2.Main Content
Talent
She Writes
She Writes is a new flagship training programme launched in 2010 aimed specifically at women screenwriters. Co-presented by us, together with Birds Eye View, it's been supported by the Skillset Film Skills Fund and Scottish Screen.
The programme was prompted by the remarkable statistic that only 12% of British films are currently written by women, and sets out to change that fact. The programme, catering for ten emerging women writers, launched in March 2010 and will run until March 2011. During that time our participants enjoy a residential retreat, attend two specialist workshops, meet with mentors, gain a better understanding of the industry, have exclusive access to industry and training events at the Birds Eye View Film Festival and have the opportunity to workshop a feature screenplay project with actors.
She Writes is aimed at 'emerging writers' - but our 10 (8 individual writers and one co-writing team) are all already very much committed to their career as a screenwriter, and all have impressive drama writing credits (ranging from short films or pieces of TV or radio, to theatre productions) with several having already had a feature film optioned or funded (though not necessarily produced). We have high hopes for them all!
After a hard-fought selection process our She Writes participants were unveiled in February 2010. Click on the pink links below to find out more about them and the projects they are spending a year working on. And look out for more information about their progress later in the year and to see how you can get the chance to meet the writers, hear about their projects and enjoy a performed reading of a sample project at the Birds Eye View Film Festival 2011.
The She Writes participants for 2010 are:
Laura Anne Anderson
Rosy Barnes
Kate Bingham & Grace Banks
Tracy Brabin
Avril Evans
Sally El Hosaini
Rosanne Flynn
Oonagh Kearney
Rachel Tunnard
Throughout 2010, the She Writes writers were mentored by a high profile list of industry names:
Catherine Johnston (screenwriter, Mamma Mia!)
Nigel Cole (director Calendar Girls, Made In Dagenham)
Elizabeth Karlsen (producer, How To Lose Friends & Alienate People, Made In Dagenham)
Deborah Moggach (author, screenwriter, Pride and Prejudice
Laurence Coriat (screenwriter, Wonderland, Genova)
Robyn Slovo (producer, Morvern Callar, Catch A Fire)
Kevin Loader (producer, The History Boys, Nowhere Boy, In The Loop)
Kate Ogborn (producer, The Unloved)
Neil Hunter (screenwriter, Lawless Heart, Sparkle)
In July, the She Writers met up to take part in a 'Wider Industry' Workshop where they spent an intensive 2-days holed up with some of the UK industry's leading lights during a series of exclusive round table conversations with screenwriter Julian Fellowes, producer Alison Owen, director Oliver Parker, Casting Director Chloe Emmerson, Artistic Director of the London Film Festival Sandra Hebron, Agent Matthew Bates, Media Lawyer Peter Dally, and distributor Julia Short.
Next up, in December 2010, they saw their screenplays performed by a cast of professional actors in an intimate workshop setting, in preparation for an exclusive public reading of one of the screenplays coming up at the Birds Eye View Film Festival in March 2011.
