Celtic Film and Television Festival boasts impressive line up

The Celtic Film and Television Festival has announced that esteemed filmmaker Ken Loach will appear at this year’s festival on Friday March 31, where he will be taking part in the closing interview between 16.00 – 17.30pm.
In its 27th year, the Festival will be held at the Media Centre, University College Falmouth, Cornwall between March 29-31 2006.
A man who needs no introduction, Ken Loach is not only a world class feature filmmaker, but he is also committed to representing the struggles of the socially and politically disenfranchised. Loach’s film credits include acclaimed ‘Kes’, ‘My Name is Joe’ and ‘Raining Stones’. His TV credits include the groundbreaking drama about homelessness ‘Cathy Come Home’, which was a defining moment in television and influenced political agenda. Ken Loach is due to release a feature film this summer called ‘The Wind that Shakes the Barley’.
Hugo Swire, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, will deliver a speech earlier on the same day at 14.30 – 15.30pm about ‘The Future of the British Film Industry’. Hugo Swire is also local MP for East Devon, and formerly worked in the independent television sector.
Additional speakers include director of hit UK comedy ‘East is East’, Damien O’Donnell, who on Wednesday March 29 will talk about the highs and lows of being a filmmaker in today’s industry.
On Thursday March 30 the man who persuaded George Galloway MP to enter the ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ House, Phil Edgar Jones, will be talking to popular broadcaster Muriel Gray about the inside story from the Big Brother house. Edgar Jones is Creative Director at Endemol’s Brighter Pictures.
And also on Friday March 31, Anthony Lilley, who is Vice-Chairman of PACT and Chair of its Interactive Media Policy Group, will be giving a talk about the future of new media.
With an impressive line up of speakers from TV, Film and New Media sectors, as well as a political party heavyweight, the Celtic Film and Television Festival looks set to spark off lively debates about the creative industry as a whole.
(GB)