FILM star Sir Kenneth Branagh has launched Northern Ireland’s Into Film Festival at a special screening of his new movie, Belfast.
The 60-year-old star, who is Northern Ireland Ambassador for Into Film, was joined by young actors Jude Hill and Lewis McAskie at the first festival event of 2021, which was held at Movie House Cityside.
The venue is less than a mile from where Branagh grew up in Mountcollyer Street in the Tigers Bay area of north Belfast.
At the event, the actor spoke to young people from Hazelwood Integrated College, Belfast High School, Ashfield Girls School and South West Regional College.
"Everyone has a unique, special story that’s just theirs," said Branagh.
"And it’s important to me that those stories get told, because everyone is different and that’s what makes things interesting".
The Into Film Festival runs until the end of the month at schools across Northern Ireland with a series of free screenings and resources such as the Story Builder writing tool - which captures pupils’ imaginations and allows them space to create and build their own stories as if developing a film - available all year round.
Naomh Cullen, Into Film Project Delivery Officer, said: "Northern Ireland people are renowned for amazing story-telling and Kenneth Branagh encouraged the students to express themselves.
"Every person has a story to tell and our team developed Story Builder to help young people find their voice and get their stories out into the world," she said.
She added: "Kenneth Branagh used his own experiences as a young boy to write Belfast.
"We want to encourage young people across Northern Ireland to be our next great story teller and Story Builder gives them a place to start," she said.
