London Screenwriters' Festival

London Screenwriters' Festival
Location Regent's University London, United Kingdom
Language English
http://www.londonscreenwritersfestival.com

Founded in 2010, the London Screenwriters' Festival is an annual writers' and film makers' festival held in London, England. The festival offers workshops, seminars, lectures, screenplay competitions and the opportunity to pitch your projects to a number of agencies, Film and Television Producers and Studios from both the United Kingdom and Hollywood.

History

The London Screenwriters’ Festival was launched in 2010 by Chris Jones, filmmaker and author of The Guerilla Filmmakers Handbook.

The event now runs over the last weekend of October every year, attracting around 150 speakers and 600 delegates. Since its launch in 2010 it has been held at Regent's University London.

The festival is owned and operated by London Creative Festivals Ltd whose offices are at Ealing Studios in West London.

Speakers

The Speakers of 2010 included over 80 speakers from a wide array of professions including, producers, writers, agent, executives, educators and directors.

Notable Names

Tim Bevan - Bevan is an English film producer, producing such films as Four Weddings and a Funeral,The Big Lebowski, Fargo, Shaun of the Dead, and Love Actually.[1] He is also the co-founder Working Title Productions.

John August - August is an American screenwriter, writing films such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish and The Corpse Bride.[2]

Gub Neal - Neal is an award winning producer, producing such films as No Direction Home.

Ben Stephenson - Stephenson is Controller, Drama Commissioning for the BBC. He is responsible for critically acclaimed shows such as The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and Lark Rise to Candleford.[3]

Tony Jordan - Jordan is an English Television writer, responsible for shows such as EastEnders and Life on Mars.[4]

Daniel Glaser - Dr. Glaser is neuroscientist at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London. In 2002 he was appointed 'Scientist in Residence' at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA).[5]

Julie Gray, Writer at The Huffington Post and The Times of Israel[6]

Dean Craig - Craig is an English screenwriter, most famous for having written Death at a Funeral.[7]

Edgar Wright - Director & Writer Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Shaun of the Dead.[8]

Mike Leigh (Director & Writer – Secrets & Lies, Naked, Life Is Sweet)

Lisa Albert (Writer & Producer – Mad Men)

Frank Spotnitz (Writer & Producer – Hunted, The X Files, Millenium)

David Reynolds (PIxar & Disney Writer - Finding Nemo, Emperor's New Groove, Mulan)

Joe Cornish (Writer - Tin Tin, Attack the Block)

John August (Writer - Dark Shadows, Big Fish, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory)

Ian Brennan (Creator - Glee!)

Ash Atalla (Producer - The I.T. Crowd, The Office)

Robert Popper (Writer & Producer - Friday Night Dinner, Look Around You)

Stephen Mangan (Actor - Greenwing, Episodes)

Jessica Hynes (Writer & Actor - Spaced, 2012)

Ralf Little (Actor & Writer – The Café, The Royle Family)

Sally Phillips (Actor & Writer – Smack The Pony, Miranda)

Griff Rhys Jones (Writer & Performer - Not the 9 O'Clock News, Alas Smith & Jones)

Jon Plowman (BBC comedy commissioner - The Office, Absolutely Fabulous)

Duncan Kenworthy (Producer- Love Actually, Notting Hill, Four Weddings)

Dan Mazer (Writer- Borat, Ali G)

Competitions

2010 Green Light Award[9]

Winner - Laurence Timms for his script The Dead Office

2nd Place - Henry Fosdike for his script The Decision

3rd Place - Charlie Boddington for his script It's Not Easy

2010 'Inspired by Science' Treatment Award[10]

Winner - Rachel Matthews

2011 'Four Nights In August'

Winner- Dave Turner with Everything You Need

Winner- Milethia Thomas with Why

Winner- Anil Rao with Why

2012 '50 Kisses'

Winner- Kristy McConnell with Enough

Pitching

Pitching has always played a big part of the Screenwriters’ Festival and in 2012, the founders of The Great American Pitchfest (Bob Schultz and Sign Olynyk) joined forces with the LSF and the Great British Pitchfest was created.

Staff

Chris Jones – creative director

Judy Goldberg – festival manager

Paolo Ciccarelli – British Screenwriters Awards Producer

Spela Strukelj – festival producer

Lucy V Hay – director of education

Maureen Hascoet – Interim Festival Producer

Rebecca Crookshank – Actors Table Read Producer

Gail Hackston – head of marketing and PR

Signe Olynyk – Pitchfest Organiser

Bob Schultz – Pitchfest Organiser

Michael Clarkson – Great British Pitchfest Producer

Phoebe Gibson – volunteer co-ordinator

Oliver Purches – stage manager

Chris Wickett – digital manager

Vanessa Mayfield – Delegate Liaison

Steven Russell – script reader

Harriet Crate – Editor and web support

References

  1. ↑ "Tim Bevan - IMDb".
  2. ↑ "John August - IMDb".
  3. ↑ "Ben Stephenson appointed Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning".
  4. ↑ "Tony Jordan - IMDb".
  5. ↑ "Daniel Glaser Academic History".
  6. ↑ Gary, Julie. "What You're Up Against- Writers Masterclass". London Creative Festivals. Julie Gray (Author, Just Effing Entertain Me, Writer at The Huffington Post, The Times of Israel and Script Magazine) has had a wealth of experience as a script reader- and knows the odds you've got to beat. Here she talks about the secret to having your script pioneered.
  7. ↑ "Dean Craig - IMDb".
  8. ↑ "Edgar Wright - IMDb".
  9. ↑ "Green Light Award".
  10. ↑ "Inspired by Science".

External links