Inaugural Wales Screen Summit unveils June launch details

Emyr Afan

A new industry event, the Wales Screen Summit (Copa Cyfryngau Cymru), is launching in the Welsh capital, Cardiff, on 15-16 June, with top execs from the BBC, Channel 4, S4C, Paramount and others confirmed to attend.

The day-and-a-half-long summit will include panels featuring channel bosses, directors, commissioning editors and development producers, who will showcase productions taking place in Wales, as well as tackle some of the industry’s biggest issues and threats.

Keynote speakers confirmed include BBC director of nations Rhodri Talfan Davies; Channel 4 CCO Ian Katz; S4C CEO, Sian Doyle and CCO Llinos Griffin-Williams; Paramount UK deputy CCO Sebastian Cardwell; Pact chief John McVay; Channel 4 head of specialist factual, Shaminder Nahal; BBC acting head of drama Ben Irving; BBC Documentaries commissioning editor Beejal-Maya Patel; BBC daytime and early peak commissioning editor Julie Shaw and Nick Andrews, head of commissioning at BBC Wales.

Production execs confirmed as attending meanwhile include Owen Phillips, producer of Murder in The Valleys; Marc Evans, director of The Pembrokeshire Murders; Kate Crowther, executive producer at Bad Wolf; Sian Price, creative director at Yeti; Narinder Minhas, CEO of Cardiff Productions; Tammy Kennedy, co-founder and creative director of Little Bird Films and Rick Murray, MD and executive producer at Workerbee.

Topics under discussion include ‘shaping the future growth of your indie’, ‘how to execute the perfect sizzle’ and ‘what the current skills shortages mean for the future of production?’

Confirmed sessions include: ‘PSB Under Threat?’ ‘Gamechangers: It’s All About The Co-pro’ and ‘I Would do Anything for a Commission… But I Won’t do That!’

The inaugural Wales Screen Summit 2022 is being hosted by Welsh radio and television presenter Jason Mohammad at The Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff.

The summit, which is produced by Avanti Events, has received support from Welsh Government via Creative Wales, who are the Summit’s headline sponsor, alongside partners including Channel 4, S4C, BBC Cymru Wales, ITV Cymru Wales, PACT, TAC, ITV Wales, Clwstwr and Hugh James .

Emyr Afan, joint-CEO of Avanti Media and producer of Wales Screen Summit 2022, said: “The capital city has now become the third largest media sector in the UK, and we feel that the time has come to rightfully claim our place in the TV event calendar.”