Thomas Smyth managed to succeed in being selected to take part in a three day workshop in Queen’s Film Theatre in Belfast as part of the Cinemagic Festival which takes place during November and December. Participants had to discuss what sorts of films, programmes and documentaries they liked watching and help put together some of the screenings arranged for the upcoming festival.

Here Thomas Smyth tells us about his experience:

I went to Cinemagic in the QFT in Belfast from the first to the third of July. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

On the first day ,Monday I was left off at the door and I went in. A receptionist asked my name and signed me in. I was told to sit down. Once everyone else arrived we had to say what are names were and what film we liked the best. Then, after a minute or two we were given review sheets and we walked down the corridor to screen 1. When we walked inside it was like a cinema. We then chose where we were going to sit. The film was called “Turtles - an incredible journey”. We sat for two hours watching this film I didn’t really like the film. But I still wrote a review on it. We broke up for lunch at 12.  We were allowed to go to Subway.

On the second day, Tuesday, I was left off at the door again and went and signed in. I sat down and talked with some people I had met the day before. Then we went down to screen 1 and the first film we viewed was in German. We had to watch it with subtitles. It was set against the backdrop of the Berlin wall being pulled down. The storyline is about a man who finds one of the puppies of the guard dogs that patrolled the wall. The man takes him home and gives it to his little girl not knowing that when the dog gets older it will get vicious and attack anyone who tries to hurt her.  I thought the film was really good, but at times sad. When that film was finished we watched an Australian film about a girl who had two imaginary friends that died and her brother had to pay for a grave. When the film finished we went to lunch.

On our return we sat and talked about the two films and wrote reviews on them. I thought the Australian film was very sad as her father did not like her friends. I thought it would have been a good family film, but it was not so. After that we went back to screen one and watched a few animations from around the world. Then we went home.

On the third day, Wednesday, the schedule was different. We did not sit and wait. We went to a different room. It was a small room with a TV and some chairs. We sat down and watched new films but I can’t say what they are because they have not been released yet. After that we were asked what we wanted for lunch and a woman called Mary got it for us. As we ate we talked about the 2009 film screening and what would be happening on the night. We then were given t-shirts with Cinemagic printed on the front and back of them.

The day broke up and we returned home early.  I had a good time at Cinemagic and would love to go again next year.