BAFTA Launch - Science Fiction - Guest Speakers

Screenwriters’ Festival Launches 6th May 2008 @ Bafta

On Tuesday 6th May 2008 the third Screenwriters’ Festival has it's official Press Launch at BAFTA in London. In association with BAFTA and Chateau de Sours wine there will be a small 'mini' festival for a specially invited audience of press and BAFTA members. To give a small flavour of Festivals past, William Nicholson and Julian Fellowes will talk on thorny issues facing screenwriters. We will also have the Pitch Competition winners explaining what has happened in their careers since winning the live pitching competitions at SWF 2006 and 2007. So that you all get a chance to see the event our intrepid Vlogger Tom Williams will be there to capture the event and it will be available for you to view on the website in due course, along with photos and a news update.

Science Fiction Writers Everywhere

For fans of the strange and wonderful note that on Saturday 26th April 2008 the Alt.Fiction 2008 takes place at the Darwin Suite, Assembly Rooms, Derby. The day long festival presents the UK's leading talent in science-fiction, fantasy and horror writing with authors including Brian Lumley, Michael Marshall Smith, Mike Carey, Charlie Stross, Graham Joyce, Justina Robson and an interesting screenwriting session with Stephen Gallagher, who has adapted his own material into scripts including 'Chimera' and 'Oktober'.

Tickets for the day cost £20/£16 concessions. Doors open at 11am for a 12pm start, with a 9pm close.

For further details contact Alex Davis on 01332 715434 or at alex.davis@derby.gov.uk or visit the Alt.Fiction blog at http://altfictionday.blogspot.com and the Derby Council website http://www.derby.gov.uk/LeisureCulture/ArtsEntertainment/Alt.Fiction.htm.

A Prelim Schedule has been published on the blog, but this is subject to change.

GUEST SPEAKER PROFILES #11 and #12

SPEAKER PROFILE #11 - Vadim Jean Vadim Jean - Vadim started work as a runner on Stormy Monday (Mike Figgis) after graduating from Warwick University with a degree in History. His first feature was 'Leon the Pig Farmer', no budget but plenty of "chutzpah" which went on to win the Chaplin Award for best feature at the Edinburgh Film Festival and the International Critics Prize at the Venice Film Festival. Other films he directed 'Clockwork Mice', 'The Real Howard Spitz', 'One More Kiss' and 'Jiminy Glick in La-La Land' before going on to do BAFTA award winning 'The Hogfather' and the most recently aired 'The Colour of Magic' both for SkyTV.

SPEAKER PROFILE #12 - Kate Leys Kate Leys - Kate is a feature film script editor. She works on projects at all stages of development, currently ranging from the first outline of UK author Julie Myerson’s bestselling book SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN to script notes on Ash Ditta’s FRENCH FILM 6 weeks before shooting. As well as working with screenwriters and producers she advises both commercial and public film financiers including DNA, The Weinstein Co and Media Europe, and teaches script development to post-graduate students at the National Film School. She also evaluates screenwriting courses for Skillset. She has also been involved in the development of some of the UK's most successful feature films including 'The Full Monty', 'Orphans', 'East is East' and 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'.