Two day RENDR Festival reveals line up so far...

Produced by the team behind the city’s annual photography festival, RENDR, formerly known as Capture Conference, will take place from February 23-24 at Portview Trade Centre as part of the NI Science Festival.

Billed as a ‘unique nocturnal experience’, RENDR will present 30 speakers across two evenings alongside live and interactive demonstrations of new technology, digital art, gaming experiences and a food village offering the best local food and drink producers.

The festival has been curated for anyone with an interest in popular culture and learning more about how genre-defining film, gaming, animation and immersive experiences are brought to life.

Through a series of talks, workshops and showcases, RENDR will also create a platform for creatives and students to build networks and explore new opportunities in the industry.

Among the speakers announced are Gary Marshall, virtual production leader from NantStudios, the LA-based full service production company that provides virtual stages and is home to the Epic Games LA Innovation Lab, where the latest and greatest in Unreal Engine is developed and tested.

From One Pixel Brush, its creative director and founder, Shaddy Safadi, will discuss the concept artwork the company produces for AAA gaming titles including The Last of Us, and Darkfield will showcase their work creating 360-degree immersive audio experiences at the forefront of technology and theatre.

Other speakers include Marko Martiskai from Zoan Studios, which provides premium virtual reality production to global brands, cultural institutions, communities and start-ups to create transcendent, immersive experiences.

Alongside international voices, other speakers include Belfast-based production stills photographer Helen Sloan who has worked behind the scenes of HBO’s series Game of Thrones, BAFTA-nominated director Kris Kelly of Enter Yes, the visual effects and animation studio which specialises in high-end visuals for film, television and games and representatives from Sixteen South, which creates, produces and distributes television for children all over the world.

Festival director Michael Weir, said: “RENDR is an opportunity to network, to demo new and emerging tech, to be inspired and to gain insight into the latest trends and developments in the creative industries – all with an emphasis on new technologies. We hope the event informs, engages and challenges the creative community to push the boundaries of technology in their fields.

“We’re programming speakers and thought leaders from around the world, but also using this moment to recognise what this place has to offer in terms of its award-winning expertise and innovations.

"The creative industries are important economic drivers for NI and with the support of our funders at NI Screen, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council we hope to both amplify their contribution to building a vibrant arts and culture sector locally and create a platform to showcase what homegrown talent can offer on the global stage.”

Richard Williams, chief executive officer of NI Screen, continued: “As part of NI Screen’s new four-year strategy ‘Stories, Skills and Sustainability’ we remain committed to supporting opportunities for our industry colleagues to share their stories and enhance their skills to ensure a sustainable future.

"RENDR’s packed and varied programme presents the local screen industry with the opportunity to showcase their talent alongside international industry, to hear from and learn from local, national, and international leading professionals and gain valuable insight into new and emerging tech and trends.”

Matthew Malcolm, arts development officer, Arts Council of NI, added: ”RENDR is a unique and exciting festival that will lead, inspire and connect creative industry professionals and all those interested in learning more about new, emerging technologies and their use in creating art.

"The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is thrilled to support RENDR which reflects our commitment to encouraging innovative practices that cross artform boundaries and build digital capabilities within the NI arts sector.”

Belfast City Council chair of city growth and regeneration committee, councillor Ryan Murphy, concluded: “We are delighted to be supporting RENDR Festival this year and pleased to see such a wide range of creative and digital technology leaders and entrepreneurs taking part.

"The creative digital industry is a strong part of our city’s economy and we have ambitions to become world class in digital innovation, with investment from the Belfast Region City Deal.

"In order to do this, we need to facilitate engagement, collaboration and knowledge sharing between creative businesses, education and our public sector and RENDR Festival will play a key role in that.”

Further speakers are set to be announced in the coming weeks.