THE FUTURE OF FILM COMES TO BELFAST

BELFAST has been chosen as one of only five UK cities to host a groundbreaking roadshow, backed by the DTI, which is revealing the potential for digital technology to revolutionise all aspects of the film and TV industries, from source to screen.
The world-first 'Celluloid or Silicon?' event will take place at Belfast's Waterfront Hall on Monday November 20. It will demonstrate the flexibility offered by electronic film technology in the capture, processing and display of a wide range of programme material, as well as the potential cost savings in production, distribution and display.
"The film and broadcast sector in Northern Ireland has seen significant growth over the last few years" commented Richard Taylor, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Film Commission. "We are delighted to have the opportunity to host the roadshow and contribute to the knowledge base that will underpin the industry's future development in our region."
The first session will be at 3.00 pm with a repeat session at 5.30 pm. Each session will last two hours and is free of charge. It will open with a short film and a presentation exploring the issues raised by the new electronic media, in film and television, including visual examples that demonstrate its flexibility. The sessions will round off with an open forum led by a panel of locally based industry experts.
Peter Owen, project manager for the 'Celluloid or Silicon?' roadshow, said: "Britain has a global reputation for the quality of their film and TV programmes, just one of the reasons why the roadshow is supported by the DTI and the DCMS. The UK is also among the world leaders in the relatively new field of digital film technology. The standards of electronic film and video production, distribution and projection are now being formulated and UK companies will need to be able to participate in the discussions with practical experience of the technology.”
The 'Celluloid or Silicon?' roadshow is being organised by, and includes technology from, Aston Electronic Designs, BT, Cintel International, HD Thames, Quantel and Snell & Wilcox, with additional support provided by the BFI and media analysts Screen Digest. (CD)