BAFTA/Ricky Darko Amanda Webster chosen at BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing event to attend MIPJunior programming market in Cannes
Supported by The London Book Fair
London, 15 September: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), in partnership with Rocliffe, and supported by The London Book Fair, has announced the name of an emerging children’s screenwriter who has been selected to attend the MIPJunior international children’s programming market in Cannes in October.
Amanda Webster, from St Annes in Lancashire, was chosen by a panel of industry experts and will receive a full delegate pass and expenses-paid trip to the market. The trip is organised by The London Book Fair and will include extensive industry introductions and networking opportunities.
Amanda’s script Hex Tecs centres around a team of child paranormal detectives. It was chosen as part of the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum, a long-running initiative which aims to give a platform to undiscovered screenwriters and help them to develop their careers. This is the second year that BAFTA and Rocliffe have worked with The London Book Fair to support writers for children.
Amanda was shortlisted alongside Olga Rozanova and Mariana Serapicos to feature in a showcase event at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, the Academy's London headquarters, on Saturday 12 September. All three finalists had extracts of their scripts performed by professional actors for an audience of producers, development executives, directors, actors and literary agents, and received live feedback on their work from BAFTA industry guests.
The expert panel that awarded the trip to Amanda comprised: Helen Blakeman, BAFTA-winning writer (Dustbin Baby) and Chair of the BAFTA Children's Committee; Lucy Martin, Drama Executive at CBBC (Rocket’s Island, House of Anubis); BAFTA-nominated writer Diane Whitley (House of Anubis, World’s End); Cecilia Persson, VP Acquisitions and Co-Productions, Kids, Turner Broadcasting System EMEA; and Sam D’Elia from The London Book Fair.
Amanda said: “Getting picked to attend MIPJunior is beyond fantastic! It's an unbelievable opportunity and I am completely indebted to the panel for enabling me to take this project further forward. The forum was a great chance to network with industry professionals and I can wholeheartedly recommend this opportunity to other writers. It took me a while but it's definitely been worth the wait!”
Helen Blakeman, Chair of the BAFTA Children's Committee said: “We are delighted that, in the second year of our partnership with The London Book Fair, we have found such outstanding talent through this BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing initiative. I hope that Amanda and our two other finalists benefit from the experience and insights they have gained from our industry experts, and I very much look forward to following their career progress as children’s writers.”
Jacks Thomas, Director of The London Book Fair said: “The BAFTA Rocliffe showcase of the three finalists – Mariana, Olga and Amanda – was a triumph of writing and a fabulous affirmation of the UK’s creative talent. At its core, The London Book Fair is an enabler for both new and established creators, and so it will be our pleasure to spend time with Amanda at MIPJunior and to promote the other finalists’ work through our activities there.”
Farah Abushwesha, Founder of Rocliffe, said: “It’s always so thrilling to see how writers respond to having their work performed by professional actors, but this isn’t just about the showcase or this one script. It’s also about opening doors for writers, creating opportunities and helping them to evolve careers which is what this trip to MIPJunior will do.”
Project synopsis and screenwriter’s biography:
Amanda Webster - Hex Tecs
Synopsis: A group of children team up to form the ‘Hex Tecs’ – a detective force, solving unexplained paranormal activity in their local neighbourhood.
Amanda Webster was raised in London and now lives in St Annes, Lancashire. Following a degree in Screenwriting at the University of Central Lancashire, Amanda wrote promos and jingles for local radio, before returning to study for an MA in Screenwriting at Liverpool John Moores University. During this time she reached the finals of the British Short Screenplay Competition and obtained Lottery funding for a short film that screened at Manchester’s Commonwealth Film festival. Since then, Amanda has written short scripts for further filmmaking schemes and completed several feature-length scripts. For two years she taught the Screenwriting for Children module on the MA Writing for Children course at the University of Central Lancashire.
For further information, please contact:
Eleanor Thrower
Tel: 020 7292 5863
Email: [email protected]
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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 Rocliffe
Rocliffe created a series of events, notably the New Writing Forums, now held at BAFTA and renamed the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum. It has a popular blog Farah’s Rocliffe Notes which is being published as a book in 2014. With its inception in 2000 by founding member Farah Abushwesha and a team of dedicated volunteers including award winning director Susan Jacobson and casting directors Laura Dickens CDG, Catherine Willis and Kahleen Crawford. The format of the New Writing Forum is truly original – following a public script call-out in the months before the event, three diverse pieces are selected from the hundreds received and performed live by professional actors in front of a live audience. The pieces are framed by especially composed music by new composers from Air Edel and digital art. The event showcases undiscovered talent – a must attend for agents and talent scouts alike; development focused discussions generated by the readings; exposure to and advice from experienced industry members; feedback from an audience and an invaluable method to test out new concepts and material. Given the often isolating nature of the industry, the forums create the ideal environment for networking as well as unknown writers the chance to get their work seen and heard. Past featured writers include James Dormer, Jack Thorne, Josh Appignanesi and Claire Wilson.
About The London Book Fair (LBF)
The London Book Fair (LBF) is the global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and digital channels. Taking place every spring in the world’s premier publishing and cultural capital, it is a unique opportunity to explore, understand and capitalise on the innovations shaping the publishing world of the future. LBF brings you direct access to customers, content and emerging markets. LBF 2016, the 44th Fair, will take place from Tuesday 12-Thursday 14 April 2016, Olympia London. LBF’s London Book and Screen Week will run for the third year, with the book fair as the pivotal three day event within a seven day programme. London Book and Screen Week will open on Monday 11 April, the day before LBF opens. For further information, please visit: www.londonbookfair.co.uk
