with beloved Irish studio Cartoon Saloon (The Breadwinner, Song of the Sea, The Secret of Kells) and the UK’s Aardman Animations (Early Man, Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run).
A number of fun workshops and masterclasses will teach young people valuable skills in filmmaking throughout the festival. Aardman Animations will be hosting three Model Making Workshops where young people will get the chance to make their very own Hognob, Gromit or Shaun the Sheep. Young creatives will have the chance to learn how to devise and produce storyboards and tell innovative stories with Irish pros in ‘Storyboarding with Brown Bag Films’, led by storyboard artist Damien O’Connor, who has worked on kid’s favourites like Doc McStuffins, Noddy and more. Kids can also learn how to develop their own characters, worlds and storylines in ‘Comic Book Making with Davy Francis’ (Holy Cross, Oink! and 200AD) and young illustrators and artists can learn top tips from illustrator and animator Corinna Askin (Castle Farm, Joe and Jack) in a fun and practical Illustration Masterclass.
Budding filmmakers aged 18-25 will have the chance to develop their talents and earn their credit on a local production which will be screened as part of Cinemagic Festivals this year as part of Cinemagic Film Festival 2018’s Short Film Academy.
Cineworld will be screening the majority of films on the festival programme, with Odeon cinemas in Coolock and Stillorgan and IMC Santry chipping in along the way. Recent family films like Ferdinand and Pixar’s Coco are included in the festival schedule, along with The Breadwinner, Nora Twomey’s eagerly anticipated animation, which our own Jessica Dunne called “poignant and uplifting” after its screening at ADIFF 2018.
The festival is also currently accepting young film critics for their CineSeekers Jury Programme, a cross-border initiative suitable for young people aged 5-11 and the CineFocus Jury Programme, for ages 12-18. The young film critics will get the chance to see films from all over the world, learn how to review in workshops and choose the winning films of Cinemagic Film Festival 2018.
The festival will provide a comprehensive film education programme which helps to inspire young people, stimulate discussion on social issues and to provide practical opportunities to learn new skills. Students can find out about working in the world of film and television with insightful screenings, talks and Q&As, including sessions with Frank Barry, Aoife MacArdle and more.
You can check out the festival’s massive programme right here. No matter what your age, there’s sure to be something among the festival’s bustling collection of films and activities that should catch the eye and capture the imagination.