Speakers

The London Screenwriters’ Festival features over one hundred professional speakers from all corners of the industry. Many have also agreed to intimate Script Chat sessions after their respective events so that you can get face time with the speakers most valuable to your work. Speakers are being updated regularly. For updates, check back soon or join on newsgroup below.


Julie Gray – Screenwriter and teacher

Regular contributor to The Huffington Post, reads for Walden Media and teaches screenwriting in LA

Hollywood screenwriter and script guru

Julie Gray

Rob Sprackling – Screenwriter

Top credits... Gnomeo & Juliet, Mike Bassett and Mariah Mundi And The Midas Box

Rob has written for the biggest names in film, Gnomeo and Juliet grossing $200m for Disney!

Rob Sprackling

Chris Hill – Screenwriter

Top credits…’Skins’, ‘The Last Station’, ‘Butterfly Kick’

Young gun Chris has his first feature screenplay due to start shooting later this year.

Chris Hill

Zara Waldeback – Screenwriting lecturer

Credits include 'The Creative Screenwriter''

Zara has taught at Sussex University, Brunel University and was for many years Senior Lecturer at Thames Valley University, where she also developed the 'Creative Screenwriting' MA. 

Zara Waldeback

Kate Leys – Script editor

Kate’s session on storytelling at past festivals is the stuff of legend. Do NOT miss her!

She has also had a hand in some of the UK's most successful feature films including The Full Monty and Trainspotting

Kate Leys

Julian Friedmann – Film, TV and literary agent

Agent and great supporter of emerging talent.

Julian has years of experience as a literary agent and was the founder of ScriptWriter magazine.

Julian Friedmann

Evan Leighton-Davis – Script reader and owner of Industrial Scripts

Evan has years of experience as a reader and consultant at some of the biggest companies in the UK and now runs Industrial Scripts.

Evan Leighton-Davis

Julian Wilkins – Lawyer

Editor of Blue Pencil Laws Of Creativity Magazine

Julian Wilkins is Editorial Director for Blue Pencil Media Limited and will be running the legal clinic at the festival

Julian Wilkins

Jonathan Newman – Writer and director

Credits include... Swinging With The Finkels, Foster and Maria Mundi and the Midas Box

Writer/director Jonathan Newman has made not one, but TWO features based on his own short films. He is now shooting his 3rd!

Jonathan Newman

Craig Batty – Senior Lecturer, RMIT University, Melbourne

Senior lecturer, screenwriter, script consultant and author.

Craig will be launching his new screenwriting book at the festival in 2012.

Craig Batty

Charles Harris – Filmmaker, writer and educator & Euroscript co-founder

Has helped countless writers for over fifteen years.

His hour of power sessions at LSF are rated in the top five events in feedback. Get up early to see him!

Charles Harris

Lucy V Hay – Script editor

Bionic blogger, script editor and the voice of new writers!

Legendary for her enthusiasm and knowledge which she shares with her community at Bang2Write. Core member of the LSF team.

Lucy V Hay

Chris Jones – Filmmaker and author

Credits include… Oscars shortlisted Gone Fishing, the Guerilla Handbooks and a bunch of feature films

Chris Jones has spent his life making movies, writing books  and helping others make their movies.

Chris Jones

Sophie Meyer – Head of Development, Ealing Studios

Sophie has over 15 years under her belt in UK Development and is now Head Of Development at Ealing Studios

Sophie Meyer

More speakers to follow – Screenwriters, producers, directors, commissioners and practitioners.

Check back for updates as we will have over 100 speakers at LSF 2012

More speakers to follow