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Festival Sponsors: |
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| Belfast Film Festival Team
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Festival Director
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Michelle Devlin
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Marketing Manager
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Anne-Marie Murphy
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Programmer/Print Manager
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Michael Besnard-Scott
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Documentary Comp Programmer
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Cian Smyth
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Programmer
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Stephen Hackett
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Special Events / Production
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Sean Osborne
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Box Office Manager
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Mave Dempster
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Project Co-ordinator / Production
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Sharon Curran
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Board of Directors
Brian Henry Martin (Chair)
Louise O'Meara (Vice Chair)
Mark Cousins
Kevin Jackson
Laurence McKeown
Cian Smyth
Patron
Terry George |
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Programme Design
McCadden Creative
Front Cover Illustration
David Haughey
Website Design
Pauric McAnespy
Website Programming
Nicklas Persson |
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| Director's Introduction |
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Welcome to the 8th Jameson Belfast Film Festival where you will once again be able to immerse yourself in a truly global, innovative and entertaining pool of cinematic indulgence.
To enhance your experience this year we have streamlined the programme and are introducing festival passes to give you our audience, greater access to the exciting programme of film presented. We have a wide range of special events including the ever popular drive-in movies, and an evening of cinema and cuisine. There are Irish, UK and European premieres, oscar nominated films and our local short film and international documentary competitions. In addition to our workshops, masterclasses and special guests, we are delighted to present our web based initiative Movieoke, where you the audience can bask in the spotlight, and to welcome the wonderful Oska Bright a film festival by and for people with learning disabilities.
Our socio-political discussion strand Memory Truth and Transition will provide a filmic catalyst for debate, drawing lessons from the Chilean, South African and Liberian experiences of transition. Duke Special's unique music and film blend; Lord of the Rings star Bernard Hill; the writing skill of Ronan Bennett; Oscar nominated writer/director Terry George; experimental film auteur Bruce La Bruce and the musical talent of David Holmes, are just a few of the highlights in our most innovative and expansive programme to date.
Thanks to our funders and friends at Northern Ireland Screen and Belfast City Council and to our title sponsor Jameson Irish Whiskey. Also a huge thanks to our regular partners and sponsors without whom none of this would be possible. With 32 countries and 125 events over a 10 day period, whether you're a loyal fan or a new audience member, we trust that you will discover stories and scenes that will stir emotion and stimulate debate. BFF 08 is ultimately built for your celluloid satisfaction!
Michele Devlin - Festival Director |
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| Belfast Film Festival History |
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In the past ten years Belfast city has began a process of
transformation. The film festival has been part of that
transformation and has played a significant role in the
cultural regeneration of the city.
The Belfast Film Festival originated in August 1995 as part
of feile an Phobail (West Belfast Community Festival). After
five years of rapid development we moved to city centre
premises in 2000 and expanded to a range of venues
throughout the city. The festival's growth has continued with audience levels increasing on average 35% annually over the past 5 years.
Belfast Film festival has been at the forefront in championing cultural film exhibition in Northern Ireland. The festival is now one of the key annual events in the city. After a serious setback in 2004 when fire totally destroyed our offices, 2005 saw the festival's most major development to date. With new capital investment from European Union, Department of Social Development and Arts Council NI we moved to our new offices in the Cathedral Quarter and launched our Studio Cinema a 50 seater digital screening room.
Belfast Film Festival is unique in that it is the only festival which has a defined 'socio-political' focus on films complemented by a commitment to bring the best of new international documentaries to Ireland in our Maysles Documentary Competition. Each year a range of films, speakers and seminars focussing on a selected theme provides a platform for debate and enagagement between diverse section of the audience.
Themes to date have included Reconciliation and Divided Societies; Ulster Protestant Identity on Film; Irish Women Film-makers; Human Rights and Film; Racism, Community and Film and in 2007 Societies in Transition: Policing for the People. |
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