Call for Participants for Cinemagic Digital Film Academy

Adults who are interested in careers in the creative and digital industries have a new opportunity to gain relevant skills, with the launch of the 2025 Digital Film Academy to be delivered by Cinemagic in partnership with South Eastern Regional College (SERC) and North West Regional College (NWRC). 

Cinemagic is calling individuals aged 18+ from all over Northern Ireland to apply for a place on the Academy, which will run from January to May 2025, offering 30 trainees invaluable skills development in a range of creative disciplines including film production. The scheme is free, and supported by the Department for the Economy’s Skill Up Programme.

Pre-production masterclasses with industry professionals will take place online and the programme will culminate with participants working on a Cinemagic short film in Derry/Londonderry and Bangor in partnership with North West Regional College (NWRC) and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) respectively. Additionally, participants will be able to gain accreditation towards two units in the Level 3 Diploma/Extended Diploma in Creative Digital Media Production: U4 Pre-Production and U21 Film Editing.

The initiative brings the creative industries together with the Further Education sector, highlighting that partnerships focused on digital skills development can create a pipeline to employment and support local economic growth.

Welcoming the academy, Emma Finney, Head of Business Engagement, SERC says “South Eastern Regional College  is delighted to be working in collaboration with North West Regional College, Cinemagic and the Department for the Economy to deliver this Digital Film Academy.  We are excited to train the participants in this fast-growing, dynamic area for Northern Ireland, equipping them with skills they need for a successful career in film.”

Cinemagic CEO, Joan Burney Keatings MBE comments, “We are looking forward to working collaboratively with our partners in further education to assist individuals to develop new skills, explore opportunities and give them the confidence to thrive in a career in the creative and digital sector.”

Economy Minister, Conor Murphy adds “Our local creative and digital sector is thriving, and there is clear demand for people with skills in this field. I am delighted that my department is supporting these courses through our Skill Up programme so that more people can avail of training and be in a strong position to gain employment. I encourage anyone who is interested and eligible to apply.”

To apply for the project, which is free of charge, 18+ year olds from Northern Ireland are asked to submit an application form by 6th January 2025. Apply as follows: Application form for 18+ Short Film Academy

No prior qualifications or experience in the creative industries is required. The project is looking for individuals from all backgrounds who are interested in creative and digital technologies, and who wish to further their skills and work on a practical filmmaking project.

It is essential, before applying, individuals ensure they can fulfil the criteria below:
• You must be over 18 years of age
• Eligible to work in Northern Ireland
• ‘Settled’ in Northern Ireland and been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least three years; OR a person who has indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK

Dates of Masterclasses (delivered online) are 6.00pm -7.30pm on:
Tuesday 21st January 2025   
Tuesday 28th January 2025
Tuesday 4th February 2025
Tuesday 11th February 2025
Tuesday 25th February 2025
Tuesday 4th March 2025

There are 4 pre-production meetings to follow (times and dates tbc) 
Dates of Film Production (Individuals will be allocated Film 1 or Film 2 based on allocated geographical locations):
Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th May 2025 - Film 1 Shoot Dates 
Friday 23rd May and Saturday 24th May 2025 Film 2 Shoot Dates
*Dates for OCN Accreditation tbc.  ​
*Participants will be required to fully commit to the Cinemagic and Colleges’ dates.