Afro Mic secures double Channel 4 commission
November 14, 2024
Northern Ireland’s Afro Mic Productions has secured commissions for two new documentaries for Channel 4, with support from Northern Ireland Screen.
Secrets of the Christmas Market is an observational documentary filmed in and around Belfast in the lead-up to Christmas. The film offers a behind-the-scenes look at the organisers and vendors who bring the festive spirit to the huge Belfast Christmas Market at City Hall.
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the Titanic’s wreckage, Channel 4 has also commissioned Titanic: Our Secret Histories to capture and share the forgotten stories of some of the passengers and crew who survived and perished in the 1912 disaster. Hearing from their living descendants this emotional film will document the impact the disaster had on families across the world. Working with world-renowned historians to investigate their ancestry, the descendants have been given a rare and emotional opportunity to learn about their relatives’ part in Titanic’s history and share their story.
Emma-Rosa Dias from Afro-Mic Productions commented: “I am immensely proud to secure two new commissions for Channel 4, both filmed in Northern Ireland, which showcase our depth of culture and the variety of stories we have to tell. The passengers on board Titanic were a diverse mix of people from across the globe and to this day many of their stories remain untold. In this emotionally powerful film, we share some of the many fascinating forgotten stories of people from the ship, with their descendants. Secrets of the Christmas Market will bring joy into people’s homes this December, as we meet the people who bring Christmas to life at Belfast’s much loved festive event. It’s a film bursting full of warmth, wit, and emotion.”
Deborah Dunnett, Commissioning Editor for Channel 4, added: “Afro-Mic have produced an incredibly poignant film which Is deeply rooted in Northern Irish history and a celebration of Belfast. The level of access and research that has gone into this film is inspired and they have produced a completely fresh and unique take on many stories from the disaster.”