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Rushes Soho Short Film Festival

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at 13 July 2009 in Announcements, Competitions, Film, Scriptwriting and screenwriting. 11 Comments

My film, Enemy Lines, has been selected in the short film category at this year’s Rushes Soho Shorts Festival:

soho shorts film festival

140 new films from 18 countries will be competing in 8 categories: Long Form, International, Newcomer, Short Film, Documentary, Animation, Music Video and Broadcast Design. The Official Competition Screenings will be held at The Institute of Contemporary Arts in central London. The Awards Ceremony will be held on Thursday 30th July 2009.

enemy lines short film

Enemy Lines will be screened on Thursday 23 July (6.30pm , Cinema 1; Saturday 25 July (9pm, Cinema 2) and Wednesday 29 July (9pm, Cinema 1).

Other films to be screened at the festival include Sadie Frost’s Directorial Debut, Danny Boyles End Credit Sequence for Slumdog Millionaire, actors such as Michael Bryne (Gangs of New York), Juliet Stevenson (Bend It Like Beckham), Nick Nolte (Hotel Rwanda, 48 Hours), Connie Fischer (Sound Of Music), Russel Tovey (Being Human), Chris Hehir (Green Street), Danny Cunningham (24 Hour Party People), Jack O’Connell (This is England), comedians such as Adam Buxton Lulu McClatchy and Alexei Sayle, and music videos from McFly to Royskopp, Will Young to Goldfrapp, Coldplay and U2 and many more.

Having grown dramatically every year since its inauguration in 1998, this year’s festival runs over 10 days and offers a wide range of events including the Opening Night Premiere ‘The Calling’, BAFTA Short Filmmakers Market, seminars, panel discussions, guest screening programmes, receptions and exhibitions held in 15 different venues in Soho district.

All events and full booking details can be found on their website: www.sohoshorts.com.

I’ll be going down for the Wednesday screening and will be meeting up with my director, Michael Steel. Please let me know if you’re going to any of the screenings.

The Art and Science of Screenwriting

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Fiona Veitch Smith

at 30 April 2009 in Book reviews, Scriptwriting and screenwriting. 2 Comments

I first encountered screenwriting teacher and script consultant Phil Parker at a workshop for the shortlisted candidates of Northern Film and Media’s Maxi Stinger scheme. I had to leave early to pick up my daughter from daycare, so unfortunately missed the last 90 minutes of the workshop. So I decided to get Phil’s book The Art and Science of Screenwriting to see what I’d missed. I’m so glad I did.

Phil is a producer and freelance development consultant whose clients include Aardman Animation (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit) and The Mob (Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather). He is the founder and Course Director of the MA in Screenwriting, at London College of Communication, University of the Arts, London.
Continue reading ‘The Art and Science of Screenwriting’

Screenwriting: the director’s perspective

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Fiona Veitch Smith

at 10 December 2008 in Guest Blogs, Scriptwriting and screenwriting. 1 Comment

In my last post on Filmmaking: the screenwriter’s role I told you how many people, including the director, can suggest or even demand a script rewrite. So I’ve asked an up and coming writer / director for his perspective on the creative process.

Alex Kinsey is a 28 year old actor and director. Acting work has included short films, TV dramas, commercials and theatre work. He wrote, directed and produced his first short film ‘Smile’ – a strange tale of a sinister meeting in the ‘Get Carter’ car park in Gateshead. Alex directed the short film ‘Maybe One Day’ through the Stingers scheme in 2008. Another recent short film he wrote and directed, ‘The Other Woman’, can be seen on Northern Film and Media’s website.
Continue reading ‘Screenwriting: the director’s perspective’

Script analysis of Wall-E

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Fiona Veitch Smith

at 30 July 2008 in Scriptwriting and screenwriting. 0 Comments

It’s good to see someone else analysing a ‘product’ from a writer’s perspective. The good folk over at the Script Factory are running a monthly script analysis of a popular film to see what makes it tick. This month it is Pixar’s delightful Wall-E. For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, check out the trailer:

When Theatre Crosses the Pond

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Fiona Veitch Smith

at 22 July 2008 in Author interviews, Business of Writing, Scriptwriting and Theatre. 2 Comments

The internet makes our world smaller. It’s thanks to social networking sites like Inked In that I’ve met other writers from around the world. One of them is American playwright Joseph Hayes who has had his work performed in the UK and the USA – an incredible 10 plays and 18 productions in seven years. I decided to ask him about writing for theatre on both sides of the Pond and whether American audiences are different from British. Continue reading ‘When Theatre Crosses the Pond’

Tips on pitching scripts

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Fiona Veitch Smith

at 18 July 2008 in Scriptwriting, Theatre and screenwriting. 0 Comments

I just came across this excellent post on pitching scripts. It’s about a year old, but, like good wine, holds its age well. While you’re there have a dig around the site. There are links to all sorts of interesting articles and information on writing for performance. Check it out at Writing for Performance and while you’re there, say I sent you!

New Writing for theatre

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Fiona Veitch Smith

at 17 June 2008 in Author interviews, Scriptwriting and Theatre. 4 Comments

In this fourth session on writing for performance our guest is Jeremy Herrin, who will be chatting to us about New Writing for theatre. Jeremy is Associate Director at Live Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne as well as running the New Writing department. He has directed productions at the National Theatre, The Royal Court, in the West End and at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg. He has also enjoyed directing short films and radio plays. Continue reading ‘New Writing for theatre’

Writing for Radio

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Fiona Veitch Smith

at 27 May 2008 in Author interviews, Radio and Scriptwriting. 8 Comments

Steve Chambers has written for theatre, radio, TV and film – his feature film Hold Back the Night won the audience prize at Cannes ’99 Critics Week. He has written episodes for Casualty and Byker Grove and adapted ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ for BBC Radio 4’s Classic Serial. He is currently developing a number of new ideas for broadcast and in development with a new feature film with NE film-maker Sarah McCarthy. A director of Bruvvers Theatre Co as well as New Writing North, he also works as a script mentor and teacher of dramatic narrative fiction. Steve was kind enough to answer some of our questions about writing for radio: Continue reading ‘Writing for Radio’

Writing Short Films

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Fiona Veitch Smith

at 21 May 2008 in Author interviews, Scriptwriting and screenwriting. 3 Comments

My very first script has been included in the Stingers 6 programme with Northern Film and Media in Newcastle upon Tyne. FNA films are producing and Michael Steele, directing. It is funded by the UK Film Council and will be screened at a film festival in October. I wrote the script for ‘Enemy Lines’ (about a British soldier returning from Iraq and getting caught up in an anti-war protest) while attending a 10-week short film course at the Tyneside Cinema run by Peter Dillon. Rather than setting myself up as an expert with one film not-quite-in-the-can, I asked Peter to tell us more about writing short films. Continue reading ‘Writing Short Films’

Play festivals and competitions

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Fiona Veitch Smith

at 28 February 2008 in Scriptwriting. 0 Comments

If you are in Newcastle on Friday 29 February, drop by Live Theatre to see Shortcuts, a marathon of 16 five minute plays. My play, ‘Pig Stew’, about three sisters who inherit a pig farm in Northumberland, will be one of the contestants. The audience have a chance to vote for their favourite short play. Starting at 6pm.

More good news on the play front is that ‘The Idol of Sarajevo’ is a semi-finalist in the Reverie New Generation Playwriting Contest in New York. The winner will receive a full staging in the big apple. Sarajevo has already been shortlisted for three other awards, so let’s hope this time it will be the bride and not just the bridesmaid.

For a list of play competitions – a good way to get yourself and your scripts noticed – check out Writernet