Here it is! We’ve a great lineup of talks & panels that you can access from anywhere in the world, all you have to do is register in advance as spaces are limited.

5 days of exciting talks and panels begin at noon this Wednesday 8th of July. It’s all about the future and Creative Europe Media Panel will bring us the proposed new Programme 2021-2027 Key-note speaker: Martin Dawson, Deputy Head of MEDIA, DG Connect, European Commission Followed by a discussion with MEDIA Beneficiaries from the West of Ireland. See here for details.

Then at 2pm it’s the first of 3 Fleadh Forum panels hosted each day at 2 with the theme of Looking Towards Tomorrow focusing on the pertinent issues facing our industry in light of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Joined by a host of Industry Experts, discussions will cover topics including the strategic process of development, the future of co-production and the next steps for film sales, distribution and exploitation.

What We Do Today Will Create Our Tomorrow: What Is Your Development Strategy? Fleadh Forum Webinar 1: Wednesday 08 July 2020, 14.00 – 15.00

The world is experiencing a surge in content creation and now more than ever a captive audience demands engaging content. So how important is it to approach development strategically? In this talk, we will delve into the practical and creative strategies that successful companies pursue in developing their slates, working with talent and selecting the stories they want to tell. Register now.

Thursday at noon we meet the music department behind internationally acclaimed TV series Normal People.  Screen Composers Guild of Ireland presents the all Irish music department behind the creation of the original score and placement of songs which formed the soundtrack to this beautiful story.

This panel will explore the role of music in Normal People, the different creative and craft roles involved in bringing music to the story, how having an Irish based music department shaped the music, and added to the production and music department capacity in Ireland, when working on larger budget TV and Film projects. See here for full details and how to register.

Thursday at 2pm it’s the second in our trio of Fleadh forum panels Co-Production In The Time Of Corona in association with ACE Producers.

With traditional distribution models unlikely to recover any time soon, with post-pandemic protocols sure to cause an overall rise in production costs, and with a new reluctance – for a range of reasons – towards producing a film in several countries, can co-production continue to function as the tool of choice for financing films outside the commercial mainstream?

Join Helge Albers (FFHSH/Hamburg Film Fund), David Collins (Samson Films), Rebecca O’Brien (Sixteen Films) and chaired by Simon Perry (ACE Producers).

Friday at noon we discuss short form content for a new generation. This panel will discuss how to create innovative, exciting, high quality digital content that resonates with younger audiences while developing new talent in front and behind the camera.

Details will also be announced of a new commissioning round for digital first short-form content and the development of new talent support by TG4, the BAI, Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund and Údarás na Gaeltachta and in association with Gréasán na Meán.

Join us Friday at 1.15pm to launch The Green Ray Film Agency, a new company dedicated to helping Irish filmmakers achieve success on the international festival circuit.

Offering festival strategies, consultancy and promotional services, Green Ray is headed by Úna Feely and Mick Hannigan of the IndieCork Film Festival. With a long track record of supporting emerging voices in cinema, Green Ray will provide bespoke strategies that maximise the potential of each film.

Friday at 2pm our third and final Fleadh forum this year titled What Now? The Future of Sales & Distribution
With the disruption caused by the pandemic, the plans for the traditional exploitation paths for many films has been called into question. What innovative approaches are helping films reach audiences, and how will distribution and exhibition adapt even when the world gets “back to normal”? Industry Experts will look how we are navigating these changes and what challenges and opportunities the future holds. Register now.

Continuing into the weekend we bring you a Young Animators Panel Saturday at noon and our ‘In Conversation’ events Saturday & Sunday supported by Screen Skills Ireland.

Celebrated genre director Joe Dante will be in conversation with Aislinn Clarke, an award-winning writer, director and lecturer from Northern Ireland. During their conservation they will deconstruct films from their trailers, discuss political allegories in genre cinema and Joe Dantes childhood influences including the Cuban Missile Crisis. Saturday 11th of July at 12pm.

Leading Irish actress Kate O’Toole talks to Hollywood legend Keith Carradine about his acting career and the many people he has worked with in the industry. Saturday 11^th of July at 2pm.

The remaining event in this trio of industry names is writer and director Nicole Holofcener. Independent filmmaker Nicole will be in conversation with Mary Kate O’Flanagan (award-winning writer and story consultant working in the film and television industry) Sunday 12th of July at 2pm.

All sessions are free but must be booked in advance via the talks page on our website. See our full schedule of all events here.