IFTA Screen: Dynamic | Diverse 2023

IFTA SCREEN: DYNAMIC | DIVERSE is the second annual forum of discussions & engagement that encourage artistic development across diverse communities within the screen industries, exploring visibility and representation, and looking to Best International Practice in this area.

The event is supported by Coimisiún na Meán and brings together inspiring talent, key decision makers and influential thought leaders from across diverse communities within Film and TV, to champion and showcase diversity and inclusion, and best practice, across a broad spectrum of disciplines within the Media and Screen industries. This year IFTA is delighted to have key guests who are showing themselves to be leaders and trailblazers in the industry, working both at home and abroad, to offer inspiring insights to our audience on the day.

Confirmed Speakers

Clinton Liberty is best known for his role as Kiernan in the IFTA-winning drama Normal People. Other credits include Smother, Handsome Devil, Red Election, Touchdown and the leading role of Linus in the TV adaptation of Graham Norton's novel Holding.

Mary McDonagh  works to promote the involvement of Travellers in the arts industry through film, community and acting workshops. She has also produced music events to connect Travellers and non-Travellers. She aims to open the first theatre in the world for Travellers, as well as a school of performing arts for Travellers.

Zainab Boladale is a Journalist, TV Presenter and Public Speaker. She was born in Nigeria and raised in Ennis, Co.Clare. As host of news2day, she became known as the first Afro-Irish woman on Irish TV news. She works on the long-standing RTÉ programme Nationwide. She wrote and directed the short film Worthy which recently screened at GAZE International Film Festival.

Derek Ugochukwu is an IFTA-nominated writer/director named one of the 2023 Screen International Rising Stars of Ireland. His short film You're Not Home was IFTA nominated, while his previous film To All My Darlings was shortlisted for the 2021 BAFTA Student Awards and won the Audience Award at the 2021 Dublin International Film Festival.

Vanessa Gildea is an award winning Producer/Director/Writer and Head of Department of Film + Media at the National Film School, IADT. Vanessa has received five IFTA nominations including as writer/director of The White Dress. She is a former Vice-Chair of Women in Film & TV Ireland and served on the board for three years.

Aisha Bolaji is a Nigerian-Irish director, screenwriter and visual artist. They are the co-founder of The GALPAL Collective, dedicated to tackling underrepresentation and exclusion in the arts/media sectors. An IADT grad, they directed and produced films screened at this year’s National Film School Class of 2023 showcase. Outside of filmmaking and arts activism, they have 6 years of experience as a film curator, and is currently a shorts programmer at Dublin International Film Festival and programme assistant for Catalyst.

Dil Wickremasinghe is a social entrepreneur, activist, psychotherapist, broadcaster and journalist. For a decade, she presented the award winning weekly programme Global Village on Newstalk, on the topics of social justice and mental health. She now presents Tuning Inward on Dublin City FM.

Diana Cheung is an emerging filmmaker with experience in writing, producing and directing. She was born and raised in Derry to Chinese immigrants from HK. She has produced and directed short documentaries for BBC and worked in research on BBC and RTE projects. She is also a podcast producer and host of ‘Being Chirish’, and is currently in development for her first feature film.

Dumebi Anozie is an IFTA-nominated hair and makeup designer, specialising in working with afro hair and with people of colour. Her work includes projects as diverse as Frank Berry's Aisha, Greta Gerwig's Barbie, Kenneth Branagh's Death on the Nile, and the upcoming blockbuster Wonka.

Sade Malone is an actress based in Leeds who has been cast in the titular role of John B. Keane's Sive in an upcoming Gaiety Theatre production. She has appeared in Irish and UK film and TV projects including Frank of Ireland, Tin Star and Danny Boyle's Pistol, and stars in Marian Quinn's upcoming feature film Twig opposite Brian F. O'Byrne.