The curtain fell on the 31ST FOYLE FILM FESTIVAL following another successful year of premiere film screenings, discussions and special guest events.

The theme of the 31st Foyle Film Festival was VOICES, and the programme marked a number of important milestones with special screenings and events that, in one way or another, gave voice to significant world events.

100 years of Women’s suffrage was acknowledged by placing women’s voices at front and centre of the festival programme – with Keira Knightley headlining the Opening Night film Colette about a young woman extricating herself from her domineering husband to carve out her own path in life. In The Wife, the brilliant Glenn Close plays a devoted wife who eventually finds her voice after forty years of marriage to an unfaithful husband. For decades Yayoi Kusama’s work pushed boundaries. She was an underdog with everything stacked against her – the trauma of growing up in Japan during World War II, life in a dysfunctional family, sexism and racism in the art establishment, mental illness in a culture where that was a particular shame. In spite of it all, Kusama has endured and has created a legacy of artwork that is inspiring. Bad Reputation chronicles the life of Joan Jett, from her early teenage years as founding member of The Runaways to her enduring presence over four decades later as a Rock ‘n’ roll icon. While Maggie Gyllennhaal closes the festival with The Kindergarten Teacher – a role that many have heralded the finest performance of her career.

The festival responded to the events in Northern Ireland from 1959 to 1974 highlighted in Nerve Visual’s latest exhibition, Speeches, Strikes and Struggles: Curating Conflict, led by the Tower Museum with special screenings of I, Dolours with special introduction and post screening discussion with acclaimed journalist and the film’s producer Ed Moloney. I, Dolours is a compelling film that explores the life of IRA activist Dolours Price. While journalists Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney took part in a discussion following a special screening of their documentary No Stone Unturned – which deals with the Loughinisland massacre.

On a lighter note, Disney returned to the Foyle Film Festival with a Special Preview screening of Ralph Breaks The Internet.

FFF hosted a special weekend programme as part of Anim18 exploring the history of animation in Northern Ireland and introducing audiences to the often-unsung local pioneers of the artform.

Other Special guests of the festival included Edwin Thomas – one of the stars of Rupert Everett’s latest film The Happy Prince. While the festival’s annual Shorts To Features Conference played host to director Mat Whitecross (Supersonic – biopic about Oasis – and Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams which is an intimate portrait of Coldplay’s rise to fame. Producer of Sea Sorrow Carlo Nero took part in a post screening discussion about his mother Vanessa Redgrave’s directorial debut and her life long struggle to fight for human rights around the world. Other guests included writer Rory Gleeson whose short film Psychic (which was directed by his father Brendan Gleeson) competed in the Best Irish Shorts category of the Light In Motion (LIM) Short Film Competition.

The 31st FFF concluded on Sunday 25 November with the announcement of the Light In Motion Competition winners at Brunswick Moviebowl. Irish filmmaker Ian Power took home the award for Best Irish Short Film for his film Tattoo, qualifying it for Oscar® consideration. I Made This For Mum, by Dutch filmmaker Melanie Essink, took the top prize in the category of Best International Short – making it eligible for Oscar® consideration. While the award for Best Animation went to Sister – by Chinese director Siqi Song. The awards, sponsored by City of Derry Crystal, were presented ahead of the packed Closing Gala screening of The Kindergarten Teacher in Brunswick Moviebowl, bringing to a close ten days of premiere screenings, special guest discussions and industry networking.

Foyle Film Festival is funded by the Department for Communities through Northern Ireland Screen, Derry City and Strabane District Council and Tourism Northern Ireland. The festival acknowledges the ongoing support of City of Derry Crystal, and venue partner Brunswick Moviebowl.

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Fashion Fest puts on another dazzling designer display at sold out show to rival Belfast Fashion Week

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The Guildhall underwent a dazzling makeover on Saturday as it was transformed from civic hub to catwalk spectacular as Fashion Fest made its fabulous return.
The sell-out event was the fifth outing for the festival which has become the biggest showcase of fashion design in the North West, drawing a wide range of emerging and established names in the industry.

The show was presented by Derry Girls favourite Dylan Llewellyn, otherwise fondly known as ‘the wee English fella’ who was lured to receive a warm Derry welcome. Members of the Derry Girl cast joined fashion fans in the audience, for an evening of glamour and catwalk fashion. The theme for this year was a nod to the hit Derry Girls series and the stage and choreography was set by Style Academy’s Tracey Hall.

Leading the exciting array of designers who showcased their work on the night was stylist to the stars Kate Halfpenny, who showed pieces from her bridal collection as well as her stunning Black Edit Collection. Also attending the event was Rebecca Testi, the marketing executive of Italian international brand, Rebecca, one of the biggest internationally renowned jewellery brands.
Speaking after the event, Business Engagement Officer with Derry City and Strabane District Council, Danielle McNally, said it had been a fantastic showcase of local talent. “I am delighted that Fashion Fest has been such a sell-out success. The dynamic range of local collections on display is a testament to the talent here in the North West and our growing profile as a fashion hub.
“To have designers of the calibre of Kate Halfpenny showing their work is a great draw, and real inspiration for our up and coming designers. I want to pay tribute to Tracey Hall and all the team at Style Academy for their flair and creativity in bringing together such a stunning show. It’s a great platform for our local design talent, and we will continue to work to support and grow the fashion industry here in the city.”

The audience enjoyed an evening of live music, song and fabulous fashion from a whole host of emerging and established designers, including Bridie Mullan, Paul Stafford, Edel O’Kane and Luke Barber.

Among the models who lit up the catwalk at the event was last year’s Face of Fashion Fest winner Oonagh Canning and with this year’s winner Lauren Burton, presenting the Mayors charity prize she will now embark on a year-long contract with Style Academy Model Agency.

Performances on the night included music by Irish Singer/Songwriter Emma Wallace and Derry’s award winning DJ, Louise DaCosta.
You can find out more about Fashion Fest at www.derrystrabane.com/fashionfest Follow us on Instagram @FashionFestDerry

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London Mayor City of London Corporation Business of Trust invite for local schools

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The Lord Mayor of the City of London extended an invitation to a number of schools in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area to travel to London in November to take part in his Business of Trust Celebration event at the Mansion House. The invitation comes following the visit in September to the city by the Lord Mayor of the City of London Alderman Charles Bowman and senior representatives from the City of London Corporation and the Honourable the Irish Society to attend a high level Londonderry City Region Economic Summit.

Lord Mayor of the City of London Alderman Charles Bowman

During his visit to the City, Lord Mayor Bowman met with pupils from a number of schools to discuss the Business of Trust and ask for their recommendations for what businesses can do to increase their trustworthiness and help restore the public’s trust and confidence in the financial and professional services sector, and has since extended an invitation to nine pupils from Foyle College, St Mary’s College and St. Cecilia’s College, their teachers and a representative from Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Business team to attend his prestigious Business of Trust celebration event. The schools’ participation in the event is being facilitated by the Merchant Taylors Guild and the Honourable Irish Society. Edward Montgomery from the Honourable Irish Society has welcomed the inclusion of young people from the Council area in the event saying: “The Lord Mayor of the City of London was very impressed with the young people he met when he visited the city last month and was very keen to get them involved. He said: “The Honourable Irish Society is delighted that the City of London Corporation has recognised our young people in this way and invited them to be part of this important Mayoral initiative. We are very supportive of our Council and our schools and businesses working in close collaboration with the City of London. We can learn a lot from each other and both benefit greatly from close collaborative working and linkages.” As part of the trip the schools will take a tour of the London Guildhall and get a presentation on the City of London Corporation. They will also get a tour of the BT hub, BT Tower and meet recent graduates and apprentices who have joined BT.

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Ryanair Celebrates New City of Derry Airport Route to Edinburgh

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Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today launched its new City of Derry Airport route to Edinburgh in October by launching a £9.99 winter sale.

The new route to Edinburgh commenced in October, with a five-time weekly service, as part of Ryanair’s winter 2018 schedule, which also includes a route to Liverpool.

For further Information  https://corporate.ryanair.com/news/ryanair-celebrates-new-city-of-derry-airport-route-to-edinburgh-with-9-99-sale/

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Loganair’s NEW City of Derry to Glasgow International service takes flight!

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Loganair’s new service between City of Derry Airport and Glasgow International is now underway, with the airline reporting strong sales from both business and leisure travellers.

The new route, which operates five times a week between the two airports, has also acted as a catalyst for in-bound tourism to Derry-Londonderry and the region.

Mayor of Derry and Strabane District Council, John Boyle, formally welcomed Loganair’s Commercial Director Kay Ryan to the airport after the arrival of the inaugural flight in March.

Ms Ryan said: “The cities and their populations share very close connections, and this is being reflected via ticket sales. Whether it is family ties or football teams, business or leisure, this is a popular link in both the West of Scotland and Derry.”

She added: “We’re also pleased to be able to offer onward connections through Glasgow with our large network of airline partnerships including Emirates, KLM, Air France and Thomas Cook, allowing for global travel, often on one ticket.”

 

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London Mayor City of London Corporation Business of Trust invite for local schools

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The Lord Mayor of the City of London extended an invitation to a number of schools in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area to travel to London in November to take part in his Business of Trust Celebration event at the Mansion House. The invitation comes following the visit in September to the city by the Lord Mayor of the City of London Alderman Charles Bowman and senior representatives from the City of London Corporation and the Honourable the Irish Society to attend a high level Londonderry City Region Economic Summit.

Lord Mayor of the City of London Alderman Charles Bowman

During his visit to the City, Lord Mayor Bowman met with pupils from a number of schools to discuss the Business of Trust and ask for their recommendations for what businesses can do to increase their trustworthiness and help restore the public’s trust and confidence in the financial and professional services sector, and has since extended an invitation to nine pupils from Foyle College, St Mary’s College and St. Cecilia’s College, their teachers and a representative from Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Business team to attend his prestigious Business of Trust celebration event. The schools’ participation in the event is being facilitated by the Merchant Taylors Guild and the Honourable Irish Society. Edward Montgomery from the Honourable Irish Society has welcomed the inclusion of young people from the Council area in the event saying: “The Lord Mayor of the City of London was very impressed with the young people he met when he visited the city last month and was very keen to get them involved. He said: “The Honourable Irish Society is delighted that the City of London Corporation has recognised our young people in this way and invited them to be part of this important Mayoral initiative. We are very supportive of our Council and our schools and businesses working in close collaboration with the City of London. We can learn a lot from each other and both benefit greatly from close collaborative working and linkages.” As part of the trip the schools will take a tour of the London Guildhall and get a presentation on the City of London Corporation. They will also get a tour of the BT hub, BT Tower and meet recent graduates and apprentices who have joined BT.

For further Information  https://www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk/news/london-mayor-business-of-trust-invite-for-local-schools-1-8696111

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High level City Region Economic Summit to forge links with London

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On September 10th Derry City and Strabane District Council hosted a high level Derry~Londonderry City Region Economic Summit focusing on the work being done to develop business, education and investment links between Derry and London.

The Derry~Londonderry City Region Economic Summit hosted by the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr John Boyle, and attended by the Lord Mayor of the City of London Alderman Charles Bowman along with senior representatives from the City of London Corporation and The Honourable Irish Society.

The Summit took place at a number of venues across the city and involved stakeholders from the business, education, investment and industry sectors discussing the positive collaborative work being done with the City of London to promote Derry~Londonderry as a great place to do business.

Organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council, the Derry~Londonderry City Region Economic Summit had been organised following a series of engagements and visits between the two cities over the past number of months.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr John Boyle said purpose of the Economic Summit is to deliver the key objectives set out in the Strategic Growth Plan and the opportunities that exist to build and deepen regional engagement between the City of London and Derry City and Strabane District Council.

He said: “Just last month I welcomed senior representatives from the City of London and The Honourable Irish Society where they received an update on the city’s bid for a City Deal and the work being done by the Council and its partners to further develop the existing strong links between Derry and the City London.

“This high level Economic Summit will look at the benefits of doing business in the North West and the opportunities that exist in the City of London for businesses in the North West. The event will highlight the City Region’s key strength’s focussing on the work that is being done through our Education and Skills Delivery Partnership. A key element of the Summit will be the focus on existing industry and the important role they play to the economic growth and productivity to the Northern Ireland and wider UK economy and how we can look at new ways of collaborating and working creatively with the City of London,” he said,

Mayor Boyle added that the common synergy and connectivity between Derry~Londonderry and the City of London is huge significant.

“The City of London is a global leader in areas such as the Financial Services sector. My hope is that recent investments such as that being made by Fintru and the creation of 305 new jobs is a shining example of the opportunities that exist in developing a sustainable relationship with the City of London.

We have a shared history and heritage that can be leveraged into something stronger. Our strong economic history dates back over 400 years to the Plantation of Ulster and in recent years the two cities have worked closely to promote our connectivity and linkages. We intend to build on this so we can improve our economic relationship by working closely with businesses, investors and education providers for the mutual benefit of both cities.”

For further Information http://www.derrystrabane.com/Council/News/High-level-City-Region-Economic-Summit-to-forge-li

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US investment delegation from the State of Pennsylvania visit Derry, Strabane and Inishowen.

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A high-level inward investment team from the State of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia visited Derry, Strabane and Inishowen in October as part of a visit to Northern Ireland.

During their visit to the North West the group met with the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council John Boyle, and visited a number of local businesses, including E&I Engineering in Burnfoot.

They also spent some time at the North West Regional College and the Ulster University Magee campuses to see at first hand the region’s entrepreneurship and innovation and skilled workforce.

The delegation also attended a business engagement lunch with the Chamber of Commerce and met with international investors and local business representatives who are interested in doing business in the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia areas, as well as local companies such as Fleming Agri and Marblehill, who already export to the US.

The visit was just weeks ahead of a forthcoming trade mission to Boston/Philadelphia, which will saw companies from Derry, Strabane and Donegal travelling to the US along with representatives from Derry City and Strabane District Council, Donegal County Council, the Local Enterprise Office, North West Regional College and LYIT.

Among the representatives who visited the city this week from the State of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia were Mr David Briel (Executive Director, Centre for Direct Investment, Pennsylvania); Mr Richard Kilner (Office of International Business Development, Center for Direct Investment, Pennsylvania); Mrs Sylvie Gallier Howard (First Deputy Commerce Director, Department of Commerce, City of Philadelphia) and Mr Vaughn Ross (Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Philadelphia).

Mayor Boyle said: “They were very impressed with our offering and how well placed we are in terms of offering cost competitive business opportunities along with high level digital connectivity and a young and well educated workforce.

“They were very keen to further explore the existing trade and export relationships that exist with companies from the North West region and Philadelphia, as well as the wider State of Pennsylvania. We are starting to see the benefits of this joined up and positive approach to establishing strong economic development links and initiatives between the US and the North West region. Our relationship is very strong and there is a real eagerness to develop our relationship further.”

For further Information  http://www.derrydaily.net/2018/10/23/mayor-welcomes-high-level-us-delegation-to-north-west/

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US investors are told that the North West of Ireland is ‘the gateway to UK and EU markets

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During trade missions to Philadelphia and Boston 12th – 16th  November potential American investors were told that the North West is perfectly placed for an ‘investment hub for business and global companies seeking to establish a gateway to both the UK and EU markets’.

A number of focused engagements with industry specialists, FDI executives and venture capitalists took place throughout the week in both Philadelphia and Boston as part of the Trade and Investment mission led jointly by Donegal County Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council, presenting the compelling investment proposition that the Northwest City Region has to offer.

Potential investors heard from leading global company DuPont, which has a longstanding commitment to the region, taking advantage of the unique combination of benefits that the Northwest region has to offer including an accessible, connected and business friendly gateway region with a compelling vision for greater international impact.

Investors learned that companies and businesses are attracted by a talented and educated workforce, the value balance, the superb quality of life and the supportive business environment.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council John Boyle believes that: “The strength of the region is underpinned by the strong collaborative approach which sees industry, government at both central and local level, and further and higher education institutions from both sides of the border working together to fuel further economic growth and prosperity. This is something that investor’s value greatly in terms of facilitating ease of access to supports in the region.”

Local businesses from a range of sectors across both Council areas also participated in the mission meeting with potential clients and business partners with a view to increasing sales and expanding their businesses.

Derry based Bridie Mullin Irish Linen Ltd. participated in the mission and brought her eponymous label of handcrafted quality Irish line to Boston in an effort to tap into the US market.

Bridie explains that the trade visit was an opportunity to build on her own research, and to visit stores and meet with potential clients gaining a deeper understanding of what exactly the customer is looking for. It also allowed her to get an insight into the potential costs associated with exporting and logistics assisting in finalising price points for trading.

The trade and investment mission also involved engagement with educational institutions with a memorandum of understanding being signed by the North West Regional College and Philadelphia Community College and the State of Pennsylvania during the mission that sees the consolidation of relationships developed over the last two years.

The week also saw the announcement by both Councils of an exciting research project with Harvard Graduate School of Design, exploring how the cross-border northwest city region can be shaped in light of the economic, political and social realities of Brexit. This project is being led by Assistant Professor Gareth Doherty in Harvard GSD, who is originally from Donegal.

Reaching out to the diaspora was also a key objective of the mission and this manifested in events in both Philadelphia and Boston, where members of the diaspora from across the region attended and shared with the delegation the opportunities and challenges faced by the diaspora and their commitment to continue to engage in a way that is meaningful and mutually beneficial.

The Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council also had the honour of accepting on behalf of Donegal Hospice a cheque of $14,000 raised by the Donegal community in Philadelphia. Speaking after the trip, Chief Executive of Donegal County Council, Seamus Neely, said: “This Trade and Investment Mission is part of the ongoing positive work being done by both Councils. We are committed to continuing with the positive work we are doing to drive forward our economy and to maximise the opportunities we have as a cross border gateway to both the UK and EU markets.

“We have longstanding connections with Philadelphia and Massachusetts and these connections transcend economic, cultural and political linkages. The Golden Bridges conference has provided the Northwest region with an important platform in the Massachusetts region allowing us to reach out, connect with and form meaningful relationships and collaborations with stakeholders in various sectors that have been instrumental in progressing growth and prosperity in the region.”

Reflecting on the visit, Chief Executive of Derry City and Strabane District Council, John Kelpie, said: “It takes time to make connections, develop relationships and build trust. Our ongoing positive engagement with Massachusetts has to date resulted in a number of exciting developments including the investment and success stories around One Source Virtual and Metaverse. “Results such as these are part of our key objectives in terms of strengthening the profile of the City Region as outlined in our Strategic Growth Plan and are evidence that our direct approach of travelling to the US, making those connections and building rapport, really works.”

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4th UK-China Regional Leaders Summit forges international business and education links with Dalian.

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An October trade mission to China as part of the 4th UK-China Regional Leaders Summit that was held in Dalian, has been hailed as a huge success by Derry City and Strabane District Council who led the delegation from Northern Ireland.  The local delegation accompanied by senior representatives from Central and Local Government, Invest NI, Queen’s University, Ulster University, the North West Regional College and other education and business partners had a number of meeting while in the host city of Dalian in the Liaoning Province.

Speaking following the five-day visit, the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr John Boyle said the visit was significant in terms of profiling our region and getting a unique insight into the Chinese tourism, business, technology and education sectors.

This is the 4th UK-China Regional Leaders Summit and Derry City and Strabane District Council was the lead Council as a result of its existing relationship with the host city of Dalian where it signed a Friendly Co-operative City Agreement last year to formally acknowledge the strong working relationship between the two cities and regions.

Speaking on his return from the visit, the Mayor said links with China are hugely important in assisting us to expand our business, tourism and education connections.

He welcomed news of the signing of an official MoU between the North West Regional College and Dalian College during the visit.

He said: “I was very impressed with the visit and the way in which we were so warmly welcomed to Dalian by officials who were genuinely interested in how we can work in collaboration for the mutual benefit of both cities and regions.

“The visit was extremely worthwhile in allowing us to get a real insight into their economy and culture.

“We are starting to see the outcomes from the signing of the Friendly Co-operative City Agreement last year and are delighted that our partners, the North West Regional College have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Dalian College.”

The Mayor added that the city of Dalian is hugely significant in China.

Based in North East China, the City of Dalian is a global financial centre with a population of over 6.5million and specialises in the Financial and IT sectors.

It is also home to some of the major players in these industries including Oracle, IBM, CISCO and Convergys.

“Derry and Dalian have a lot in common and we were delighted to be able to continue with the work done so far through our Co-operative Cities relationship so that we can encourage more investment, more international students and tourists to our city and region.

“It’s a very important part of our commitment set out in the Strategic Growth Plan and I am confident that as a result of this visit we can continue to bring positive connections and links between the two cities,” he concluded.

For further Information http://www.derrystrabane.com/Council/News/China-Summit-important-step-in-forging-business-an

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