The Writer’s Room - Storytelling across the industry
Sponsored by Belfast Media Festival
Location: Upstairs Theatre
Time: Thursday 17th November, 3pm
"Stories are what bring us together. In this panel discussion that crosses sectors chaired by master storyteller Màire Zepf, we have brought together some of the finest storytellers in film, tv, animation and games to discuss how they go about spinning yarns in their medium of choice.
Aislinn Clarke ( Film)
Bronagh Taggart: (TV)
Dave McCabe (Games)
David McGrath (animation)
Máire Zepf
Author
Máire Zepf has written 14 books for children, from picture books to a YA verse novel. Winner of the KPMG/CBI Children’s Book of the Year, 4 LAI Children’s Book Awards and 2 international White Ravens among many others, her books appear in 10 languages worldwide.
The Co. Down author was the first Children’s Writing Fellow for Northern Ireland, based at the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at QUB (2017-19). She is Artistic Director for Quotidian – Word on the Street
Aislinn Clarke
Writer/Director
Aislinn Clarke is a Northern Irish writer/director. Her debut feature film, THE DEVIL’S DOORWAY, was released internationally by IFC in cinemas and streaming following a series of nominations and awards at major genre festivals (Sitges, Frightfest, etc) in 2018.
In 2019 Aislinn was awarded the Academy of Motion Pictures Gold Fellowship for Women. She is currently show-running 6-part original domestic thriller series BLACK NORTH for ZDF (Germany) with Kindle (UK) Rocliffe (UK) and Underground Films (Ireland).
Aislinn is in development with original TV series HYSTERIA headed by producers of THE TERROR. She is also currently writing feature films to direct for Disney (US), Rumble (US), Protagonist Pictures (UK), and Blinder Films (Ireland), Aislinn is represented as a writer and director by CAA in the US and Dench Arnold in the UK.
Bronágh Taggart
Writer/Producer/Actress
Bronágh Taggart is adapting the novel HELL BAY by Kate Rhodes for Two Cities Television, developing the TV seriesTHE FAMILY for Euston Films and adapting a novel for The Forge. In addition, Bronágh is developing her original pilot QUEEN OF THE GYPSIES for Hillibilly Films/BBC NI and her original project GUARD is in development with Kudos. GUARD is based on the short film of the same name that Bronágh wrote and starred in.
Other credits include TROUBLES, the second short film Bronágh wrote and executive produced; multiple episodes across all three series of BBC NI’s student comedy drama 6DEGRESS; LAUREN AND CRAIG for CBBC / Zodiak; several episodes of THE LODGE for Disney; MILLIE INBETWEEN for Zodiak/CBBC; and DANI'S CASTLE for CBBC.
Her original 30’ film, CALL IT AT NIGHT, was one of the films chosen for Coming Up 2013 for Touchpaper TV/Channel 4.
Bronágh’s first script – a 30’ comedy-drama pilot entitled CRAZY KIDS was selected for a BAFTA-Rocliffe New Writing showcase in 2010. Her first play, SANCTUARY, was directed by Roisin McBrinn at the Arcola Theatre in July 2011.
Also an actress, Bronágh was most recently seen in the second series of THE FALL for Artists Studio/BBC NI and her other credits include the BAFTA-winning OCCUPATION (Kudos/BBC) directed by Nick Murphy Best: HIS MOTHER'S SON (BBC), Lisa McGee’s JUMP;directed by Max Roberts at Live Theatre Newcastle, PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD directed by John Crowley at the Old Vic and numerous credits for BBC radio, including the 2012 adaptation of James Joyce’s ULYSSES.
Dave McCabe
Writer/Designer
Dave McCabe wrote and co-designed The Darkside Detective and its sequel, A Fumble in the Dark.
He's also worked on some stuff that hasn't come out yet, like Tavern Keeper, The Necromancer's Tale, Song of the Seasons, and Eldritch House, and some stuff that's never coming out like Simon the Sorcerer 6: Between Worlds.
Before that he worked in film, though he's now okay to admit that he didn't work there very successfully.
David McGrath
Writer/Director/Producer
David McGrath, writer, director and Emmy-nominated producer has been in the animation industry for over 30 years.
Having started as a cel painter on the hit series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, progressing to animation cameraman for Fred Wolfe Films in Dublin, he then went to Berlin to Hahn Film Produktion where he was production manager on features, series and commercials including Asterix in America, Lucky Luke and Benjamin Blümchen.
In 1993, he moved to the U.S. to MTV Animation, where he was production manager on projects including Aeon Flux, Daria, The Head, The Maxx, Beavis and Butthead (the series) and overseas supervisor on Beavis and Butthead Do America feature; Emmy-nominated producer on MTV's Downtown; producer on Undergrads; co-executive producer on Celebrity Deathmatch; director of animation development, including Chico and Guapo, Spider-Man, 3-South and Fridays based on the hit New Line movies.
He produced and was a writer on the hit series Speed Racer: The Next Generation for Nickelodeon; was executive producer and co-director on Virgin Media award-winning commercials featuring Mick Hucknall, Mel B, Kelly Osbourne and Richard Branson.
He produced the fifth season of Venture Brothers, the second season of Superjail and a Venture Brothers music special, From the Ladle To The Grave: The Shallow Gravy Story, all for Adult Swim.
In 2013 he was asked to move back to Ireland to set up and run JAM Media’s UK office, where he supervised production on BAFTA Award-winning Roy and Zig and Zag.
In 2016 he directed for CBEEBIES, RTE, and NETFLIX, Pablo, a 104x11 live- action/animated series, which won a Broadcast Award for Best Pre-School Series 2019.
In 2020 he directed, co-created and co-wrote, Ladybird and Bee, 26x2 animated series for RTE jnr.
He has recently finished directing Happy the Hoglet 26x7 animated series for CITV.
