Today (Monday, 7th March) the Celtic Media Festival unveils its full programme of events as 2011 marks the event’s 32nd year. The Festival is on countdown to 13th April when it will return to its birthplace of the Scottish Western Isles with a schedule crammed full of top talent.

The three day event will kick start the year of Scotland’s Islands and sees some of the most influential names from the broadcasting and film industries come together in Stornoway to enjoy and celebrate the quality and diversity of work being produced by the Celtic nations today.

The full programme of events will tackle everything from how to navigate today’s fast moving technology and media, to prolific actors delivering masterclasses on their career, awards ceremonies, panel discussions, a nineties hell-raiser and founding father of Brit-pop, and of course a ceilidh to top it all off.

Additions to the programme announced today include:

Comedienne Karen Dunbar asks those who commission the comedy and entertainment programmes we see on our screens whether there is a uniquely ‘Celtic’ sense of humour.

Scottish star Peter Mullan will be dropping by to discuss his varied career – from Trainspotting, to his award winning performance in Ken Loach’s My Name Is Joe, to his successful career as writer and director of Orphans, The Magdalene Sisters and the recent highly-acclaimed Neds.

Budding Dermot O’Learys, Alexa Chungs and Steve Jones’ will have the opportunity to learn the basics of what it takes to be a TV presenter from a pro as award winning independent writer and producer, Morag Stewart, joins the line up.

These announcements come in addition to an exciting discussion involving Come Dine with Me Executive Producer, David Sayer. Oscar nominated director Tomm Moore discussing how to make award winning animation and how it feels to go head to head with the big guns of Pixar. Screening of Triple Echo Productions’ documentary, 5 Climbs, 5 Islands. Plus a special screening of the new documentary feature Upside Down: The Story of Creation Records followed by a Q & A with the label’s enigmatic founder, Alan McGee, film director Danny O’Connor, and musician Mark Gardener (Ride) who also curated the soundtrack.

The reach of the Celtic Media Festival goes further than the main location of Stornoway. Free screenings of the Oscar nominated animated feature The Illusionist are scheduled to take place on the islands of Harris, Benbecula, North Uist and Barra.

In addition, the Celtic Media Festival is working in partnership with the 8 ½ Foundation – a project originated by actress Tilda Swinton and filmmaker Mark Cousins – to introduce world cinema to children in the Western Isles. Two special screenings, introduced by Tilda herself, will take place and admission is free!

For full programme and schedule please visit www.celticmediafestival.co.uk/11,31/the_festival/festival_programme

Registration is open now and is priced at just £100 + VAT. Registration allows access to the full daytime programme of events, as well as the Bronze Torc Awards for Excellence, which celebrate the very best of film, television, radio and interactive media to emerge from within the Celtic nations.

The Bronze Torc Awards see 98 productions, companies and personalities shortlisted across the 19 award categories – including factual, arts, drama, entertainment, sport, current affairs, children’s and young people’s programmes, as well as radio station of the year and radio presenter – with a total of 450 entries having been submitted from across Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, the Isle of Man and Ireland. The winners will be chosen by an esteemed panel of judges and announced over the three days of the festival.

Donald Campbell, Chairman of the Celtic Media Festival comments: “We’re very excited to be able to share the stellar line up of events set to take place over the course of the Celtic Media Festival. We’re confident that this is the strongest, most varied line-up we’ve had in our 32 year history. It’s set to be the hottest ticket in the Celtic nations this spring!”

For further details on festival registration, shortlist and programme, please visit: www.celticmediafestival.co.uk 

Source: Material_UK