Reeling in the movies
It’s lights, camera, action, action, action, in Northern Ireland these days as a raft of feature films have been shot in the region.
Some of the biggest names in films such as Oscar-winning directors, Lord Richard Attenborough and Neil Jordan, and Hollywood stars Donald Sutherland, Shirley Maclaine, Christopher Plummer, Tim Robbins, Michael Sheen and Gillian Anderson have all worked here in recent years.
In addition, one of Europe’s biggest television production companies has been attracted to Northern Ireland. Emmy Award-winning Initial, 
part of the hugely successful Endemol Group, filmed the first 26 episodes of a children’s television drama series, Bel’s Boys, here. The show, co-funded by the Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission (NIFTC), has been shown on ITV1, the UK’s biggest commercial broadcaster.
Northern Ireland is probably the most compact 5,196 square miles of back-lot in the world offering stunning locations from mountains, glens, loughs, caves, cliffs and beaches to urban landscapes of modern cities with Victorian architecture to picturesque towns, villages and hamlets with the quintessential thatched cottage. It’s all within reach in a day’s filming schedule helping to ensure the film is made within budget.
Some of Northern Ireland's movie successes include Lord Richard Attenborough’s "Closing The Ring", which was shot in and around Belfast. Based on a true story, the film is a romantic drama set in the US and starred Shirley MacLaine.
"Breakfast On Pluto", starring Ballymena-born Liam Neeson and produced by Neil Jordan, and also used a number of locations in and around Belfast.
Other recent films include "Puff Ball", which was filmed in the Armagh countryside and starred Donald Sutherland and Miranda Richardson. "Wilderness" starring Sean Pertwee, "Middletown" starring Matthew Macfadyen, "Johnny Was", with Samantha Mumba, Lennox Lewis, Vinnie Jones and Roger Daltrey.
