Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica shone last night with Lynne Curtin from Real Housewives OC and Star Trek legend Jeri Ryan, among other stars, for Cinemagic Film And Televisión Festival. A non-profit organization to show the magic of cinema to kids. They hosted its 2023 Gala Showcase.
Irish Ambassador to the US, Geraldine Byrne Nason, was in attendance and mingled with the young talents, forging connections and creating pathways to success.
Other guests included CJ Franco (FBoy Island), Singer and Actress Shannon K, Benjamin Onyango (God’s Not Dead), Amber Friendly (The Morning Show), Maxwell Canfield (Grease 2), and his wife, Juliet Mills, who all walked the red carpet run by Jane Owen Public Relations and her team.
Messages came flooding congratulating the gala presented, including Bob Yari, Joint CEO of Studio 101 and one of the producers of Yellowstone.
Guests were invited to an auction with prizes such as a signed LA Dodgers Jersey by Mookie Bets to return flights from LAX to Ireland (gifted by Aer Lingus).
The evening was hosted by Irish television presenter Darren Kennedy and actor Jenn McGuirk, with sponsorships from Fairmont Hotels Northern Irish Connections NI Bureau and Aer Lingus.
The head of Northern Ireland Connections, Moira Loughran, was among the sponsors adding, “[we are] Delighted to be partnering with Cinemagic as a sponsor of the Los Angeles Gala as we see it as a fantastic opportunity to be able to help and showcase the immense talent of our young people from Northern Ireland.”
The gala Showcased three short films produced by Cinemagic, notably Abia, which screened before in Ireland’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York as part of the International Women’s Day celebration.
Gift bags were handed out to the guests, with products such as Bug Bite Thing, LA Dodgers merchandise, and Gavina Gourmet Coffee.
Cinemagic chose kids from schools across LA and Northern Ireland to partake in a week-long program. Throughout the week, the students had masterclasses with some of the biggest names in the industry. The producers of The Late Late Show with James Corden and the Rachael Ray Show shared their insights, while special studio lot tours at Universal and Warner Bros unveiled the behind-the-scenes magic of the film industry.
Cinemagic is the largest film and television festival designed for and by young people in the UK and Ireland; around 40,000 young people (aged 4-25) participate in events worldwide. Belfast, Dublin, London, New York, and Los Angeles each year. Since its establishment, Cinemagic has engaged with almost 1 million young people.
CEO of Cinemagic Joan Burney Keatings MBE commented, “We are so thankful to our incredible sponsors and partners in supporting us to provide inspiring talks, tours, and masterclasses with top talent in film and television production in the heart of moviemaking in LA from 23rd to 28th June. We look forward to showcasing Cinemagic as a global player in the creative industries and celebrating Northern Ireland’s success stories internationally.”
