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BAFTA reveals UK’s most promising new film writers following a nationwide competition

11 June 2020

Dominic Flint, Lawrence Pumfrey and Claire Tailyour revealed as winners of BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Competition

The British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA) and Rocliffe have announced the three winners of the nationwide BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Competition for Film, a platform for aspiring screenwriters to have their work showcased and to take their writing career to the next level.

The BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Competition winners for Film are:

  • Dominic Flint for The Burning Hill 
  • Lawrence Pumfrey for Peakland
  • Claire Tailyour for Mother Wild

The winners will be supported through mentoring and networking opportunities, as well as receiving access to BAFTA’s year-round learning events programme.

The Jury selecting this year’s winning writers included actor Colm Meaney, actor-writer-directors Romola Garai and Clint Dyer, director Annemarie Jacir and Louisa Dent from Curzon, Emma Berkofsky from Lionsgate and Todd Brown from XYZ from a shortlist drawn up by a panel of creatives including execs from Mubi, Film4, and Netflix. See link for full list 

The BAFTA Rocliffe-winning film scripts will also be showcased to industry guests later this year, where an extract from each script will be performed by professional actors, previous years’ casts have included Jodie Comer, Himesh Patel, MyAnna Burning, Cyril Nri, Greg Wise, Taj Atwal, Valene Kane and Sharon D Clarke. BAFTA is currently exploring options around delivering a digital showcase event. Previous industry showcase guests who have attended and offered feedback to writers at BAFTA Rocliffe showcases include Amanda Posey, Finola Dwyer, Lucinda Coxon, Richard Eyre, Damian Jones, Julian Fellowes, Matt Greenhalgh and Moira Buffini.

The BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Competition is BAFTA’s flagship writing programme in partnership with Rocliffe. This is the 20th consecutive year that the competition is taking place with BAFTA’s support since 2007. Past winners include Amanda Duke, Zu Quirke, Dan Brierley, Ryan Brown, Javid Rezai, Claire Wilson, and BAFTA nominee and Breakthrough Kayleigh Llewellyn.

Over the course of a two-year period, BAFTA Rocliffe runs four competitions across genres including film, TV comedy, young adult and children’s media, and TV drama.

Today, BAFTA announces the winners for the Film competition, with applications opening for TV comedy scripts on Monday 27 July 2020, and children’s media and TV drama both opening for applications in 2021. To find out more or submit a script for upcoming competitions visit www.bafta.org/supporting-talent/rocliffe.

Krishnendu Majumdar, BAFTA Chair, said: “We’re delighted to introduce and showcase these exciting British film writers to the industry. The program has a fantastic track record in identifying truly talented writers and creators who have gone onto enjoy great success. I look forward to seeing this cohort progress their careers and welcome them into the BAFTA community.”

Farah Abushwesha, Founder of Rocliffe, said: “It is always incredible to see how the jury respond to the scripts on the day, and the fact that these writers have been selected through a completely blind process is very exciting, allowing for a level selection process. Whilst we have three great winners chosen on the strength of their writing alone, we are also able to offer all unsuccessful applicants a detailed script report to help them to develop their writing and story skills.”

Find out more about BAFTA Rocliffe at www.bafta.org/supporting-talent/rocliffe.

For introductions to the writers please email [email protected]

- Ends -

Notes to Editors

Project synopses of the writers:

THE BURNING HILL – Dominic Flint

Genre: Dark thriller

Robbed and shot on Copacabana Beach, a young British soldier sets out to save the kid who nearly killed him from a grim fate.

PEAKLAND - Lawrence Pumfrey

Genre: Western

An 18th Century British-Western that follows a one-time mining family - now bandits - as they seek revenge by kidnapping the daughter of their wrongdoer.

MOTHER WILD – Claire Tailyour

Genre: Thriller

A pregnant woman on the run from a pandemic is forced to raise her half beast daughter in the wilderness.

The Jury selecting the three winners were Annemarie Jacir - Writer-Director, Wajib, When I Saw You, Clint Dyer - Actor, Black Mirror, Writer-Director, Death of England (NT), Colm Meaney - Producer, Actor, Con Air, Intermission, The Last Right, Emma Berkofsky - Head Of Development at Lionsgate UK, Military Wives, How To Build A Girl, Louisa Dent - Managing Director, Curzon Artificial Eye, Olivia Hetreed - Writer, Girl With A Pearl Earring, Wuthering Heights,  Romola Garai - Actor, Atonement, The Hour, The Windermere Children, Writer-Director, Amulet, Sophie Holland - Casting Director, The Witcher, The Kill Team,  Tim Corrie - Former BAFTA Chairman and director of DLT ltd, Todd Brown - Head of International Acquisitions, XYZ Films

For further information, please contact:

Sophie Dudhill / BAFTA

E: [email protected] / [email protected] 

About BAFTA

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – which includes workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia – BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For advice and inspiration from the best creative minds in working in film, games and television, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org.