A group of 21 young people from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Canada will fly to Los Angeles this month for a week-long programme led by the Belfast-based youth film charity Cinemagic.

The trip concludes with the Cinemagic LA Showcase at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica on 26 June, marking the 17th edition of the annual event. Participants will join peers from Los Angeles, including students from Prairie Vista Middle School, for the evening celebration of youth creativity.

The programme is delivered in partnership with the Northern Ireland Bureau, Screen Ireland, Warner Bros. Discovery and Communify. Over seven days, attendees will take part in workshops, studio visits, screenings and professional insight sessions.

Highlights include bespoke industry sessions with Artists Equity and Imagine Entertainment, a careers-focused day at Warner Bros. Studios featuring an in-conversation with Dan Dark OBE, and visits to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Universal Studios Hollywood and Griffith Observatory. Students will also experience campus life at Loyola Marymount University.

A creative performance strand will be led by writer-director Maire Campbell, while a Writers’ Room will be facilitated by screenwriter Ryan Rowe and writer-director Kirsten Sheridan, aiming to foster cross-cultural collaboration.

The showcase will feature performances by participants and screenings of new films produced by Cinemagic. Young performers from Los Angeles schools will join the visiting participants for the event.

Cinemagic Chief Executive Joan Burney Keatings highlighted the collaborative ethos behind the programme and the charity’s commitment to offering high-quality opportunities for emerging talent in the creative industries. Screen Ireland Chief Executive Désirée Finnegan expressed her organisation’s support for the LA Showcase and the Film Futures Short Film Academy, noting the valuable insights it provides young creatives.