Manifesting a Career

TIME & LOCATION

Tuesday 10 November, 1:00 pm

End Time: 2:00 pm

The Factory

About

Let’s not sugarcoat it…the industry is a complete nightmare right now. Commissioning freezes, vanishing budgets, and existential dread every time you check your inbox. If you’re living contract-to-contract, “surviving” can feel like a full-time job.

 Join us for a brutally honest, high-energy session with a panel of seasoned industry hustlers who’ve dodged all the worst curveballs and lived to tell the tale. They’ve pivoted, diversified, self-started, and figured out how to turn entry and mid-career chaos into long-term control.

No corporate buzzwords, no vague “follow your dreams” fluff – just real-talk strategies to help you stay solvent, sane, and creatively fulfilled when the landscape is shifting under your feet.

Chair

Caoimhe Ní Chathail

SPONSOR

Panel

Alan Bradley

Documentary maker, actor and writer.
Alan Bradley is an award-winning Irish documentary filmmaker, writer and actor. In 2024, Alan won the Young Director Award for Documentary at Cannes and was selected as one of Broadcast’s Hotshots 2025 and a ‘One To Watch’ 2024/25 by the TV Foundation UK. Alan directed and produced the groundbreaking Radharc award-winning documentary Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost, highlighting the crisis of alarmingly high suicide rates in the Irish Traveller community through the devastating story of 12-year-old Patrick McDonagh from Finglas, Dublin, cited as a ‘must watch’ by President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins. In 2025, Alan directed and produced the smash-hit documentary series Bad Nanny for RTÉ and BBC. The critically acclaimed series stayed at No. 1 on the RTÉ Player for two weeks, as well as becoming one of the most-watched documentaries of the year on Irish television. Bad Nanny subsequently trended in the top five documentaries on Amazon Prime in America. Other credits include ‘The Girl in the Water: Kelly Marie Lynch’ (RTÉ), ‘STALKED’ (VMTV), ‘Anorexia, My Family and Me’ (RTÉ) and ‘Invisible Men: Ireland’s Incels’ (RTÉ). In 2026, Alan published his first book, ‘Unmasking Samantha Cookes: The Many Lives of a Serial Fraudster’.

Matthew Irvine

Filmmaker and Director, Beyond Borders Films
Matthew Irvine is a Belfast-based documentary filmmaker and director, and one half of the directing duo behind Beyond Borders Film. Specialising in observational, character-led documentaries, His work includes North Coast Riders and Dreams of Glory: The Glentoran Story for BBC Northern Ireland. His films focus on authentic characters, strong narratives and finding extraordinary stories in everyday lives.

Caoimhe Ní Chathail

Presenter and Producer
Caoimhe Ní Chathail is a radio and television presenter and producer. Originally from Donegal, she moved to Belfast ten years ago to work as a self-shooting video journalist and TV assistant producer. She presents the weekly radio show Blas an Déardaoin on BBC Radio Ulster. Caoimhe presented and produced the BBC2 NI tv series Croí na Ceiste le Caoimhe as well as three series of the sustainable fashion series Éadaí SOS on BBC2 NI and TG4. Caoimhe's latest series Spriocanna Saoil starts on TG4 in November. Her producer credits include Tour de Fred for ITV, Will & Ralf Should Know Better for UKTV and Casadh sa Cheol for TG4.

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Cameron Robbins

Shooting PD / Development Producer
Cameron is a Belfast-based television director, shooting producer, and development producer. Specialising in compelling factual programming and observational documentaries, she has established a strong reputation within the UK and Irish broadcasting landscape, creating content for major networks including the BBC and Channel 4

Matty Wenlock

Filmmaker and Director, Beyond Borders Films
Matty Wenlock is a Belfast-based documentary filmmaker and director, and co-founder of Beyond Borders Film. Specialising in observational documentaries, Matty combines cinematic filmmaking with intimate, character-led storytelling. His credits include North Coast Riders and Dreams of Glory: The Glentoran Story for BBC Northern Ireland.