Staff
Office of the Chief Executive
Richard Williams - Chief Executive Officer
Richard is Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Screen which has, in the last 10 years, taken the lead role in developing the film and television industry in Northern Ireland.
Under Richard’s leadership, Northern Ireland Screen developed the Paint Hall at Titanic Quarter as a film studio and used it to attract Walden Media and Universal Pictures to produce films based there. The facility has subsequently been let out to HBO’s GAME OF THRONES which has returned to Northern Ireland for its third season.
During his time, Northern Ireland Screen has supported the development and production of many independent films, all genres of television and a growing number of digital content projects, including HUNGER for which Steve McQueen won the Camera D’Or and Terry and Oorlagh George’s Oscar® winner THE SHORE.
Richard previously worked for Waddell Media, during that time representing Northern Ireland on PACT, the Producers Alliance for Cinema & Television. He also previously worked in newspaper management and was a commercial solicitor.
Marie Shivers - PA to CEO
Joined September 2009. Marie is responsible for providing PA support to the Chief Executive. Marie came to us from the Diplomatic Service having served in various postings including Dublin, Singapore, New York, Uruguay and Macedonia.
Bettie Heron - Reception
Responsible for dealing with all visitors to Northern Ireland Screen, both by phone and in person. Provides administrative support to all departments of Northern Ireland Screen.
development and PRODUCTION
Andrew Reid - Head of Production
Joined June 1997; responsible for development and production funding; short film schemes; production award monitoring; physical production – locations, crews, cast and facilities; producer relations.
Ursula Devine - Development Executive
Joined January 2010; responsible for co-ordinating the Northern Ireland Screen Development slate of TV and film projects, overseeing the projects from application until they complete the development process, liaising between creative teams and the Northern Ireland Screen Development Executives. Ursula is also responsible for maintaining and facilitating relations with commissioning and other development bodies. Ursula has worked in film production for the last 6 years and produced two feature films in the US. Most recently, she spent the last year working for an international film distribution company based in Los Angeles.
Christine Morrow - Short Film Executive
Christine has worked at Northern Ireland Screen since January 2004 in a coordination role on over 20 short films through the Digital Shorts Scheme. Christine is the first point of contact for short film and currently coordinates Short Steps, a short film development scheme for emerging short filmmakers. Christine holds a Masters degree in Film and Television Management and Policy from the University of Ulster.
FINANCE, FUNDING AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Linda Martin - Head of Finance
Joined October 2005; Linda is responsible for the overall financial management of the organisation; she will liaise with funders and monitor the company’s investments in projects, as well as providing financial support to the Finance and Audit Committee of the Board of Northern Ireland Screen.
Linda was previously Production Accountant with BBC.
Linda McGuinness – Financial Controller
Joined in December 2007; Linda is an ACCA graduate and holds the post of Financial Controller. Before joining Northern Ireland Screen Linda worked in the charity sector.
Lyndsey McKnight - Assistant Accountant
Joined December 2008; Lyndsey assists the Head of Finance and Financial Controller with the day to day running of the finance department. Before joining Northern Ireland Screen Lyndsey was a bookeeper for IFS Global Logistics.
Matthew Jeanes - Accounts Technician
Joined April 2012; Matthew is a qualified Accounts Technician responsible for the day-to-day running of the ledger systems. Previously Matthew worked for 4 years as the Finance Officer of a charity working with the NEET group, during which time he gained an extensive knowledge of European funding.
Suzanne Harrison - Senior Funding Executive
Joined January 2012; Suzanne manages the funding team and the operations of the funding department including assisting in the development of funding guidelines and procedures. Suzanne previously worked in for a leading children’s charity and funder, managing their grants administration process, developing their local fundraising activities and engaging with grantees.
Jennifer Johnston - Funding Executive - currently on Maternity Leave
Joined June 2011; Jennifer assists the funding department in all administrative matters regarding those funds within the remit of the funding team particularly Screen Fund. Jennifer previously worked in London from 2003 - 2010 with a background in Arts Management and Applications,
Elsie Brown - Operations Manager
Elsie joined Northern Ireland Screen in January 1999 working in the Finance Department. In 2002 she assumed responsibility for the overall administrative management of the Northern Ireland Screen Lottery Film Fund, the Northern Ireland Film Production Fund, the Markets, Festivals & Conferences Fund, the Skills Development Bursary Fund and the Product Development Fund. In June 2009 she was appointed Operations Manager with responsibility for Human Resources and Corporate Governance.
Richard Bruce - Systems Administrator
Joined October 2007; Richard is responsible for maintaining and developing all aspects of IT within Northern Ireland Screen and providing IT support to all Northern Ireland Screen staff. Richard has over 10 years experience in IT and Telecoms support having previously worked for National Australia Group, Nortel Networks and C2K.
EDUCATION AND DIGITAL FILM ARCHIVE
Bernard McCloskey - Head of Education
Joined October 2003; responsible for the strategic development and implementation of Northern Ireland Screen's educational policy and for the management of the Digital Film Archive. Bernard works closely with Northern Ireland’s three Creative Learning Centres; the Nerve Centre, Derry, Nerve Belfast and the SELB’s Amma Centre in Armagh. The centres provide training for teachers and young people in creative digital technologies.
Bernard was previously the Creative Director with the FÍS project - a three year pilot project introducing moving image into the primary curriculum in the Republic of Ireland. Prior to this Bernard was a successful video and commercials producer/director and worked internationally in the advertising industry as a Creative Director for a number of leading advertising agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi and McCann-Erickson.
Francis Jones - Archive Education Officer
Joined January 2010. As Archive Education Officer, Francis manages and maintains the Digital Film Archive (DFA) in its various locations across Northern Ireland, delivers the DFA outreach programme and assists the Education department in learning and heritage initiatives. Previously, Francis worked for BBC NI and was responsible for overseeing the running of their Community Archive at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum. For a number of years, he has also worked as a music and arts editor and writer for a variety of print and broadcast media.
Emma Thorpe - Archive Development Officer
Joined October 2007, as Education Development Officer, maintaining and managing the Digital Film Archive in its 15 sites across Northern Ireland. She was appointed Archive Development Officer in October 2009 and is responsible for the management and development of Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive in line with the organisation’s Education and Heritage plans. Emma previously had a successful career as an archaeologist for 10 years before moving into the museum sector. She has worked with a number of museums including The Ragged School Museum, London and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, New York.
IRISH LANGUAGE BROADCAST FUND (ILBF)
Áine Walsh - Head of ILBF
Joined November 2007; Áine has been appointed to manage and develop all aspects of the Irish Language Broadcast Fund and to develop and support Irish language film and television production in Northern Ireland. Áine has been working in broadcasting for over ten years in both radio and television. She has previously worked as a radio producer and presenter with the Irish Language Unit in BBC Northern Ireland and most recently has spent a number of years working for UTV as an Assistant Producer and Producer.
Bríd Falconer – ILBF Officer
Joined November 2011; Bríd co-ordinates the training programme for the ILBF trainees and also supports the ILBF in all aspects of its administration. Before joining NI Screen, Bríd worked as an Irish Language Officer and a translator in the Department of Education NI. She also worked as a systems and business analyst with Tomcat Systems in Belfast, having spent over 10 years working in IT. Brid was also awarded the ICUF scholarship to teach Irish in Memorial University, in St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada in 2009 and continues to have links with the ICUF programme.
MARKETING and information, EXHIBITION AND CULTURAL CINEMA
Moyra C. Lock - Head of Marketing
After an initial career in international advertising and media, Moyra worked for many years in the film industry in London, both in sales and distribution. Returning to her native Northern Ireland, she took up the post of Head of Marketing in August 2005.
The Head of Marketing manages and implements Northern Ireland Screen's marketing strategy to promote the film and television industry and film culture in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Screen's mission is to accelerate the development of a dynamic and sustainable film and television industry in Northern Ireland by integrating industrial, educational and cultural policies and actions.
Mary McGlinchey - Marketing Officer
Joined in June 2007; Mary assists the Head of Marketing in the provision of a first-class marketing, publicity and information service covering all aspects of the film, television and new media industry and film and television culture in Northern Ireland. Before joining Northern Ireland Screen Mary worked as a Press and PR executive with UTV.