Founded to put the originators and architects of storytelling at the accolade forefront, the British Screenwriters’ Awards, now in it’s fifth year, gathered together new and established writers together this past weekend to celebrate our craft and community and the great art of storytelling, without which not much good TV or film would happen at all.
It’s a night that brings us together, as a community, to laugh, to celebrate and to honour those who’ve have sprung something wonderful from the deep recesses of their mind. It’s a miraculous thing writing, one of the things that makes us human is our ability to imagine, communicate and visualise. It is something to nurture, to grow and to inspire in one another. That’s why awards really do matter. Because above all, they bring us together.
The evening, opened by founder Chris Jones was compèred by Betty Denville a 14th generation actor of her family and no stranger to craft and the event opened with the charming and sometimes off the cuff wit of talented international comedian Aidan Goatley, a writer himself. The event was cheerful, glamorous and exceedingly fun.
Awards for 2018 were presented as follows:-
Best British Feature Film Writing
- Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri by Martin McDonagh
Outstanding Newcomer for British Television Writing
- The End of The Fucking World by Charlie Covell (Based on the Comic book by Charles S. Forsman)
Best British TV Drama Writing
- Patrick Melrose by Edward St. Aubyn / David Nicholls
Outstanding Newcomer for British Feature Film Writing
- God’s Own Country by Francis Lee
Best Crime Writing on Television
- Marcella by Hans Rosenfeldt and The Writing Team
Best British Children’s Television
- Go Jetters by The Writing Team
Best Comedy Writing on Television
- Derry Girls by Lisa McGee
The Fitzmaurice Award
- Lucy Scher
This year is the third year of what was founded as the ‘Fucking Awesome Award’ for incredible achievement in writing and outstanding contribution to the industry. Created for writer/director Simon Fitzmaurice who after becoming paralysed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND/ALS) used only the gaze of his eyes to write and direct his first feature and published his memoir ‘It’s Not Yet Dark’ about his experience living with his disease. Simon, who lectured at the London Screenwriters’ Festival inspired many writers to follow their passion no matter what. Simon died in October 2017 and it was decided that the award, which embodies his spirit of dedication and love of craft should rightly be named after him. Thus the fucking awesome Fitzmaurice Award continues his important legacy.
This year’s posthumous recipient Lucy Scher receives the award for her extraordinary service to her fellow writers. Lucy co-founded The Script Factory in 1996 to foster screenwriting talent. Having gone through a plethora of help for writers including guidance in finding financing and producers, creating masterclasses and being one of the first screenplay reading services in the UK as well as training script readers to better serve writing Lucy and The Script Factory established the first ever post-graduate course in script development with the NFTS. This and some quite legendary social events became the spirit of seriousness and fun that Lucy promoted in the film and television industries, it was a way of life, and those who did not know her directly heard of her generosity and dedication through the writers she worked with. Now the organisation that Lucy dedicated herself to focuses it’s more than twenty years industry experience on script development, transforming careers. Though Lucy sadly died of cancer in August this year, her work and the fun she believed vital is continued by the colleagues who cherished her passion. Their championing of new writers will continue her mission.
Impact50 Best Film Awards
As part of Create50, a collaborative talent and discovery platform for writers, the Impact50 project aimed to bring writers, filmmakers and creatives together to make short films that would form moments of a feature length project set around a cataclysmic event and fit around a specific timeline of story events, beyond which the boundaries of story were left to the writers and filmmakers involved.
This year the British Screenwriters’ Awards invited some of the Impact50 writer participants along with the filmmaking teams who brought their screenplays to life to come along and share the stage with established industry talents and accept their own well deserved awards for their work on the project.
- IMPACT AWARD: In Vino Veritas by Kim Wheeler and Flickering Wick Productions
- IMPACT AWARD: Music to Die For by Dee Chilton and Natasha Marburger Productions
- IMPACT AWARD: White Liar by Ben Mole and Core Films
- IMPACT AWARD: Leargaidh by Matt George Lovett and Meshes Films LLP
- IMPACT AWARD: Equal by Ben Lacey and ISOS
- MAXIMUM IMPACT AWARD: The Travellers by Matt Giannini and Silverbird Productions
- MAXIMUM IMPACT AWARD: T-Minus by Carolyn Goodyear and Adrian G. De La Pena
- MAXIMUM IMPACT AWARD: Francis of Fell End Farm by Milethea Thomas and ITBL Productions
The event was followed by a red carpet after party. A night to remember, we hope you will join us next time.
