A new festival in East Belfast is set to host a blockbuster line-up of speakers from the film, TV, gaming and animation industries next month.
Taking place over two evenings at Portview Trade Centre, Belfast’s RENDR Festival will feature creatives whose credits include Star Wars, The Mandalorian, The Simpsons, Top Gun: Maverick, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Last of Us and more.
Running from February 23-24, RENDR, supported by NI Screen, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council, will welcome speakers from across the world to explore the space where creativity and technology collide.
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Attendees will gain insight and inspiration from over 30 speakers whose expertise spans the breadth of the creative industries.
Festival director Michael Weir says: “RENDR is delighted to welcome such a prestigious lineup of speakers from right across the creative industries to Belfast.
"The festival is an opportunity to hear from world-class talent whose expertise and experience encompasses film, gaming, animation and immersive tech.
"We hope the festival can inspire audiences while celebrating the work of some of the industry’s most prominent and influential creatives. Importantly, we are also using this moment to recognise what this place has to offer in terms of its award-winning expertise and innovations and we are very proud to provide a platform for local creatives to showcase their talents."
Among the speakers is Mike Reiss, the longest-serving writer and producer of The Simpsons. Reiss, who co-wrote The Simpsons Movie, will discuss his illustrious career as part of the team behind the long-running animated sitcom, offering an insider’s perspective into the creative process that has seen the show rise to the status of cultural phenomenon.
Motion stills photographer David James, a long-time collaborator of Hollywood royalty Steven Spielberg and actor Tom Cruise, and whose credits include Top Gun: Maverick, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan and Minority Report, will discuss the importance of stills photography for storytelling in the motion picture industry.
Joining them is celebrated production designer and design director Ramsey Avery, whose credits include The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Star Trek: Into Darkness.
Other speakers include Charmaine Chan, a virtual production artist at Industrial Light & Magic who has worked on films including The Batman, Black Panther and Jurassic World, and Eoghan Cunneen of Lucasfilm, a visual effects artist who has worked on recent Star Wars series including The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian.
The festival will also celebrate local talent in the creative industries. Among the lineup is Banbridge native Dermott Burns, a 3D environment, concept and visual development artist who has worked on new IPs and existing AAA titles including Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
For the full list of speakers and to book tickets, visit RENDRfestival.com
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