Budding film makers get a taste of fame at LA event!

The fourth annual LA Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival for Young People took place during Oscars week and saw the aspiring local talent join with like minded people from the US and the south of Ireland.

The young people took part in educational Q&A’s, film screenings, workshops, masterclasses and special events with The Jim Henson Company, HBO, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Remote Control Studios, New York Film Academy LA, Aero Film, Inner City Arts, and Creative Visions Foundation.

A highlight of the festival was meeting Academy Award winning Film Music Composer, Hans Zimmer, and presenting him with a Cinemagic award for his outstanding contribution to the film industry.

Hans Zimmer is recognised as one of Hollywood’s most innovative talents having composed for films such as Rain Man, Driving Miss Daisy, The Lion King, As Good As It Gets, Gladiator, Pearl Harbour, The Dark Knight Rises and Man of Steel (yet to be released).

Another high point was the Los Angeles premiere screening of ‘The Mantle’, a short film made by teenagers during Cinemagic’s International Film Camp in Belfast last July.

The film camp aimed to bring young people from different cultural backgrounds together to work on a common goal and to produce a film in just five days.

Nine teenagers from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were selected to represent Cinemagic during its week of events in Los Angeles and to showcase their short film to the young audiences and industry professionals there.

Three of the Los Angeles film camp participants were also present to talk about their experience of making the film in Ballycastle.

The much-anticipated opening reception, at the Fairmont Hotel and Bungalows in Santa Monica, hosted by UK Television personality Ross King, showcased the collaborative work of young filmmakers in Los Angeles and from Northern Ireland.

A Q&A session kicked off the evening’s events with special guests in attendance including six-time Academy Award nominee Jim Sheridan.

Other celebrity guests to walk the red carpet included Briana Evigan star of ‘Step Up 2’, actress Melia Kreiling, Rowly Dennis from ‘Jane by Design’, actresses April Billingsily and Valyn Hall, Irish Actress Caroline Morahan, Jay Harrington, star of ‘Better Off Ted’ and more.

As patron for Cinemagic, Pierce Brosnan recorded a special message for the event and donated his personal artwork for auction in support of the charity, helping to motivate and educate young people through the medium of film.