U.S Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland

28 April 2010

U.S Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland, Declan Kelly, speaking at the Tribeca Film Festival Directors’ Brunch in New York City Photo Credit: James Higgins.

U.S Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland, Declan Kelly, today announced that Northern Ireland Screen will launch a screenplay writing competition in support of the Derry/Londonderry UK City of Culture 2013 Bid.

Speaking at the Tribeca Film Festival Directors’ Brunch in New York City, which was sponsored by Invest Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen, Envoy Kelly provided details on the new competition.

The screenwriting competition is designed to run in parallel with Derry/Londonderry’s bid to become the UK City of Culture 2013 and the organizers will be seeking contemporary feature-length screenplays which have something fresh and vibrant to say on the themes developed within that bid.   The shortlisted scripts will be selected by a panel of film industry experts, and the writer of the winning screenplay will receive a cash prize of £10,000 to help them further the development process.  Further details on the screenwriting competition will be forthcoming in the following weeks and information can be accessed via the Northern Ireland Screen website.

“The Screenplay Competition is a great way to help promote the Derry/Londonderry UK City of Culture bid, and Northern Ireland Screen is to be commended for their support of this new competition,” stated Envoy Kelly.

“Good screenplays are the life-blood of our industry; we are always on the look-out for talented writers.  Our idea for the Screenwriting Competition was born out of our commitment to develop a dynamic and vibrant screen industry in Northern Ireland, as well as to lend our weight to Derry/Londonderry’s bid for the UK City of Culture.  Marrying these two ideals to unearth a gifted new writer is a fantastic fit,” stated Richard Williams, CEO, Northern Ireland Screen.

“The launch of the Screenwriting Competition is a marvellous adjunct to Derry/Londonderry’s UK City of Culture 2013 bid, encompassing as it does our vision to make culture accessible to all and confidently and creatively connect with the wider world.  We are indebted to Envoy Kelly and Northern Ireland Screen for their continued and robust support,” added Valerie Watts, Chief Executive of Derry City Council, on behalf of the City of Culture bid team.