The Community Relations Council (CRC), in partnership with Northern Ireland Screen, launched two short films by exciting local talents through the Media Grant Scheme.
This silver screen event, attended by almost 100 people, was launched in Queen’s Film Theatre in Belfast on Tuesday 27 September 2022.
In previous years, the Media Grant Scheme supported projects ranging from animations to podcasts, infographics to digital resources – a whole variety of creative works. The scheme could support a half-dozen works during each funding round.
However, this year for the first time CRC’s Media Grant Scheme focused solely on supporting the medium of film.
“We thought it would be timely to focus all our efforts on just one creative work,” said Paul Jordon, Funding Director at CRC. “That way, we could produce something with a much larger scope, while also tackling different creative themes than we might have done before.”
At this point it was envisioned that only one project would be supported through the scheme. However, the standard was so high that it made the decision incredibly difficult for the Media Panel.
Rory Campbell, Media Panel and CRC Board member, explained: “It was clear during our deliberations that the standard of the proposals was exceptionally high, and the Media Panel were left with some really difficult decisions to make on the overall winner.
“We were delighted to be able to secure additional funding that enabled us to support not just one film but two.”
Diversity of communities
The two film makers supported by the Media Grant Scheme were Diana Cheung, and Ross McClean.
Each of their films provides an insight into the diversity of communities that call Northern Ireland their home.
“The types of community relations issues we wanted to explore in the films,” Rory explained, “were things like the experiences of young people growing up in interface communities, dealing with the legacy of the past, experiences of recently settled communities, and so on. We wanted to keep the remit focused but not too restrictive. Ultimately, we wanted the work to shine through.”
Diana Cheung’s film “Northern Chirish” is a short documentary film about the Chinese-Irish community from the perspective of the 2nd generation, and it explores the themes of culture and identity, a sense of belonging, racism, and immigration.
“The film is an untold narrative about a community that has called NI their home for over 50 years,” Diana said. "An opportunity like this is invaluable to independent filmmakers in Northern Ireland, to produce creative films that have the potential to impact a wide audience.
“The support from CRC, Northern Ireland Screen and Erica Starling Productions meant I could access a wealth of expertise, skills and knowledge, which proved to be essential in the making of Northern Chirish.”
Ross McClean has produced a short film which follows the friendship of a group of young amateur boxers from distinct cultural backgrounds living in East Belfast. The film follows the young people as they prepare for an upcoming fight and shows how sport can break down cultural differences and barriers.
“Receiving support for independent creative documentaries is a challenging task,” Ross said. “CRC, through their generous media grant, gave me the opportunity to tell an important and often underrepresented story about a community centre and the teenagers that benefit from this vital space.
“Northern Irish communities are moving faster than the old school politics can keep up with. It is a rewarding experience to have the freedom to create a film about your home that avoids focusing on the traditional political narrative.”
Working in partnership
To deliver on the Media Grant Scheme, CRC worked in partnership with Northern Ireland Screen.
Paul Jordan (CRC) said: “Northern Ireland Screen were amazing partners in this endeavour, both in terms of funding, which enabled mentoring support through a professional production company, and in providing support and advice to CRC as we took on this new venture.”
Media Grant Scheme
The Media Grant Scheme will be opening for applications soon. Read more about the scheme here: /media-grant-scheme