Los Angeles, CA – Cinemagic, the award-winning Film and Television Festival for Young People, is thrilled to announce an exclusive visit and talk at Imagine Entertainment as part of its Los Angeles initiative. This exciting event will feature key industry figures including Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Justin Wilkes (President of Imagine Entertainment), Jeb Brody (President of Imagine Features) and Tara Sinnott (Chief of Staff and VP)
The collaboration with Imagine Entertainment is a highlight of Cinemagic’s week-long program in Los Angeles, designed to inspire and celebrate young talent from Northern Ireland and Los Angeles. The program culminates in the annual Cinemagic Los Angeles Showcase on June 28th at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Santa Monica. This prestigious event, supported by Belfast City Airport, NI Connections, and NI Bureau, The Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Santa Monica, The Maybourne Beverly Hills, Screen Ireland, BritWeek, ELMA, CIACLA, LMU will welcome 500 invited guests from the worlds of film, TV, entertainment, and business.
Cinemagic Los Angeles Showcase
The Showcase will feature the premiere screening of Cinemagic’s latest short film productions, created by young people in Los Angeles and Northern Ireland. These films empower youth to unlock their creativity and build vital industry connections. The event underscores Cinemagic’s role as a global player in the creative industries, nurturing young talent and highlighting the organization’s international success stories.
Week-Long Program
Throughout the week, teenagers from 12 schools and colleges in Northern Ireland and Los Angeles will engage in exclusive talks at The Maybourne Beverly Hills, along with tours and masterclasses at top film and TV studios. Notable visits include Warner Bros. Discovery and Imagine Entertainment, where industry leaders will share their insights and experiences. Esteemed guest speakers include Emmy winning TV Producer Jillian King (Rachael, Red Table Talk); Dan Dark OBE,EVP of Worldwide Studio Operations at Warner Bros Entertainment; Ross King MBE, LA Correspondent for ITV Breakfast programmes; Peter Devlin, Production Sound Engineer (Black Panther, Star Trek); and Shelley Reid, entertainment business affairs executive and independent producer.
Representing Belfast at Cinemagic Los Angeles will be 16 teenagers from the IGNITE program, an innovative youth leadership initiative established by Belfast City Airport in partnership with Cinemagic. This program provides life-changing opportunities, developing leadership skills and preparing young people for future success. The participants will collaborate with peers from recent Cinemagic Los Angeles projects, celebrating their achievements during the week’s events.
Joan Burney Keatings MBE, CEO of Cinemagic, expressed her excitement: “We are incredibly proud to collaborate with such remarkable organizations from Northern Ireland and Los Angeles. The shared ethos among everyone involved is a catalyst for Cinemagic to offer the highest quality opportunities for young people in the creative industries.”
Michelle Hatfield, Chief People and Marketing Officer at Belfast City Airport, remarked: “At Belfast City Airport, we are passionate about building the workforce of tomorrow and championing young people to become future leaders. Through our IGNITE program, the young people have already achieved great things and shown incredible potential. The Cinemagic Los Angeles Showcase is the perfect opportunity to reward their hard work and dedication and celebrate their successes.”
Moira Loughran, Head of NI Connections, added: “We are delighted to partner with Cinemagic for the Los Angeles Showcase. It is a fantastic opportunity to highlight the immense talent of our young people from Northern Ireland, build industry connections in the USA, and demonstrate the full potential of their talent and influence.”
Andrew Elliott, Director of the Northern Ireland Bureau, commented: “It’s a pleasure to partner with Cinemagic Los Angeles, which is shaping our future leaders and providing them with the inspiration to be part of Northern Ireland’s flourishing Creative Industries.”
About Cinemagic
Cinemagic is a leading charity that uses film, television, and digital technologies to educate, motivate, and inspire young people. With a presence in Belfast, Dublin, London, New York, and Los Angeles, Cinemagic is dedicated to providing unique opportunities and fostering a love for the creative industries among youth worldwide.
Cinemagic Los Angeles in partnership with Belfast City Airport is supported by NI Connections, Northern Ireland Bureau, The Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Santa Monica, The Maybourne Beverly Hills, Screen Ireland, BritWeek, ELMA, CIACLA, Loyola Marymount University.
For more information about Cinemagic and the Los Angeles Showcase, please visit www.cinemagic.org.uk.
