TWELVE GAELIC NOMINATIONS AS CELTIC MEDIA FESTIVAL SHORTLIST PUBLISHED
A total of 12 Gaelic programmes from BBC ALBA and BBC Radio nan Gaidheal have been shortlisted in the 2016 Celtic Media Festival awards.
Over 500 entries were received from throughout the Celtic Nations for this year’s Festival which takes place in Dungarvan, Waterford from 20-22 April.
FilmG, MG ALBA’s Gaelic Short Film competition has also been shortlisted in the Kieran Hegarty Award for Innovation category while BBC Radio nan Gaidheal has once again been shortlisted in the Radio Station of the Year category – a category which the station won at the 2015 festival which was held in Inverness.
The BBC ALBA programmes which have been shortlisted in 2016 are:
Current Affairs:
Eòrpa – MH17 (Produced by BBC Gàidhlig) This programme brought together some of the relatives who lost family in the Malaysian Airlines tragedy in 2014 and relatives of those who lost their lives in the Lockerbie disaster of 1998.
Arts:
Brìgh a’ Chiùil (Produced by Bees Nees Media)
Polish arts company Song of the Goat made a bold experiment when they put on a new show at the Edinburgh Festival, which radically reimagined traditional Gaelic singing. Bees Nees media charted the group’s progress as they researched the idea in Scotland over two years, learning what is to them an unknown language, through rehearsals at their home in Wroclaw, Poland, and culminating in a beautiful performance at St Giles’ cathedral in Edinburgh at the height of the Fringe Festival 2014.
Drama:
Bannan (Produced by Young Films)
BBC ALBA’s flagship Gaelic Drama series produced by Young Films and shot entirely on location on the Isle of Skye
Entertainment:
Seirm (Produced by Bees Nees Media)
Filmed at Celtic Connections in Glasgow this five-part music series features rousing performances from an eclectic range of performers attending the world’s biggest winter music festival.
Factual Single:
Balaich na h-Àirde (Produced by Sorbier Productions)
The story of the four Smith brothers from the Isle of Lewis and their achievements in broadcasting, writing, acting and singing.
Am Balach MacCuidhein (Produced by Solus Productions)
A revealing and charming homage to Alexander McQueen one of the U.K’s most avant-garde fashion designers who’s heart belonged to the Hebrides.
Donald Campbell, MG ALBA Chief Executive said: “We are delighted to see 12 programmes from BBC ALBA and BBC Radio nan Gaidheal on the shortlists for this year’s Celtic Media Festival and we congratulate all those involved in the various productions on their success in reaching this stage. We are also delighted to see FilmG nominated in the Kieran Hegarty award category after another very successful competition this year. We look forward very much to the festival visiting Dungarvan for the first time and to meeting up with our broadcasting colleagues from the other Celtic nations.”
In addition to its nomination in the Radio Station of the Year category BBC Radio nan Gaidheal also has a number of programmes shortlisted across the 23 categories:
• Blàr Loos (Radio Documentary) – which looks at the role of Highlanders in the battle with stories of the fallen, of survivors and some who were honoured
• Feasgar (Radio Magazine Show) – news, music, debate and entertainment presented by Cathy MacDonald
• Beag air Bheag (Radio Magazine Show) – John Urquhart guides Gaelic learners through the intricacies of the language
• Mire ri Moir aig a’ Mhòd (Radio Music Programme) – the biggest cèilidh at the Oban Mod 2015 with music and song and plenty of hilarity
• Cèilidh Rapal aig a’ Chidhe (Radio Music Programme) – live music from a strong collection of young musicians broadcast as part of the BBC Music Festival at the Quay
• Spòrs na Seachdain (Radio Sports) – Presenter John Morrison brings listeners and Island Games special from Jersey.
Marion Mackinnon, BBC Gàidhlig Managing Editor said: “I am delighted for our Eòrpa team and to see so many of Radio nan Gàidheal’s programmes being shortlisted for the Festival awards this year. I am particularly pleased with the variety of programmes that are on the shortlist and especially for those who have worked and contributed to the various programmes. We were proud to have won the Radio Station of the Year award in 2015 and we look forward hopefully to more success this year”.
Iain MacLeod from Bees Nees said: “Bees Nees are delighted that Brìgh a’ Chiùil and Seirm have been nominated in two categories at the Celtic Media Festival. It’s gratifying that our work has been recognised by our peers and credit goes to the hard working teams of creative people who made these programmes happen”.
Stornoway-based independent production company MacTV is also short-listed in the Sport category for its Lynsey Sharp – Get Out Strong, Commit programme which focused on athlete Lyndsey Sharp and her emotional outpouring which was one of the iconic moments from the 2014 Commonwealth Games and which had previously been broadcast on BBC ALBA.
For more information about the Celtic Media Festival visit www.celticmediafestival.co.uk
HAMISH: DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT HAMISH HENDERSON PREMIERE
TUESDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2016 – GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL
Hamish Henderson (1919-2002) was a colossal figure in Scottish culture, a man of boundless passion and curiosity whose poems continue to elevate and inspire a nation. Robbie Fraser’s highly anticipated documentary pays tribute to the many contrary forces and diverse facets of Henderson’s life as a poet, soldier, intellectual, activist, songwriter and leading force in the revival of Scottish folk music.
Produced by Bees Nees Media in association with Pure Magic Films the documentary film is a heartfelt tribute to one of modern Scotland’s proudest sons and weaves golden archive footage with the loving testimony of Henderson’s family, friends and colleagues.
Henderson’s experience of war acted as a catalyst for his poem sequence Elegies for the Dead in Cyrenaica for which he received the Somerset Maugham Award in 1949.
Henderson became an integral part of the Scottish folk movement when he accompanied the American folklorist Alan Lomax on a collection tour of Scotland. His career as a collector not only established his place as a permanent member of staff at the School of Scottish Studies but also led him to return to his native Blairgowrie making the travellers who berry-picked in summer his particular area of activity. He beautifully described this time as like “sitting under Niagara Falls with a tin can”.
Henderson helped establish the Edinburgh’s People’s Festival in 1951. It put traditional Scottish folk music on a public stage for the first time and arguably evolved into the internationally renowned Edinburgh Fringe as we know it today.
As folk clubs sprung up and modern folk songs bled into the mainstream, often these songs contained political themes and Henderson’s own compositions Freedom Come Aa’ Ye and John Maclean March were written into the fabric of Scottish culture.
In 1983 he turned down an OBE in protest of the nuclear arms policy of Margaret Thatcher’s government and as a result was voted Scot of the Year by BBC Radio Scotland listeners. He was bisexual and campaigned for equal rights, Scottish independence and was a strong supporter of the release of Nelson Mandela.
Supported by Creative Scotland and MG ALBA the film will have its premier at the Glasgow Film Festival and will broadcast on BBC ALBA autumn 2016.
• The poster for the film can be downloaded from HERE
• An electronic press pack is available to download HERE
MG ALBA SUPPORTS ASPIRING INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS
MG ALBA (The Gaelic Media Service) is offering current and aspiring Gaelic media industry professionals the opportunity to participate in the Celtic Media Festival 2016 which takes place in Dungarvan, Waterford from 20 – 22 April.
Five bursaries are to be made available to individuals between 18–30 years of age looking to pursue a career in Gaelic media or individuals and freelancers currently working with an independent production company that is involved in the making of Gaelic programmes for BBC ALBA.
The grants available will cover the registration fee for the festival, accommodation throughout the event plus cost of travel to the Celtic Media Festival.
Iseabail Mactaggart, MG ALBA Director of Development and Partnerships said “The Celtic Media Festival is a key networking and knowledge sharing event for media practitioners from the various Celtic nations and regions.
“We are keen to ensure that the next generation of Gaelic media professionals have the opportunity to attend this festival to learn from some of the most experienced media professionals in the Celtic countries and also from countries further afield such as Australia and New Zealand. MG ALBA is ambitious for the growth of its supply sector, and we hope that this festival will inspire future generations of Gaelic media professionals to adapt an international outlook from the outset.
“MG ALBA was recognised in 2015 as an Investor in Young People and we continue to build upon our objective of nurturing future generations through initiatives such as the Celtic Media Festival bursary, via the FilmG (www.filmg.co.uk) project and short film competition, as well as sponsored placements within the creative sector.”
Previous attendees include Vicky Kilgour who is currently employed by Bees Nees Media, making programmes for BBC ALBA and TG4, and who debuted on BBC ALBA as a presenter on the Tiree Music Festival last year. Vicky Kilgour said: “I was delighted that MG ALBA afforded me the opportunity to attend the Celtic Media Festival. Attending an event like that, and having the opportunity to make contact with and learn from professionals in other countries who work at various levels in the industry, was a great stepping stone for my career development. I was able to quiz them about how they got to where they are, and the sessions offered a Celtic wide perspective on issues to do with broadcasting in general, but particularly minority language broadcasting.”
The Celtic Media Festival, which was first staged in the Western Isles in 1980, is an annual three-day event and the 37th Festival in Dungarvan has seen a record-breaking 510 entries being submitted.
Anyone interested in the bursary support from MG ALBA should email eilean.green@mgalba.com for an application form which must be submitted by 5pm on Friday 4 March.
FILMG AWARDS TO BE STREAMED LIVE ONLINE FOR THE FIRST TIME
The awards ceremony for Scotland’s national Gaelic film competition is be to streamed live on the internet for this first time this year.
The FilmG awards, which takes place at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow on Friday 19 February, will be broadcast via the competition’s website (www.filmg.co.uk), allowing FilmG supporters and participants who can’t attend to watch the evening’s prize-giving and entertainment unfold.
With the competition adding a Best Mobile Short prize this year to augment to this year’s other new categories for Best Script, and Best Animation, the live streaming adds to the increasingly accessible and interactive nature of the FilmG awards.
And this year, award attendees and viewers watching the live stream will also be able to enter a new on the night Gaelic Instagram competition.
During the first half of the event, attendees and those watching at home will be asked to post the most fun, entertaining and/or creative Gaelic photo to the popular social media site Instagram, under the hashtag #FilmG. At the interval the judges will review the photos and choose a winner – which will be announced at the end of the night – and who will receive a GoPro camera.
Floraidh Forrest, project manager of FilmG, said: “Excitement is building as we count down towards the eighth annual FilmG awards ceremony and we are delighted that we are able to stream the ceremony live on the internet for the first time this year.
“Not all participants – especially in our youth category when large classes of pupils come together to produce a film – are able to attend. Together with many FilmG supporters, who often provide significant behind-the-scenes support throughout the year, the live broadcast will allow them to sample the evening’s entertainment and see who picks up the deserved awards.
“We are also looking forward to the new Instagram photo competition. We think it’s a great way of getting more people to post to social media in Gaelic. Last year we had printed Gaelic hashtags on the tables and these proved to be great fun and many a selfie was taken! We hope to replicate this light-hearted way of using social media in order to promote the Gaelic language and the competition.
“We’ve had great success with social media at past FilmG awards, with a little support from Danny MacAskill who attended last year and tweeted from the event. We hope the Instagram competition will be just as successful, especially amongst viewers at home and around the world.”
Amongst the live entertainment on the evening will be a set from acclaimed four-piece band, The League of Highland Gentleman.
Floraidh added: “Although the focus is on encouraging the talents of budding filmmakers, the awards’ organisers are also keen to encourage our other creative sectors. We are delighted that The League of Highland Gentleman will be joining us to take to the stage and although they are only a year into their life as a band, they’ve already received widespread acclaim and won the Up and Coming Artist of the Year award at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards.
“We hope that the live streaming of the event will allow them to gain a few more fans for their exceptional blend of traditional and electronica music as they take to the stage at the Old Fruitmarket.”
PERTH MASTERS CURLING EXCLUSIVELY LIVE ON BBC ALBA
BBC ALBA is to broadcast live curling for the first time, with exclusive UK coverage of the 2016 Mercure City of Perth Masters to be screened on the channel.
The tournament, to be held at the Dewars Centre in Perth, sees world class curlers from 12 countries, including Scotland, compete for the prestigious title in the 40th year of the tournament.
Part of the Curling Champions Tour, the men’s tournament is the first action of 2016 with 32 participants – including Scotland’s David Murdoch – competing across four days.
BBC ALBA will provide live coverage across each day of the Perth Masters, starting on Thursday 7 January at 4.15pm and culminating in coverage from the final on Sunday 10 January at 3pm.
Jackie Lockhart, who led her rink to the world title in 2002, will be on hand throughout the tournament to provide expert analysis for BBC ALBA viewers on the intricacies of the sport, with commentary provided by Derek Mackay.
Alan Esslemont, head of content at BBC ALBA, said: “BBC ALBA is committed to providing high quality sport for our audience and coverage of Perth Masters curling will further enhance this offering to viewers.
“The profile of curling has been raised significantly in Scotland over the past fifteen years thanks to the success enjoyed at Winter Olympics and World Championship events. We hope BBC ALBA can help to push that recognition even higher with live coverage of intense competition amongst these elite international players taking place at the heart of Perth.
“We look forward to the tournament and the expert analysis of Jackie Lockhart who will join us for the four days of action.”
The BBC ALBA live coverage is as follows:
Thursday 7th January
16:15 – 18:15
20:30 – 22:30
Friday 8th January
10:15 – 12:15
13:30 – 15:30
15:45 – 17:45
Saturday 9th January
11:15 – 13:15 A Finals
17:00 – 19:00 B Finals
20:00 – 22:00 C Finals
Sunday 10th January
09:00 – 11:00 1/4 Finals
12:00 – 14:00 Semi Finals
15:00 – 17:00 Final
Coverage of the 2016 Mercure City of Perth Masters is produced for BBC ALBA by mneTV, one of Scotland’s leading sports production companies.
