Filmmaker's Panel : The Green Wave

TIME & LOCATION

Thursday 16 November, 3:00 pm

End Time: 4:00 pm

Downstairs Theatre

About

With Ross White (An Irish Goodbye), Kathryn Ferguson (Nothing Compares) and Stacey Gregg (Here After

Hosted By Sara Gunn-Smith

The film industry across Ireland has experienced remarkable success this year, and we are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to the Belfast Media Festival for some of the north’s brightest talents who have played a pivotal role in the ‘green wave.’ Joining us at BMF are Kathryn Ferguson, known for her outstanding work as the Director of NOTHING COMPARES, Stacey Gregg, writer, director, and performer whose work includes BALLYWALTER, THE BABY (Sky/HBO) and HERE BEFORE, and Ross White, celebrated for co-writing and co-directing the Oscar Winning short film AN IRISH GOODBYE. They’ll be chatting about their award-winning contributions as we explore why stories from this part of the world are resonating with audiences across the world.

 

 

Chair

Sara Gunn-Smith, Film Hub NI

SPONSOR

Panel

Kathryn Ferguson

Belfast-born Kathryn Ferguson is an Emmy-nominated, BIFA and IFTA winning director whose innovative and boundary-pushing documentary work has screened globally. Kathryn studied at Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art, and in 2022 was awarded the inaugural BFI & Chanel Award for Creative Audacity. In 2018, Kathryn's short documentary Taking the Waters premiered at Sheffield Doc Fest, and was long-listed for a BAFTA. Then, in 2021, Kathryn worked with Passion Pictures on the short Space to Be for The Guardian's acclaimed documentary series. After a decade of short-form work centered on identity, gender politics, and community, Kathryn recently completed her debut feature documentary Nothing Compares - which takes as its subject Sinéad O'Connor's artistry and activism. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2022 then toured the international festival circuit, where it picked up multiple awards, before hitting cinemas in October 2022. It has received over thirty award nominations internationally, including Emmy, Critics Choice, IDA, and PGA Awards, and was awarded winner of Best Feature Documentary at BIFA 2022 and IFTA 2023. Nothing Compares is now available to watch on Showtime and Sky. Kathryn's second feature documentary, a collaboration with Universal is due to be released in 2024.

Stacy Gregg

Stacey Gregg is a writer, director and performer for stage and screen. Recent work includes Ballywalter, The Baby (Sky/HBO), and Here Before which premiered at SXSW and won Best Film at Galway Film Fleadh. For stage Gregg co-directed Inside Bitchfor the Royal Court Theatre and Clean Break, working with women in the criminal justice system, and wrote and performed Hatchet Jinny for Outburst Queer Arts Festival. Plays are published by Nick Hern Books and Bloomsbury. Gregg has written extensively for television and is in development for a second feature film with BBC Film, and writing a limited TV series based on the diaries of Patricia Highsmith.

Ross White

Ross White is an Academy Award® and BAFTA winning filmmaker who works as part of a duo with collaborator Tom Berkeley. The pair rose to prominence in 2023 for their breakout black comedy An Irish Goodbye, which became the first short film in history to win an Oscar, BAFTA and IFTA award. Hailing from Northern Ireland and England respectively, the pair began working together in 2019. Their debut short film ROY (2021), starring BAFTA winner David Bradley, played at over 50 international film festivals before going on to be one of ten films shortlisted for Best British Short Film at the 75th BAFTA Awards. The duo recently premiered their third short film 'The Golden West' a Celtic Western set in 1849 at the crossover of the famine and the gold rush at the 50th Anniversary Telluride Film Festival. They are currently in development on their debut feature film.