Ardán’s FÍS TV Summit returns for its 7th edition. The event brings together television industry professionals, and features a variety of international guest speakers. FÍS TV Summit 2024 takes place in Town Hall Theatre, Galway, on February 1st.
Now in its 7th year, FÍS TV Summit 2024 brings creatives from all sectors of the TV industry together to learn and connect with each other alongside a slate of international guests and experts.
Award-winning writer, producer, and showrunner Kerry Ehrin is Ardán’s headline speaker for FÍS TV Summit 2024. She is the first writer with whom Apple signed an overall deal, and is best known for her work on The Morning Show, Bates Motel, and Friday Night Lights.
The other subject of this year’s international focus will be Wales and its screen sector. The AV industry has become a key part of the Welsh economy, with Cardiff demonstrating the potential for ‘creative clusters’. Cardiff now has the third largest film and TV cluster in the UK. As Ireland looks to develop existing Screen Clusters, FÍS will showcase some of the work being produced in Wales. The Welsh delegation will take part in a series of panels focused on Wales’ screen industry and the value it provides as an audiovisual cluster.
In the Focus on Wales - Building a Sustainable Film & TV Cluster panel discussion, Prof. Justin Lewis (Director of Clwstwr) and Prof. Sara Pepper OBE (Director of Creative Cardiff) will discuss innovation in the Welsh media sector and how it is shaping the region's creative landscape, alongside a panel of Welsh industry leaders including Gwenllian Gravelle (Drama Commissioner S4C), Anna Evans (Severn Screen), Faye Hannah (PhD: Screen Sector Workforce & Policy, former head of Skills & Training at Ffilm Cymru), and Gethin Scourfield (Co-creative Director at Triong), who will share insights into Wales' booming audiovisual cluster and its continued growth.
Another panel on the day will be Producing in 2024: Challenges & Opportunities in the TV Sector which will see TV Production experts including Caroline Levy (Creative Producer Paramount Television International), Justin Judd (Content Consultant Hulu), Rebecca O’Flanagan (Treasure Entertainment), Susan Kirby (Screen Producers Ireland), and Jackie Larkin (Newgrange Pictures) discuss the difficulties facing TV Producers in 2024 as well as the potential. This panel will be chaired by Elaine Geraghty (Managing Director Troy and Ardmore Studios.)
The day will also feature case studies on both The Doll Factory & Obituary as part of Case Studies: Made in Ireland. The Doll Factory is a period thriller television series based on the novel of the same name by Elizabeth Macneal, adapted by Charley Miles for Paramount+, and discussing it will be Director Cathy Brady & Charley Miles with chair Gar O’Brien-Collins.
Obituary is a 2023 Irish black comedy TV series created by Ray Lawlor for RTÉ, also streamed on Hulu. The panel discussing Obituary will include Paddy Hayes (Producer), Nell Green (Producer), Ray Lawlor (Writer), and Justin Judd (Content Consultant - Hulu), with chair Mary-Kate O’Flanagan (Screenwriter). Obituary was originally pitched as part of the FÍS TV Summit Pitching Competition 2020.
The Good, The Bad & The AI panel, discussing the impact on and future of AI in the TV industry, will be lead by Digital Media Analyst Michael Gubbins of Sampo Medi, Jennifer Davidson (Writers Guild of Ireland), Anthony Nilan (Head of Content Strategy Virgin Media), Remie Michelle-Clarke (Voice-Actor and Author), and Abby Rekas-Rosalbo (lecturer above the bar in Law & Innovation at University of Galway).
The Summit includes the annual Pitching Competition, supported by the National Talent Academy Film & TV Drama, where six finalists will pitch their TV idea to the audience. Read more about the six finalists here. The winner of the pitching competition will be announced at the Networking Evening at MacNeill’s Pub in the Hardiman Hotel.
“We look forward to bringing the best of the TV industry back to Galway for the 7th Annual FÍS TV Summit with the exceptional Kerry Ehrin topping the bill,” said Alan Duggan, Ardán CEO. “The incredible demand has seen us move to a bigger venue this year at the Town Hall Theatre for what promises to be a fantastic industry event, with an evening of networking at MacNeill’s Pub at the Hardiman Hotel after a day spent sharing the unique insights, skills, and experiences that make the sector and those who work in it so highly-regarded the world over”
FÍS TV Summit 2024 is supported by TG4, Screen Ireland, Gréasán na Meán Skillnet, Coimisiún na Meán, Creative Europe Media Desk, ATU Galway City, National Talent Academy Film & TV, WRAP, the Welsh Government and Creative Wales.
