nine writers screenwriting residencies nine films

screenwriting
residencies
nine writers
nine films
Welcome
The Nine: new features from Scotland
Nine new writers, nine new films
Our inspiration for the Screenwriting Residencies has always been to
help produce the best screenwriters in the world. Scotland has a rich
tradition of storytelling and we are delighted to support these writers
outside of the film development process, allowing them space to find
their distinct voices, and uncovering the stories they really want to tell.
The nine selected all have strong track records in their own fields which
include short films, novels, television and stage. They went through a
rigorous selection process, competing with over ninety fellow writers to
win a place on the programme.
Over an intense six months, they enjoyed support from some of the
worlds leading script consultants, Marten Rabarts, Molly Stensgaard and
Olivia Stewart. All influential in their fields, they challenged the writers
and provoked them to excel while allowing them freedom to write their
own compelling stories. They have worked hard, drafting, redrafting
and honing their screenplays ready to present them to their peers. The
programme also offered access to specialists and inspiration at home
with master classes from award winning writer Andrea Gibb ('Afterlife'
and 'Dear Frankie') and peer networking.
Without the legacy of Scotland’s filmmakers and the support of
investment bodies here at home, working with such talented
participants and advisors would not have been possible. We look forward
to these writers building on the foundations of the nation’s filmmakers
and forging their own place on the world’s cinema screen.
We are sure you will find something here to intrigue and beguile you.
Claire Dow
June 2012
Viv
Adam
Viv Adam
Viv spent her childhood scribbling stories and pretending to be a dog.
After University she worked in a Camphill Community in Aberdeenshire,
and became part of a pioneering group starting up a new community in
Dumfries. The story of how Camphill began, at the outbreak of World
War II, provided the inspiration for ‘Life Unworthy Of Life’. Viv left
Camphill to become a writer – but has pursued a varied career path to
fund that addiction.
Viv has written extensively for theatre and television, as well as creating
short films for graduating student showcases. She’s had poetry and
short stories published, and wrote the award winning Edinburgh Literary
Pub Tour - but her big love is film.
She has written several screenplays, including ‘The Skin On Shingle’,
‘Holly’, ‘Misconduct’ and ‘White Woman Running’.
Life Unworthy of Life
This started as a story about the origins of Camphill – how a group of
privileged, intelligent professionals fled Vienna after the Nazi occupation
to create a community for children with special needs in Scotland. A
worthy tale rather than a gripping one? In my mind these people were
incredibly glamorous, sexy characters and it was their fallibility that
interested me – their loves, friendships, failures and flaws.
This was especially poignant when set against the horrific backdrop of
Hitler’s plan to destroy life unworthy of life – the secret but systematic
killing of the mentally and physically disabled which later encompassed
gypsies, homosexuals and Jews.
It soon became clear that the story I wanted to tell was huge and,
thanks to my mentor’s guidance, I made the decision to tell only the first
part of the story – the growing Nazi menace in Viennese café society,
the first horrors of mass murder, the flight to Scotland and those first
tentative days in a bleak manse in a hostile Scottish community.
“Viv has a very exciting project with epic content and epic potential. Her
sense of fun and enthusiasm for life and those who live it made it a pleasure
to work with her.”
Olivia Stewart
Raisah
Ahmed
Raisah Ahmed
Raisah Ahmed is a Scottish Asian Screenwriter based in Glasgow. Her
first feature film ‘Meet Me By The Water’ has been developed through
the Screenwriting Residences, under the mentorship of producer
Olivia Stewart.
Raisah graduated from Strathclyde University in 2009 with a Masters
in Literature, Culture and Place. Her postgraduate creative writing
dissertation is the inspiration behind ‘Meet Me By The Water’. In 2010
she was accepted on to Second Light, a scheme to encourage diversity
in the film industry. Through Second Light her first short film script, ‘Last
Order’, was commissioned by First Light, GMAC and Creative Scotland.
In 2012, she went on to write and direct a second short film, 'Laces',
for the Sundance London short film competition.
She is currently developing a short film project, a second feature
film, ‘Anthem Rise’, and a young adult novel.
Meet Me By The Water
‘Meet Me By The Water’ presents a snapshot of the lives of two families
living in the Scottish town of Tarbert. For a short space of time, the
lives of Amara Rahim and Noah Faraday intersect as they become a
part of each other’s journeys of finding a place for themselves in both
the immediate world of family and the greater question of, ‘Why am I
here?’ Vignettes thread together their experiences, as well as those of
their ancestors, in order to tell the stories. These bring up questions of
identity and belonging. Where do we belong? Who do we belong to?
Where is home? How do we form our identities? Through this the film
explores the parallels that exist in the lives of these characters across
time, countries and gender.
‘Meet Me By The Water’ is a film that will resonate with audiences around
the world, as the basic human experiences these characters share and
the questions they face impact everyone. By tapping into her memories
and personal feelings, Raisah has produced an intimate tableau, full of
vibrant detail, depicting the lives of two families in a small fishing
town in Scotland.”
Olivia Stewart
Hope Dickson
Leach
Hope Dickson Leach
Hope completed her MFA in filmmaking at Columbia University where
she made three short films that played at festivals worldwide. While in
New York she was assistant to Todd Solondz on his film ‘Palindromes’.
Hope’s award-winning thesis film, ‘The Dawn Chorus’, was selected
for Sundance, Edinburgh, London and many other festivals. Screen
International made her a Star of Tomorrow and Filmmaker Magazine
named her one of the ’25 New Faces of Independent Film’. Since
her return to the UK, she has made further acclaimed short works for
Channel 4, Film London, the UK Film Council and the National Theatre
of Scotland. She is currently developing her debut feature 'English
Rose', following a grant from the UKFC’s development fund, and is also
attached to direct ‘When I Could Fly’ for Quark Films.
Hope is represented by Elinor Burns at Casarotto, Ramsay & Associates.
The Queen Of Jura
Independent Scotland, 2025. Hildy Markham is running for election on
a platform of her new brand of nationalist socialism. Her most fervent
detractor is her estranged step-brother, the idealistic journalist Alex
Markham. When he is approached by a terrorist cell plotting the Hildy’s
assassination, he realises the only way he can decide her fate is by
becoming the marksman.
We flash backwards and forwards between the past and the present.
We witness the disintegration of Hildy and Alex’s relationship, her
n
descent into autocratic madness, and the tense run-up to the
assassination, where Alex struggles with his tortured conscience. At the
last minute, he decides not to pull the trigger - so he is shocked to see
Hildy shot and fall down at a rally. In prison, he is visited by Hildy, who
has survived. She was behind the entire plot. And with Alex incarcerated,
her ascent to power is unstoppable.
“Hope is both ambitious enough and enjoying her work enough, to pull her
grandiose story off. Her work is original, aggressive and tense, combining
the battle of two strong siblings with a look into our political future.”
Molly Stensgaard
Barry
Gornell
Barry Gornell
Barry Gornell was born in Liverpool and now lives on the West coast of
Scotland, trying to grow up with his children. He is supported by his wife.
He is a novelist/screenwriter, ex fire-fighter, truck driver and book shop
manager. His short films, ‘Sonny’s Pride’ (1997) and ‘The Race’ (2004)
were both broadcast on Scottish Television.
Graduating from the University of Glasgow Creative Writing Masters
programme in 2008, he was awarded a Scottish Book Trust New Writers
Bursary in 2009.
His short fiction has been published in The Herald newspaper, Lets
pretend, 37 stories about (in)fidelity (Freight 2009) and Gutter 03 (Freight
2010) and Gutter 04. His first novel, ‘The Healing of Luther Grove’, will
be published in September 2012. His second, ‘Dog Evans’ is due in 2013.
He is developing a screenplay about an enigma of the Victorian circus
and writing a bloodthirsty Gothic novel to disturb younger readers.
The Healing of Luther Grove
'The Healing of Luther Grove' is a Scottish thriller with commercial
potential. Dealing with universal themes, 'The Healing of Luther Grove'
is a Highland Noir of repressed guilt, unearthed secrets, sexual jealousy,
masculinity and vengeance. Set over one weekend, it shows the impact
one family has on one man when they relocate from the city to the
Scottish Highlands. It ultimately deals with a father’s greatest fear; being
responsible for the death of his own family.
When the Paynes; John, Laura and daughter Molly, arrive in the
Highlands for a fresh start, their presence, and their home, a showy,
glass and steel renovation of a stone ruin, destabilizes the reclusive
existence of their only neighbour, Luther Grove, triggering an
exhumation of all he has tried to bury. Personal incompatibility between
Luther and John is exacerbated by Luther’s obvious attraction to Laura.
Volatility becomes uncontrollable violence as both men unravel in front
of Laura.
“It is a pleasure to read Barry’s words. He is a wonderful writer and 'The
Healing of Luther Grove' is a perpetually intriguing study of love and loss
with the tension of a first class thriller.”
Olivia Stewart
Mandy
Lee
Mandy Lee
Mandy Lee is a Scottish screenwriter and writer of other things. She
comes from an art background after first studying Design at Edinburgh
College Of Art, before becoming an award-winning jeweller. In 2010
she graduated with an MFA in Advanced Film Practice from Screen
Academy Scotland where she wrote a trilogy of shorts on desire, and
won the Santander Prize for Creative and Media Excellence. As well as
‘Masterbaker’ on the Screenwriting Residency where she is mentored by
Marten Rabarts, she’s developing the black comedy short, ‘Trevor’ and
two other features: a black comedy horror on the EIFF Network, and
‘Jam Jar’ which explores the dark secrets we keep. In 2011 she was one
of three UK writers featured at the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum,
and a writer on the smart-phone drama ‘Persona’. Her first short play
‘Snap’, was staged at the Traverse Theatre as part of Noisy Words.
Masterbaker
'Masterbaker' is a quirky Scottish romantic comedy about George
Herriot, a shy, small-town baker. George has reached a moment in
his life where everything is going wrong. He’s nursing a broken heart
and just as he loses his passion for all things sponge-based, he’s
landed with the responsibility of running the ailing family bakery. At his
lowest ebb, he is rescued by an unlikely friendship with a moonlighting
co-worker, who inspires him to fight to save the business from rival
takeover by diversifying into an adult range of sinfully erotic cakes. The
development of the X-rated line doesn’t go as smoothly as planned,
but the eye-opening process results in unifying George and his unruly
workforce in their struggle for survival. As they reach for the stars, and
glory in the Masterbaker competition, they begin to rediscover just how
life-changing truly great cakes can be, when made with passion and skill.
And occasional rude bits.
“From the title onwards Mandy’s 'Masterbaker' is a tender and sexy human
comedy of a generations-long duel between two families, for supremacy
in the world of extreme-cake bakery. The high calorific whipped cream
premise is underpinned by a rock solid affection and understanding of the
frail human beings who lie at the centre of the story.”
Marten Rabarts
Catriona
MacInnes
Catriona MacInnes
Catriona was born in Inverness in 1978. She first trained as a performer
and theatre maker at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly
known as RSAMD), then graduated with a Master of Fine Art in
Advanced Film Practice as a writer/director from Screen Academy
Scotland. Her graduation film ‘I’m In Away From Here’ premiered in
competition at the 65th Venice International Film Festival in 2008 and
was nominated for a BAFTA New Talent Award the following year. Her
last short film ‘A Cuillin Rising’, a Digicult commission supported by
Creative Scotland, UK Film Council and BBC Scotland, premiered at the
55th BFI London Film Festival last October and was nominated for the
British Council Award for Best New Short at London Short Film Festival.
‘Gift From God’ is Catriona’s first feature project.
Gift From God
Eamon edges closer and closer to the carcass of a ram. Through its ribs,
the hills and a dawn spun sea. The ram’s face looks fearful, tortured.
Eamon studies the composition carefully for some time. He turns to look
at Alison. She stands very still, her body in profile, her face turned out to
him with a cold smile.
'Gift from God' came to be from a few minutes of found home video
footage: the decomposed ram; Eamon and Alison walking in the
hills; two children, Shaw and Kit, jumping on the huge mesh-guarded
trampoline encircled by two sheep dogs. A family I presumed, though
I couldn’t quite grasp their relationship to one other. I became inspired
by the mystery of who they were and complex characters began to
emerge. As the fiction has developed I have tried to maintain the allure
and mystery of the people in the footage, whilst creating an existence
for them that beholds an unnatural truth.
“Her writing creeps in on you, keeps you alert and worried, even though
everything seems normal in that little family…It’s almost minimalistic
sometimes, but so very precise, that you can almost smell the room.”
Molly Stensgaard
Tara
McKevitt
Tara McKevitt
Tara McKevitt worked in television for over ten years, mainly at BBC
Scotland in Glasgow. In 2007, she took a career break to study for an MA
in Drama & Theatre, and has been writing on and off since. In 2010 she
won the RTÉ PJ O’Connor Radio Drama Award for her play 'Grenades',
which went on to win Gold at the New York International Radio Awards
2011. Her play 'Junk' was long-listed for the Tron Theatre Open Stage
Award in 2010, being one of six chosen out of three hundred entries.
She recently finished The New Playwrights Programme at the Abbey
Theatre, where she has been working on a new play 'The Interview'.
A new short radio drama, 'Panic', commissioned by RTE, will be
produced later in 2012. As a direct result of being a participant in the
Screenwriting Residencies Tara is delighted to have finished her first
draft of the film script of 'Grenades'.
Grenades
Through the eyes of nine year old Nuala Kelly, the adult world of
complicated love, loss and lies, is explored with a humorous honesty,
which ultimately ends in heartbreak for everyone involved. Set in a small
village in Northern Ireland in 1979, during the height of the troubles,
Nuala spends most of her time deciphering the world of the grown
ups around her, while defending herself against her bullying peers. She
adores Thin Lizzy, Fergal Sharkey, and her big brother Oran, who she
thinks he might even be Jesus. Meanwhile, fifteen year old Oran thinks
he’s Casanova and informs Nuala that his greatest ambition is to make
women happy, and that he intends to fully dedicate his life to this task.
Involved in something far more sinister however, Oran’s ambitions are
thwarted by a tragic accident, and Nuala’s world is rocked to a very
startling reality.
“Tara takes a child's point of view to examine perplexing adult events that have
their roots deep in the past, both political and personal. With an unexpected
light-footedness 'Grenades' brings the regional tragedy of Irelands troubles
home to roost as personal tragedy when a family is rent asunder and the
children must pay a terrible price for the past of their parents.”
Marten Rabarts
Amy
Neil
Amy Neil
Amy is a Scottish writer/director. After graduating from Glasgow
University she worked in Tokyo as a camera assistant where she began
writing and directing her own material. Her short films include 'Can’t
Stop Breathing', 'Icicle Melt' and 'The Child', (commissioned by Scottish
Screen, Film Pool Nord and BBC HD). She has won a Scottish BAFTA
and has been nominated for both BAFTA and BIFA awards. In 2008
she participated in Darklight with Warp X and has a keen interest in
horror. Amy also directs TV drama and has recently completed work
on supernatural horror, 'Bedlam', for Red Production Company. She is
currently working on the first draft of 'Silenced', a character driven thriller
set in the Edinburgh underground. Other features are 'Harbour', a drama
set in Sweden and 'Aiko', a psychological thriller.
Silenced
Cathy (13) is seen by her peers as a monster. She is deaf, lives with
a gangster father and is known to have a violent streak of her own. She
lost her mum the day she was born and has grown up as heir apparent
to her dad’s crime empire. When the door is opened to a new life in
the shape of ex con, Rory (35), she captures a glimpse of freedom.
Cathy’s friendship with Rory develops and her allegiances shift but,
in her morally twisted world, will she ever be able to turn her back on
her bloodline?
“A truly fresh engagement with the crime family story arena, Amy has created
a character-based story of betrayal and redemption, that also delivers to
the demands of the genre. The hybrid nature of the piece coming from a
filmmaker who has an essentially art-house sensibility settling her gaze on
this familiar narrative territory is the wellspring of the unique & original
voice of the film.”
Marten Rabarts
Martin
Smith
Martin Smith
Martin Smith is an award winning filmmaker and was the winner of the
BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Short Film with ‘Tracks’ - a shocking and
naturalistic portrayal of children’s cruelty in a powerful, raw and affecting
film. His documentary ‘Jimmy’ was nominated for a BAFTA New Talent
Award from BAFTA Scotland. He is currently developing a new short film
with Collabor8te and Rankin Film.
His feature screenplay ‘Fires’ is in development with Creative Scotland.
He has recently been selected to develop his feature screenplay ‘Shows’
with the Accelerator: Feature Film Development Programme through
Creative Scotland and Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland.
Martin is represented by Katharine Vile at United Agents.
Shows
A boy from an itinerant family who work the funfair shows that visit a
seaside town. A story about finding friendship and trying to fit in, whilst
having the confidence to be different.
Ryan embodies the qualities of a cork – no matter what life throws at
him he constantly bounces back, and this boy, who has to endure a
number of gruelling and strenuous tests, shines in the end through his
strength of character and resourcefulness.
“Martin writes about youth so every joy and pain comes back to you like that
long summer that changed everything – only yesterday. Martin takes young
life as seriously as it deserves, being both either light and filled with hope,
or dark and almost unbearable.”
Molly Stensgaard
Advisor
Biographies
Marten Rabarts
From a background in dance and theatre, New Zealander Marten Rabarts entered the film industry
in the mid-80’s in New York as an assistant editor on the Oscar winning short 'Molly’s Pilgrim'.
Several years working freelance in production including for LA’s Propaganda Films, brought him into
the PolyGram Filmed Entertainment group, when he moved to London in 1990, working as TV Sales
Manager for Manifesto, The International Sales arm of the group.
In 1992, Marten moved laterally within PFE to work as an Associate producer at Working Title
Films, working with, among others, Sarah Radclyffe, Tim Bevan and Alison Owen on films including,
'Priscilla Queen of the Desert' and Derek Jarman’s 'Edward II'. He then developed and seriesproduced the film collection Red Hot On Film, a series of TV dramas dealing with the AIDS/HIV
pandemic including Idrissa Ouedraogo’s 'Afrique Mon Afrique', with the support of international
broadcasters including BBC, PBS, VPRO, ARTE and TVE, which premiered at the ‘95 Berlin Film
Festival. He also created the documentary 'Andres Serrano – A History of Sex', written and
co-directed with Dutch Film-maker Brigit Hillenius.
Marten Rabarts headed the Binger Filmlab Programmes from 2001, and was appointed Artistic
Director in 2004, responsible for the Filmlab’s Amsterdam-based Residential Labs and a broad array
of international incentives and creative partnerships.
Marten has recently taken up the position of Head of Development for the NFDC (National Film
Fund) of India and has relocated to Mumbai to take on this challenge.
Olivia Stewart
Olivia Stewart’s career in film started in 1985 at the British Film Institute. In 1992, she set up Three
Rivers Ltd. She worked with Terence Davies on 'Distant Voices' and then again a year later on 'Still
Lives'. She went on to produce Davies’ next three films, 'The Long Day Closes' and 'The Neon
Bible', both selected for Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival and 'The House Of Mirth',
which was shot in Glasgow and for which she was nominated as British Producer of the Year by the
London Critics Circle Film Awards. It was also nominated for the Alexander Korda Award for Best
British Film.
Stewart’s other credits include the renowned adaptation of Bruce Chatwin’s 'On The Black Hill',
'Ladder Of Swords', '1871', 'Paper Mask', Charles Sturridge’s 'Where Angels Fear To Tread' and
Mike Figgis’ remake of 'The Browning Version' for Paramount. She co-produced Mark Herman’s
much loved 'Brassed Off' and Todd Haynes’ 'Velvet Goldmine' which won the prize for Artistic
Achievement at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.
She is currently based in Rome and works as a producer, writer and script consultant. She works
regularly with Binger Lab in Amsterdam, she also works with the NFDC in Mumbai, the Torino Film
Lab and the Aurora Script Workshop in Sydney.
Molly Malene Stensgaard
Molly Malene Stensgaard was born in Copenhagen, where she graduated in film editing from the
prestigious Danish Film School. Her career is marked with the cooperation with the famous director
and her fellow-countryman Lars von Trier. Working on almost all of his projects, starting from the
series 'The Kingdom', and continuing with many award winning films such as 'The Idiots', 'Dancer
In The Dark', 'Dogville', 'Manderley', 'The Boss Of It All', and the latest 'Melancholia', she has left
a permanent mark in Danish cinematography. From 2006–2010 she was commissioning editor for
Feature Film at The Danish Film Institute and she was a jury-member at Berlinale in 2007 and for
Short Film at Sarajevo Film Festival in 2010. She works regularly with Binger FilmLab in Amsterdam.
Creative Futures
The Screenwriting Residencies Programme was supported by
Creative Scotland’s Creative Futures. Creative Futures’ is an
ambitious programme of residencies and related activities designed
to promote the professional development, vision, connectivity and
ambitions of Scotland’s creative practitioners and organisations.
It is the largest co-ordinated residency programme in Europe, and
includes residencies that are single discipline, interdisciplinary,
cross sectoral and international.
Playwrights' Studio Scotland
Playwrights' Studio Scotland is the nation's only independent
development organisation for playwrights (and sometimes
other writers too).
Activities include mentoring, workshops, development programmes,
project management, an extensive plays library and much more.
Playwrights' Studio Scotland acts as an advocate for Scotland's
playwrights both at home and internationally.
To find out more about the activities of Playwrights’ Studio Scotland,
please visit www.playwrightsstudio.co.uk
Graphic Design: www.derekcollinsdesign.co.uk
Photography: Douglas McBride