Speakers | London Screenwriters' Festival

LondonSWF 2021 (September) Update
Due to Covid uncertainty, we will be running a hybrid festival in 2021, with a three-day live event* and online sessions spread over a longer period of time. Things could change rapidly so keep an eye on our updates HERE. In person delegates will require daily flow tests and vaccine status declaration.

We are assembling the GREATEST roster of screenwriting speakers ever for our TENTH anniversary!

The London Screenwriters’ Festival will host around 130 professional speakers from all areas of the film and television business. Many have also agreed to intimate online Script Chats (subject to technology) after their respective sessions so that you can get facetime with them. Although speakers are being added continuously, the vast majority will be confirmed in the summer of 2021. Get updates by signing up below.

“

I went in with an idea which wasn’t quite working and came away with a different story line and a totally different antagonist that made complete sense. Wonderful!"

Rita Wheeler, Screenwriter

Headliners

Linda Aronson – Practitioner, Screenwriter

Author of: The 21st-Century Screenplay

Linda Aronson returns to dazzle LSF delegates with her game changing explanations of how to construct non-linear and multiple storyline films.

William Nicholson – Screenwriter & Novelist

Credits include: Gladiator, Les Miserables, Mandela: Long Road To Freedom

Twice Oscar nominated William Nicholson is a British screenwriter, playwright, and novelist.

David Reynolds – Screenwriter

Disney and Pixar writer David Reynolds credits include; Finding Nemo, Toy Story 2 & 3 and The Emperor's New Groove.

Diane Drake – Screenwriter and Story Consultant

Her first produced original script, ONLY YOU, starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Marisa Tomei, sold for $1m, while her next, WHAT WOMEN WANT, starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt, is the second highest grossing rom/com of all time.

J. Michael Straczynski – Screenwriter, Producer, Director

J. Michael Straczynski is an American television and film screenwriter, producer and director, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS.

Lorien McKenna – Screenwriter, Story Manager, Producer

Credits include Bave, Inside Out and Curious George TV series

Screenwriter Lorien McKenna has set up TV projects at Hulu, NBC and Netflix. She was the Co-EP for the CURIOUS GEORGE TV series and the features and has developed several TV projects for Disney Jr. She also wrote the feature HOW TO SET A FIRE AND WHY, bas

Meg LeFauve – Oscar-nominated Screenwriter

Meg received an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay for Pixar's mega hit Inside Out, for which she also won an Annie Award.

Mike Medavoy – Producer, CEO of Phoenix Pictures

His credits include U-Turn, Zodiac, Shutter Island, Black Swan, Altered Carbon, and many many more.

Pilar Alessandra – Script Consultant, Educator

Author of The Coffee Break Screenwriter

Pilar's students and clients have written for Lost, Prison Break, Nip Tuck, House of Lies, CSI and Family Guy.

Scott Myers – Screenwriter, Producer, Educator

Credits include K-9 with Jim Belushi and Trojan War with Jennifer Love Hewitt

Scott is head honcho and scribe at Go Into The Story, official screenwriting blog for the Black List.

“

The Script Surgery was brilliant. I was really impressed by the thorough and detailed feedback that was given."

Sangeeta Bhargava

Screenwriters

Ashley Pharoah – Writer

Credits include: Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes

Ashley is a veteran TV writer who has created and written several long-running series for the BBC and ITV.

Rowan Joffe – Writer

Writer and director for film and television

Jed Mercurio – Screenwriter

Credits include: Line Of Duty, Cardiac Arrest

Jed's most recent credit, 'Line of Duty', is the most watched BBC2 drama series in the multichannel era.

Tim Bain – Screenwriter

Credits include: PJ Masks, Fireman Sam

Tim has written hundreds of episodes for some of the world's most beloved children's shows.

Aimée Kwan – Writer, Director and Actress

Aimée Kwan is a British-Thai writer, director and actress who loves global storylines and voices yet unheard.

Alexis Kirke – Screenwriter, Technologist

Alexis Kirke is a screenwriter and technologist who has been innovating in the field of film and Artificial Intelligence for the last decade.

Amanda Graham – Screenwriter and Trainer

Selected as one of the BFI x Bafta Crew 2021, one of Edinburgh TV Festival’s Ones to Watch 2018-2019, member of WGGB, and….apocalyptic cult church survivor, Amanda Graham is a comedy scriptwriter with a strong point of view.

Anthony Mullins – Screenwriter, Director and Script producer

Anthony Mullins is a BAFTA and AWGIE award winning screenwriter, director and script producer.

Aschlin Ditta – Screenwriter

Credits include: The Catherine Tate Show, Little Heart

Aschlin is an award-winning Screenwriter known for 'Swimming With Men' starring Rob Brydon and his various collaborations with Catherine Tate

Clive Frayne – Screenwriter, Development Consultant and Author

Author of The Process of Screenwriting

Clive Frayne is an award-winning writer and filmmaker with thirty years' experience writing professionally.

Debbie Moon – Screenwriter

Credits include: Wolfblood, Hinterland

Debbie is the BAFTA-winning creator and lead writer of the CBBC fantasy drama series Wolfblood, which ran for five series and is shown in nearly 60 countries.

Dominic Morgan – Screenwriter

Credits include Hard Target 2, An Act of Defiance

Dominic has written for 30-plus studios and production companies, including Universal Studios, Working Title, Scott Free and the BBC.

Dui Jarrod – Screenwriter, Director and Playwright

Dui Jarrod is a Day-time Emmy nominated & award-winning screenwriter, director, and playwright residing in Brooklyn, NY best known for BROOKLYN. BLUE. SKY.

George Kay – Executive Producer, Writer

Credit include: Lupin, Killing Eve, Criminal UK, The Tunnel, The Hour

A writer on the cutting edge of thrilling crime television, writing on Killing Eve, and creating Criminal, on Netflix worldwide

Glenn Gers – Screenwriter

Glenn Gers has been a professional screen-and-television writer for 25 years.

Henry Fitzherbert – Screenwriter

Credits include Slaughterhouse Rulez, Born a King

Henry co-wrote Slaughterhouse Rulez starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Michael Sheen and penned the historical epic Born a King.

James Wood – Screenwriter

Credits include: Rev, The Gamechangers

James Wood is the Bafta wining writer and creator of Freezing, Rev, Ambassadors and The Gamechangers.

Jeff Kitchen – Screenwriter

Author of the bestselling book, Writing a Great Movie, Jeff has taught thousands of writers from Broadway to Hollywood.

Jessica Ruston – Screenwriter

Credits include Harlots, Young Wallander

Jessica is developing both original and adaptation projects with companies such as Dancing Ledge, Monumental Television, Big Light, and 42 UK/US for both terrestial broadcast and streaming.

Joe Ainsworth – Screenwriter

Credits include: Brookside, Holby City and New Tricks.

BAFTA winner Joe is a veteran of recurring drama, writing for some of the most popular series on TV.

Joe Wielosinski – Screenwriter, Teacher

Joe Wielosinski is an award-winning screenwriter and teacher.

Jose Molina – Screenwriter, Producer

Jose Molina has written and produced fan favourite television for more than 20 years, including stints on Strange world, Firefly, Castle, Grimm, and Agent Carter.

Kat Wood – Screenwriter & Director

Credits include: Home, Arthur & Merlin

Kat’s directorial debut, the short film 'Home' starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, makes her the first ever UK winner of the Jameson First Shot Competition.

Lisa McMullin – Screenwriter

Credits include EastEnders, Doctors

Lisa writes continuing drama series for television and also writes Big Finish audio dramas, including Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Time War.

Lucinda Coxon – Screenwriter

Credits include: The Danish Girl, The Crimson Petal and the White

Lucinda is an award-winning writer for film, television, and stage.

Mark Sanderson – Screenwriter, Script Consultant, Author, Blogger, and Lecturer

Author of: A Screenwriter’s Journey to Success: Tips, Tricks, and Tactics to Survive as a Working Screenwriter in Hollywood

Mark Sanderson is a screenwriter, script consultant, author, blogger, and lecturer blessed to be living his childhood dream of making movies with screenplays written in a wide range of genres.

Pat Higgins – Writer, Director

Credits include TrashHouse, Hellbride, KillerKiller

After writing and directing three internationally distributed micro-budget horrors, Pat wrote the award-winning mockumentary, The Devil’s Music.

Pen Densham – Producer, Screenwriter

Pen Densham is an Oscar-nominated British-Canadian film and television producer, writer, director, and author.

Richard Kurti – Screenwriter

Credits include: Wolfblood, Primeval

Richard and his writing partner Bev Doyle broke into the business by writing and selling a spec script, Newton's Law, which led to 14 further movie commissions.

Robbie Sunderland – Writer

Robbie is a sketch, sitcom and topical joke writer who has written for The Comedy Geek Sketch Podcast, The Wireless Show, Sketch Please!

Sally Abbott – Screenwriter

Credits include: The Coroner, Vera, Death in Paradise, Eastenders and Frantic Assembly

Sally has created the BBC1 Drama The Coroner.

Simon Cox – Writer, Director

Simon has worked in the TV and film industry for over 30 years and has directed and edited numerous shows for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

Simon Nye – Screenwriter

Credits include: Men Behaving Badly, Reggie Perrin and The Durrells

Simon was a translator before starting his writing career as a novelist, adapting his two novels 'Men Behaving Badly' and 'Wideboy' into TV series.

Thandi Lubimbi – Screenwriter

Alongside her legal career, Thandi started writing drama, fantasy and sci-fi scripts.

Trish Curtin – Writer, Producer

Trish Curtin is an emerging Australian Screenwriter in Brisbane, Queensland.

“

The perfect place for creative shots in the arm, kicks up the backside and clouts around the head."

Stephanie Wessell, Screenwriter

People Who Get Stuff Made

Ned Dowd – Producer

Apocalypto, King Arthur, Ondine, Shanghai Noon and Last Of The Mohicans

Apocalypto, King Arthur, Shanghai Noon and Last Of The Mohicans are a handful of films on Ned's resume - it reads more like our movie collection!

Julian Friedmann – Film, TV & Literary Agent

Staunch supporter of emerging talent

Julian has years of experience as a literary agent. He is also the founder of ScriptWriter magazine and author of How To Make Money Scriptwriting.

Jeremy Howe – Drama Commissioning Editor | Radio 4

Credits include: The Archers, Bloomsday

Jeremy is responsible for commissioning over 300 titles a year for Radio 4.

Ceri Meyrick – Executive Producer and Head of Development | BBC Studios

She has trained many writers who have gone on to secure jobs within the industry and has worked on Ballykissangel.

Alexei Slater – Filmmaker - Turn The Slate Productions

Alexei has several projects in development. This year he is looking to advise writers on making the step into short films of all types, writing for shorts, assembling a team and tackling festivals and distribution.

Carrie Courogen – Associate Director of Creative Development | Condé Nast

Carrie Courogen is an associate director of creative development at Condé Nast, where she works across the digital entertainment portfolios of Pitchfork, Vanity Fair, Tatler, Teen Vogue, and Vanity Fair.

Catherine King – Development Co-ordinator | Reel One

Reel One Entertainment, a Newen (TF1 Group) company, is a dynamic international television production and distribution company focusing on prime time Christmas movies and RomComs.

Catherine Williams – Screenwriter

Credits include New Teletubbies, Topsy and Tim, Waffle the Wonder Dog, Chip and Potato

Catherine has over 15 years’ experience as series co-creator, writer, head writer and script editor on many BAFTA-winning children’s shows.

Charlotte Knight – Agent

Charlotte is MD of The Knight Hall Agency in London.

Gary W. Goldstein – Producer

Credits include: Pretty Woman, Under Siege, The Mothman Prophecies, and Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle o

An award-winning film producer, Gary Goldstein has produced some of Hollywood’s biggest box-office hits, including Pretty Woman, Under Siege, The Mothman Prophecies, and cult fan favorite Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death.

Stewart Le Marechal – Producer | MetFilm

Stewart is open to hearing most ideas although less keen on straight horror. Looking for both Film and TV.

“

The festival was an absolute triumph – top flight and brimming with inspiration and enthusiasm... superb!"

Barbara Machin, BAFTA-Winning Screenwriter

Directors

Debbie Isitt – Screenwriter & Director

Credits include: Confetti, Nativity 1, 2 & 3

Debbie's unique improvisational methods have attracted the cream of UK comedy to her projects including Martin Freeman, Alan Carr, Jessica Hynes, Stephen Mangan and David Tennant.

Jim Agnew – Director, Writer and Producer

Jim Agnew is a director, writer and producer, known for The Capture (2017), Rage (2014) and Game of Death (2011).

John Maclean – Screenwriter & Director

Credits include: Slow West, Pitch Black Heist

John’s debut feature 'Slow West' was released in 2015 and won multiple awards including one at Sundance.

Marcus Markou – Screenwriter & Director

Credits include: Papadopoulos & Sons

DIY filmmaker Marcus wrote, directed, financed, produced and self distributed indie favourite Papadopoulos & Sons.

“

The Festival was full of clear, sensible and realistic advice – none of that wishy-washy stuff here!"

Grace Dixon

Actors

Matthew Joseph Campbell – Writer, Actor

Matthew Joseph-Campbell graduated from New College Lanarkshire’s Acting & Performance course in 2016.

Stephen Arthur – Writer, Actor

Stephen Arthur is a trained actor and writer, graduating in 2016 with a First class Honours in BA Acting from New College Lanarkshire.

“

I have learnt so much that I can implement in my own writing. I came away inspired, motivated and loving life!"

Caroline Towers, Screenwriter

People Who Know Stuff

Lucy V Hay – Script Editor | Bang2write

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

Lucy is legendary for her enthusiasm and the knowledge she shares with her Bang2Write community and is a core member of the LSF team.

Ellin Stein – Script Editor, Educator

Author of That's Not Funny, That's Sick

Ellin teaches screenwriting on the MA Script Writing programme at Goldsmiths and has worked in development for numerous production companies in the US and UK.

Chris Jones – LSF Director & Founder, Filmmaker, Author

Credits include the Oscar®-shortlisted Gone Fishing; author of the Guerilla Handbooks

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

Bob Schultz – Writer, Producer, Professor, Instructor

Credits include Below Zero, Hitlersaurus!

Writer, producer, screenwriting professor and co-founder of ScriptFest.

Stephen Follows – Writer and producer

Credits include: Baseline, Sign Language

Stephen Follows is an award-winning writer and producer.

Jean Kitson – Agent, Kitson Press Associates

Founder: Kitson Press Associates

Jean Kitson is an agent representing film, TV, theatre and radio writers and particular interest in both mainstream drama and children's media.

Adele Anderson – Personal Fitness Trainer and Screenwriter

After several years of working in the fitness industry while trying to learn how to write a great TV pilot, Adele took an unexpected pivot: writing an experimental audio drama that combined storytelling and exercise.

Caroline Ferguson – Writer and Mindset Trainer

She's developed a set of powerful mindset tools to help writers ditch self-sabotage and achieve more consistent creative flow.

Chris Gore – Writer, Comedian, Author and Television Personality

Chris Gore is a writer, comedian, author and television personality who has built a solid reputation as a hilariously outspoken voice in the entertainment world.

Harriet Bratt – International Speaker, Trainer

Harriet Bratt is an international speaker, trainer, fire walk instructor and WARRIOR. Her mission is to empower people globally to Unleash their Warrior within... and Master their Life.

Houston Howard – Co-Founder of One 3 Creative, Producer, author

You're Gonna Need A Bigger Story, You're Gonna Need A Bigger Workbook

Viewing story through a transmedia lens, a thought leader and creator of the SUPER STORY method.

Ian Shorr – Writer, Producer and panda enthusiast

Known for Splinter (2008), Office Uprising (2018) and Infinite (2021)

Ian Shorr is a prolific spec-hound, with several spec sales to his name.

Joanna Tilley – Writer and Script Consultant

Since writers struggle writers to create female characters as three-dimensional as their leading men, Joanna consults on developing the female elements of scripts

Lee Jessup – Career Coach

Credits include: Getting It Write: An Insider's Guide To A Screenwriting Career

Lee is a career coach for screenwriters, with an exclusive focus on the screenwriter's professional development.

May Gibson – Producer & Script Development Executive

Credits include: The Musketeers, Wolfblood

May has worked on the development and production of many television drama, comedy and children’s programmes for the UK and the US.

Patti Good – Therapist, Teacher, Healer and Spiritual Mentor

Meditation Teacher, Doula, Hypnobirthing Practitioner and Reiki Master

Meditation Teacher, Accredited Journey Practitioner, a Certified BodyTalk Practitioner, an EFT Practitioner,

Philip Hughes – Screenwriter, Educator

Writing credits include Thunderpants, I Want Candy, The Queen's Nose

Phil is Course Leader for BA(Hons) Film & Screen degree at Regent’s University, London and is an experienced script editor for film and TV.

Roxanne Harvey – Producer

Credits include: Casualty, The Bill, Bad Girls

Roxanne works as a story producer for Snowed In Productions and worked on the adaptation of the latest installment of "Strike".

Sean Robert Daniels – Nicholl Fellow-winning Screenwriter

Killers, The Docket, The Last Victims

Screenwriter, head writer, script editor, story consultant, and 1st South African to win the Academy Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting

Shannan E. Johnson – CEO of The Professional Pen

Shannan E. Johnson is a former creative executive of TV development and programming turned CEO of the first black-owned script consultancy.

Suzanne Gundersen – Founder of ScreenwriteNOW

Suzanne Gundersen is Founder of ScreenwriteNOW and Inner Story Consultant who mentors & teaches screenwriters and industry creatives how to clear the path that let’s their story flow.