You are here

BAFTA and BFI Screenwriters’ Lecture Series

14 August 2012

Celebrated screenwriters Julian Fellowes, Scott Frank, Peter Straughan, Brian Helgeland and Abi Morgan to deliver lectures as part of the third annual BAFTA and BFI series exploring the art of the screenwriter.

Celebrated screenwriters Julian Fellowes, Scott Frank, Peter Straughan, Brian Helgeland and Abi Morgan to deliver lectures as part of the third annual BAFTA and BFI series exploring the art of the screenwriter

London, 15 August: Throughout September and October 2012, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and BFI (British Film Institute) will host lectures delivered by some of the best screenwriters working in international cinema. The season is funded by JJ Charitable Trust, one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts.

Now in its third year, the series celebrates the screenwriter’s contribution to a film’s creative vision. The marks a screenwriter makes on a blank page are often the first steps of a film’s journey to the screen, yet it is the contribution of the director and the actors that gets the most attention once the film is produced. This series gives a platform to the world’s top screenwriters to explore their creative processes and share their insights with an audience of film-lovers and their peers.

The strand will feature five events at BAFTA and BFI Southbank from 26 September – 27 October this year:
Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey, Gosford Park, Separate Lies) kicks off the season on Wednesday 26 September at BFI; Scott Frank (Minority Report, Out of Sight, Marley & Me) follows on Monday 1 October also at BFI and then later in October we reconvene with Peter Straughan (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Men Who Stare at Goats, The Debt), Brian Helgeland (LA Confidential, Green Zone, The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3) at BFI Southbank on 24 and 26 October respectively; and to close the series, Abi Morgan (The Iron Lady, The Hour, Shame) will be at BAFTA on 27 October.

The season has been programmed by Screenwriter and BAFTA Film Committee member Jeremy Brock (Mrs. Brown, Last King of Scotland, Eagle of the Ninth) who says: “We want to celebrate some of the best writers in the industry and also champion screenwriters as collaborative authors of films, rather than simply as adjuncts of the director’s vision. A film is not a singular piece of work, but a true collaboration.”

Webcasts of all the lectures including exclusive video content will be available to all on the BAFTA and BFI websites later in the year as part of our commitment to learning: www.bafta.org/guru and www.bfi.org.uk. The 2011 Lecture Series including lectures with Charlie Kaufman, William Nicholson, Moira Buffini, Paul Laverty, John Logan, Frank Cottrell Boyce and Guillermo Arriaga is screening on Sky Arts at 8pm on Thursday evenings through August and the first weeks of September.

Booking information

26 September
01 October
24 October
26 October
29 October
Julian Fellowes
Scott Frank
Peter Straughan
Brian Helgeland
Abi Morgan
BFI Southbank
BFI Southbank
BFI Southbank
BFI Southbank
BAFTA

Tickets for the Abi Morgan Lecture can be purchased from www.bafta.org/whats-on. For all others at BFI Southbank Box Office tel: 020 7928 3232. Unless otherwise stated, tickets are £10.00, concs £6.75 (Members pay £1.50 less). Tickets for Julian Fellowes and Scott Frank are now on sale to BFI members and go on sale to non-members from 21 August. All others are on sale to BFI members from 2 October and to non-members from 9 October.


Further Information

For access to imagery and interview requests please contact Elizabeth or Hollie at Kindred Agency,

Elizabeth Porter: 020 7010 0851 / [email protected]

Hollie Rendall: 020 7010 0829 / [email protected]


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 Learning & Events programme that offers unique access to some of the world’s most inspiring talent through workshops, masterclasses, lectures and mentoring schemes, connecting with audiences of all ages and backgrounds across the UK, Los Angeles and New York. BAFTA relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support its ongoing outreach work. For further information, visit www.bafta.org and www.bafta.org/guru.


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.


JJ Charitable Trust Logo BFI Film forever logo