TOP FIGURES LINE UP TO ATTEND CELTIC FESTIVAL

ORGANISERS of the Celtic Film and Television Festival (CFTF) have announced that the BBC’s Director of Nations and Regions, and the Film Minister are to give speeches at this year’s festival.
BBC Director of Nations and Regions, Pat Loughrey, is to be one of the keynote speakers at the event to be held in Truro on March 28 to 31. With the overall responsibility for all of the BBC’s programmes and services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and for all regional and local services in England, including 40 local radio stations, Loughrey has an in depth if not unique knowledge of the broadcast and film industry.
Janet Anderson, Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting, will also be giving a speech at the festival. Her responsibilities include: the press, creative industries, international, European, regional and local government issues. She was also appointed a Government Whip in May 1997.
Throughout the event there will be screenings of all shortlisted entries, and these can also be viewed in the video library in the Celtic Market section of the festival. A three day student forum will run alongside the main film festival.
The CFTF exists to promote cultures and languages of the Celtic countries in film on television, radio and new media. The festival offers a distinctive view of the media industry to government consultants, which may be under represented.
The festival regularly attracts around 400 delegates form Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall, Brittany, England and further afield.
Those attending include technology hardware and software manufacturers, film distributors, directors, producers, screenwriters, commissioning editors as well as film and television students. (CD)