Prestigious coup for Belturbet filmmaker

He may be brushing shoulders with cultural celebrities from Nobel Prize winner Seamus Heaney to Oscar nominee Stephen Rea, but Belturbet filmmaker, Kevin McCann, is keeping it reel! 'My ambition is to produce drama and documentary on a continuous basis for the home and international markets and to employ local talent while doing it,' states Kevin. And, four years after setting up his company, Maccana Teoranta, in his home town, he is well on his way to doing just that. Kevin was producer of a new documentary, called The Boys of St. Columb"s. Destined for stardom, the film is narrated by esteemed actor, Stephen Rea, directed by one of the most respected directors in the country, Tom Collins, and written by emerging talent from Belturbet, Maurice Fitzpatrick. Promising to be one of the country"s biggest documentaries this year, The Boys of St. Columb"s will have its world premiere on July 10 in Galway"s Town Hall Theatre, as part of the prestigious Galway Film Fleadh. Kevin, who says the documentary will also be broadcast on BBC and RTE later this year, was suitably proud and delighted with the coup. 'The Boys of St. Columb"s is my company"s first documentary for television,' he said. 'It tells the story of how some of Ireland"s most famous sons were educated at the same school - St. Columb"s College in Derry. They include Seamus Heaney, John Hume, Phil Coulter, Paul Brady, Brian Friel and Martin O"Neill. It also details how the introduction of free secondary education in the North of Ireland changed it forever. These men were the first generation of educated Catholics in the North; they passed the new 11+ exam which gave them new opportunities for learning.' He explained how the Maccana Teoranta production has seen him brushing shoulders with big names in Irish film, literature, music, arts and culture. 'In 2007, I went for meetings in Germany, and I had a meeting with a London based company, who produced all the Stephen Fry programmes for BBC. They agreed to co-produce the film and will help with world sales of the film... Maurice Fitzpatrick and I worked closely on this project and it was a great privilege for us both to be working with some of the most influential people in Irish culture.' Proud of his Belturbet roots, Kevin is a great believer in promoting local talent and bringing it all home. 'With all our talent, I see no reason why we can"t produce quality drama and documentary that tell us more about ourselves. Our television screens are dominated by foreign programmes and it is important to bring some balance back. This creative industry would be of great cultural and economic benefit to the region,' concludes Kevin.