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BAFTA and BFI to Host 6th Annual Screenwriters’ Lecture Series in Association with JJ Charitable Trust

22 July 2015
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Five internationally acclaimed screenwriters will speak between 23 September and 3 October

London, 22 July: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and the BFI (British Film Institute) today announced that the latest in their prestigious series of lectures by the world’s leading screenwriters will feature Britons Nick Hornby and Jimmy McGovern, Americans Nancy Meyers and Beau Willimon, and Australian Andrew Bovell. The lectures will take place in London between Wednesday 23 September and Saturday 3 October inclusive.

Now in its sixth year, the BAFTA and BFI Screenwriters’ Lecture Series exists to celebrate screenwriters’ authorial contribution to film, and gives esteemed writers a platform to share highlights and insights from their careers with an audience of film-lovers and their peers. The series is funded by JJ Charitable Trust, one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts. The official airline to the series is United Airlines.

BAFTA and Oscar-nominated writer and novelist Nick Hornby (An Education, Wild) starts the season on Wednesday 23 September at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly. Screenwriter and playwright Andrew Bovell (Lantana, A Most Wanted Man) takes to the stage at BAFTA on Friday 25 September, followed by Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated writer and director Nancy Meyers (Private Benjamin, It’s Complicated) on Saturday 26 September. BAFTA and Emmy award-winning writer and producer Jimmy McGovern (Hillsborough, The Street) will speak on Tuesday 29 September at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, before BAFTA, Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy nominated writer and showrunner Beau Willimon (The Ides of March, House of Cards) delivers the final lecture in the series on Saturday 3 October at BFI Southbank.

This year’s season is programmed by BAFTA-winning screenwriter Jeremy Brock and BAFTA-winning producer Andrea Calderwood. Jeremy Brock, who originally conceived the series, said: “Each year, the Screenwriters’ Lecture Series brings the importance of the screenwriters’ role into sharp focus. Through their original ideas and adaptations, this season’s esteemed speakers have helped bring to the screen stories that have touched our hearts, cheered our souls, and made us think.”

Anne Morrison, Chair of BAFTA said: “We’re thrilled to welcome such a wonderful line up of international talent for this year’s Screenwriters’ Lecture Series. Together our speakers have written some of the most successful and critically acclaimed films and television programmes of recent times, and boast a truly impressive range of credits spanning the decades. We look forward to sharing their insights with the public and their peers.”

Heather Stewart, Creative Director, BFI said: “Great film and television begin with the writer and this year’s Screenwriters’ Lecture Series once again offers a rare privilege for professionals and fans alike to glimpse inside the writer’s world and discover the secrets of their craft. This is a must-see series that we’re proud to work alongside BAFTA in presenting.”

As part of both organisations’ commitment to learning, podcasts of all the lectures, including exclusive video content, will be available for free on BAFTA Guru, BAFTA’s online learning channel, and the BFI’s VOD service BFI Player, later in the year. Lectures from previous years of the series are available now at http://player.bfi.org.uk/  (search for ‘screenwriters’).

Booking information:

Public tickets for Nick Hornby, Andrew Bovell, Nancy Meyers and Jimmy McGovern, are available from 1pm on Friday 7 August via the BAFTA website (www.bafta.org/whats-on). Tickets for Beau Willimon are on sale from 11.30am on Tuesday 11 August through the BFI Southbank box office (www.bfi.org.uk/whatson).

BFI and BAFTA members can book tickets from Tuesday 4 August and Wednesday 5 August respectively.

Event dates and venues:

Wednesday 23 September       Nick Hornby                 BAFTA 195 Piccadilly

Friday 25 September                Andrew Bovell             BAFTA 195 Piccadilly

Saturday 26 September           Nancy Meyers              BAFTA 195 Piccadilly

Tuesday 29 September             Jimmy McGovern        BAFTA 195 Piccadilly

Saturday 3 October                 Beau Willimon              BFI Southbank

For further information, images and biographies of the screenwriters, please contact:

Daisy Jestico / Hollie Rendall at Kindred Agency

Tel: 020 7010 0834 / 020 7010 0829

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

For images, logos, accreditation, transcripts and more, visit www.bafta.org/press. Images for the series will also be available through Rex Features.

About BAFTA

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is an independent charity that supports, develops and promotes the art forms of the moving image by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public. In addition to its Awards ceremonies, BAFTA has a year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – featuring workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes – in the UK, USA and Asia; it offers unique access to the world’s most inspiring talent and connects with a global audience of all ages and backgrounds. BAFTA relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support its ongoing outreach work. To access the best creative minds in film, television and games production, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org.

About the BFI

The BFI is the lead body for film in the UK with the ambition to create a flourishing film environment in which innovation, opportunity and creativity can thrive by:

Connecting audiences to the widest choice of British and World cinema
Preserving and restoring the most significant film collection in the world for today and future generations
Championing emerging and world class film makers in the UK
Investing in creative, distinctive and entertaining work
Promoting British film and talent to the world 
Growing the next generation of film makers and audiences

For further information, visit www.bfi.org.uk.

The BFI Southbank is open to all. BFI members are entitled to a discount on all tickets. BFI Southbank box office tel: 020 7928 3232. Unless otherwise stated tickets are £11.75, concs £9.20. Members pay £1.50 less on any ticket. Website: www.bfi.org.uk/southbank.

About United

United operates up to 17 flights per day from Heathrow to six of its U.S. hubs: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C./Dulles. In addition to its Heathrow services, United offers nonstop service from Manchester to New York/Newark and (on a seasonal basis) Washington/Dulles, from Edinburgh to New York/Newark and (on a seasonal basis) Chicago and from Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow and (on a seasonal basis) Newcastle to New York/Newark. United offers nonstop trans-Atlantic service from more U.K. cities than any other airline. United Airlines and United Express operate an average of nearly 5,000 flights a day to 373 airports across six continents. In 2014, United and United Express operated nearly two million flights carrying 138 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates nearly 700 mainline aircraft, and this year, the airline anticipates taking delivery of 34 new Boeing aircraft, including the 787-9 and the 737-900ER. United is also welcoming 49 new Embraer E175 aircraft to United Express. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 27 member airlines. More than 84,000 United employees reside in every U.S. state and in countries around the world. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.