Mid and East Antrim Young Filmmakers Take Centre Stage at Special Short Film Screening
Friday 16 January 2026
A group of 23 talented young people aged 17 – 24 recently showcased their inspiring work on the big screen as part of a special short film screening of ‘The Friendship Garden’ at the Ecos Hub.
The special film was produced as part of the 2025 Film Lab production initiative which ran from March 2025 through Mid and East Antrim’s Labour Market Partnership under the Placement Insights Programme - and delivered by Cinemagic. Funded by the Department for Communities, Labour Market Partnerships create targeted employment action plans, allowing for collaboration at local and regional level to support people towards and into work.
Over recent months, the young people worked closely with industry professionals to develop their ideas and attend pre-production masterclasses in directing and camera operation, sound, lighting and set work - learning invaluable new skills in story development and scriptwriting to bring their stories to life. Editing and postproduction resulted is an original short film that reflects their creativity, teamwork and dedication.
The initiative brought the film industry together with the Labour Market Partnership collaborating in a creative arena to create a pipeline to training and employment and supporting local economic growth. The aims were also to inspire the next generation of filmmakers and provide meaningful opportunities for young people to explore careers in the creative industries.
Families, supporters, cast and crew plus Council representatives and funders attended the screening to applaud the achievements of the film makers.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford, said “I am incredibly proud of what these young people have accomplished and saw for myself their passion and commitment during filming. This programme was designed to open doors, build confidence and give participants hands‑on experience in the screen industries and I believe this has been achieved.”
Cinemagic CEO, Joan Burney Keatings MBE, commented “We are delighted to have created a successful collaboration with our partners in Mid and East Antrim Borough Council to assist young individuals to develop new skills, and to give them the confidence in the future to thrive in employment in the creative industries. Pre-production masterclasses with industry professionals culminated with participants having the opportunity to work on The Friendship Garden in locations in the Mid and East Antrim area and we were very impressed with the talent of all of the trainees and their dedication to the project.”
For more information on the Labour Market Partnership visit our Labour Market Partnership webpage or email lmp@midandeastantrim.gov.uk.