New Writing Forum / The World's First, Biggest & Best.
BAFTA ROCLIFFE NEW WRITING FORUM: ESTABLISHED MAY 2000.
The BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum is a phenomenally successful event which has been running for over 13 years; it has had huge significance for lots of career starters in the film and TV industries. Previous guests and patrons include BAFTA winning and nominated directors Mike Newell and John Madden and Oscar winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes.
Since the Forum's inception in 2000, participants have gone on to
award-winning success, including Jack Thorne, James
Dormer, AnneMarie Draycott & Charity Trimm, Claire Wilson
and Josh Appignanesi. We give
undiscovered writers the rare and potentially career
changing opportunity to have their work performed in front of
prominent UK and US executives. For some it's just the ticket they
need to open those doors and for other's the confidence to keep
going.
"As a live
event BAFTA Rocliffe is nerve wracking, exposing and
exhilarating in a way cinema rarely is. There is no hiding
place. You can't charm an audience except with really engaging
work." Ben & Chris
Blaine featured London, Nov 2009.
"Winning
the 2011 Bafta Rocliffe Comedy Scriptwriting Competition has had
a massive impact on our writing career. Our winning script
PREGNANT PAUSE attracted interest from a number of US and UK
production companies and we were delighted when it was optioned
by Bwark Productions. Then the icing on the cake, was being
taken on as writers and performers by United Agents." Anne
Marie Draycott & Charity Trimm featured New York 2011.
OUR EVENTS HAVE BEEN HELD IN LONDON, NEW YORK, BELFAST, EDINBURGH, NOTTINGHAM & CHELTENHAM
The BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum has been held in London and around the country. We have featured the work of countless writers, showcasing their work before industry and emerging talent audiences - helping writers to forge contacts, secure UK agents and have their work developed and optioned.
The entry fees for our London events start from as little as 5GBP for early bird entries. There is an optional extra to have a submission report and gain valuable feedback to progress your work. We fully respect that fees can be prohibitive so we give you the option to choose what works for you. We're here to support writers and we fully respect those who take the time, effort and courage it takes to put their work out there.
For two years running we have taken THREE COMEDY PROJECTS to an extra special BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum at the New York Television Festival. Our 2011 industry guest was Phil Rosenthal, creator of multi-award winning EVERYONE LOVES RAYMOND. 2012 saw Jenni Konner, showrunner and producer of GIRLS. We received more than 400 entries. It is an incredible initiative and opportunity for comedy writing talent. Our UK Jury who selected the 2012 top 12 include Jennifer Saunders, Damon Beesley and Chris Addison.
Over the last few years our success stories include ROB BROWN's feature SIXTEEN (Edinburgh 2011) which
is scheduled to shoot Spring 2013. Brothers Ben & Chris Blaine featured
in Nov 2009 are currently in pre-production on their feature debut
NINA FOREVER a magic
realist tale of grief and sex with a darkly comic undertone. In the
past year they have been nominated for a BIFA with their short 0507 and directed award-winning
sketches for BBC Comedy, a
taster for Tiger Aspect, a critically acclaimed Edinburgh show.
They edited Bad Education for BBC3 and The Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff
for BBC2. Comedy featured writing partners Anne-Marie Draycott & Charity Trimm had their winning
script PREGNANT PAUSE (now
renamed UNEXPECTED)
optioned by the team behind THE
INBETWEENERS, Bwark
Productions. With Bwark they have also been commissioned by
BBC Comedy to write a
sitcom pilot script FRIENDS
REUNITED. In August 2012, they were one of the winners of
the London
Screenwriters Festival '50 Kisses' initiative and their winning
short film script Dream Date has been filmed by two production
companies. They are also working with a production company on
another new script - but they can't say any more about that at the
moment as its very early days! Featured writing partners Thomas Phipps & Pete Bowden
went onto secure an agent, have their script optioned by a
production company and secured additional freelance writing work.
Also writing partners Matthew
Barry & Kayleigh Llewellyn have had their winning
script GREY optioned by Company Pictures and are in
development with BBC One.
Kayleigh has also begun writing her own regular column for Funny
Women. Sarah Courtauld is
in talks with a couple of indies to option her winning script, THE SLUSH PILE and, through
exposure to the selection Jury and their production companies with
her script, Sarah has also been hired as a writer on a new sketch
show, THE KERRY HOWARD SHOW
slated for BBC Three in
2013. Whilst at the New York TV Festival, Sarah won a Hasbro Studios development deal
with a Children's TV idea BUCKLE
AND SWASH.
Click here to find out more about entering our
competitions
Click here for Tips for Writers who are submitting work to our forums
For UK events criteria we look for in scripts selected are:
- The originality and strength of the idea.
- The strength of voice and potential in the writer.
- The accomplishment and quality of the writing of the sample script.
- The suitability for a theatrical performance.
ABOUT OUR LONDON EVENTS
Each company rehearses for two hours prior to the event. Special musical compositions are created for each piece by composers from Air Edel, and in the regions composers from that area. Backdrops are created by Art Directors including Kem White. All London events are cast by our in-house casting director, Laura Dickens CDG and rehearsed by professional actors and directors on the evening. Other casting directors include Georgia Simpson (Belfast) and Kahleen Crawford (Edinburgh) who discover and select professional actors appropriate to each piece.
A narrator sets the piece in context and the extracts are then performed to an industry audience of producers, development executives, directors, actors and literary agents.
Following each performance, the writers receive
feedback from the industry co-chair and answer questions from the
audience. The evening is rounded off with a Q&A with the
event host and a relaxed networking session. This year we are
offering the three featured scripts, the opportunity to revise
their script based on the feedback from the event and receive a
full script report on the new draft of their work.
The benefit to a writer, new or seasoned, are multiple: hearing their work read by professional actors; a development focused discussion 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 New Writing Forum creates an ideal environment for networking and discovering talent.
Attendance is by reservation only and all bookings must be made via BAFTA website.
"Rocliffe is one of the best sources of new talent in the UK and it is also an excellent way for writers and directors to test new material' Ollie Madden.