Celtic Media Festival

TG4 programmes that have been nominated for
awards at the 2017 Celtic Media Festival
which runs from 26th April – 7th May.

	Is Eolaí Mé A fun and energetic science series presented by Peadar Ó Goill from his attic science lab. Each episode is based on various topics, ranging from gravity to forensics. Peadar gets to prove his theories by kite surfing, visiting wind turbines etc. Young guests join Peadar to test experiments and also go head-to-head in a science challenge. Úna Ní Fhlatharta reports from various locations giving us a glimse of places of interest e.g Birr Castle, Blackrock Observatory to name a few. We also meet An t-Ollamh Ullamh (The ever ready Professor) and his assistant Aodh in short B&W silent skits.
	EIPIC This 6 part original Irish language drama series is very contemporary but has echoes of past events as 5 rural teenagers take over their local abandoned post office to start a musical revolution in 2016. This is a bold story about escape, empowerment and what it means to be a teenage “hero” in contemporary rural Ireland set against the backdrop of the 1916 centenary celebrations.
	Port A six-part musical documentary series as Julie Fowlis and Muireann NicAmhlaoibh take to the road for a journey exploring their roots. Julie and Muireann investigate the music and culture associated with particular cities and areas in Scotland and in Ireland. In each episode, their quest is shared with two guest musicians. Port celebrates the common musical heritage of the longtime friends and collaborators as they cross borders and traditions between the west of Ireland and the Western Isles, meeting and playing with friends and musicians en route.
	Oíche Chaillte an tSeanchaí A documentary that tells the extraordinary story of the first sound film ever made in the Irish language, how it was lost for decades, then found in a university filing cabinet and restored to its full glory. The original film Oidhche Sheanchais (A Night of Storytelling) was directed by renowned pioneering film-maker Robert Flaherty in 1934 as he completed his classic “documentary” Man of Aran. The storytelling, funded by the Irish Government, features an Aran storyteller recounting a fireside tale to fellow islanders.
	Eoin Mac Néill: Fear Dearmadta 1916 On the eve of the Easter Rising, Eoin MacNeill, Chief of Staff of the Irish Volunteers, issued his countermanding order, in an attempt to call off the insurrection. For MacNeill, it was a decision that would define him and his legacy. This documentary reassesses the story of this Ulster-born revolutionary. This programme will explore his leading role in the Gaelic Revival, his position as Chief of Staff of the Irish Volunteers, the impact of the Civil War on his family, his role on the Boundary Commission, and re-examine his motivations in attempting to call off the Rising.
	Tríd an Lionsa – Headhunters Series examining early Irish photographic collections. At the turn of the century, a new science was emerging, the study of man. Alfred Cort Haddon and Charles Brown became involved in an ethnographic survey measuring heads and comparing ‘types’ of people. Photography become an important method of recording for the survey. This programme examines these photographs and travels to Boffin island where many of the photographs were taken. Heads were measured, and skulls were taken, in the name of science, a soft science based on racist, colonial views.