Celtic Media Festival organisers have today (Monday 25th March) announced the programme for the 34th festival, revealing that some of the biggest names in the broadcasting and film world will be heading to Swansea over 24 – 26 April. Some of the most influential names from the broadcasting and film industries will attend the 3-day celebration of film, television, radio and digital media which promotes the unique languages and cultures of the Celtic nations and regions.

The 2013 programme will celebrate the influential media industry of the Celtic nations and regions, with leading media figures set to appear at the festival, including many from its host country Wales. The programme will also pay tribute to Wales’ reputation as a top fantasy and drama TV production destination, with sessions including discussions on what the future holds for soaps and the rising significance of social media as an indicator of audience demographics, exploring the value of hashtags vs BARB.

Celtic Media Festival 2013 programme highlights will include:

A star-studded panel discussing the capacity of storytelling to transcend the language barrier, following the huge success of hit shows like The Killing, Borgen, Lilyhammer and Corp + Anam. Featuring The Killing director Birger Larsen, Tone C. Rønning (Commissioning Editor for NRK, the Norwegian broadcaster behind the smash hit drama Lilyhammer starring Steve van Zandt of The Sopranos and E Street Band fame), and Darach Mac Con Iomaire (the writer and director of Corp + Anam which won the awards for Drama Series and Spirit of the Festival at last year’s Celtic Media Festival), the panel will be chaired by BBC Scotland Commissioning Editor Ewan Angus.

The 2013 festival also celebrates Wales’ international reputation as the go-to location for sci-fi, fantasy and drama TV production, with shows such as Doctor Who, Torchwood and Sherlock all produced there. Delegates will also be able to tour the set of Da Vinci’s Demons – the eagerly awaited new drama from David S. Goyer, the co-writer of the Dark Knight Trilogy, which has been shot in host city Swansea and is expected to be a huge hit when it airs on Fox UK this spring.

The festival will also host the premiere of Swansea Market, a BBC Wales documentary which offers a fly on the wall insight into the 2013 host city’s historic and iconic attraction. High profile speakers to appear over the three days include the renowned Welsh historian, writer and broadcaster Peter Stead, Ron Jones (the Swansea-based founder of the Tinopolis Group – one of UK’s largest independent television suppliers to major broadcasters, which counts including Question Time, Daybreak, Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, Hell’s Kitchen and An Idiot Abroad amongst its roster) and BBC Wales Director Rhodri Talfan Davies. News International’s Director of Communications (and former Communications Director for Boris Johnson) Guto Harri has already been announced for the festival. The Cardiff-born Welsh speaker will speak about news gathering and his career in media, which began at a Welsh-language radio station and included a stint at S4C plus 18 years at the BBC.

The 2013 festival will also offer independent film makers and producers a rare opportunity to meet with commissioners and channel heads from the Celtic nations and regions to obtain their feedback as they seek to develop new projects, in a brand new initiative called The Clinic, sponsored by MEDIA Antennae Galway, Scotland and Wales. Representatives from Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund and Ulster Scots Broadcast Fund; RTÉ Television and Radio; TG4; BBC Wales; S4C; BBC Scotland; BBC ALBA; BBC Southwest and BBC Northern Ireland will be on hand to offer their advice to indie production companies.

The four-time Academy Award nominee Peter J. Devlin will appear as part of the festival’s Green Light strand. Originally from Northern Ireland, he is a hugely in-demand sound mixer, having worked on Hollywood blockbusters such as Transformers, Thor, Star Trek (2009) and Angels and Demons.

Delegate registration is open now, with delegates able to 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 prestigious Bronze Torc Awards see over 100 productions from over 60 production companies and broadcasters shortlisted across the 20 award categories, which include animation, current affairs, drama, entertainment, sport, factual and feature length drama, plus brand new categories Best App, Music Programme and Radio Sports. Organisers were inundated with over 425 submissions from across Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, the Isle of Man and Ireland, and the winners will be chosen by an esteemed panel of judges and announced over the three days of the festival.

Domhnall Caimbeul, Chairman of the Celtic Media Festival, said: “We’re very excited to announce a stellar line-up of influential figures from the broadcast, film and digital media industries for the 34th Celtic Media Festival programme. The 2013 programme has taken inspiration from the esteemed media industry of its host country Wales, and we’re thrilled to be welcoming such a wealth of talent to Swansea this spring for what promises to be a fantastic 3 days.”

For further details on delegate registration, the programme and shortlist for the Bronze Torc Awards, please visit: www.celticmediafestival.co.uk

Source: Celtic Media Festival