It’s been two weeks since the London Screenwriters’ Festival, and what have I learned? Well, as I bask in the afterglow of a weekend making new friends, catching up with old friends, feeling like a superhero (one who strides across No Man’s Land protected only by wrist bracelets, an oversized frisbee and hair to die for), and managing not to make a tit of myself in front of that agent I’ve always admired, I can safely say I have learned a lot. Much of it was about writing, too. But that’s not what we’re going to talk about. Oh no. You see, London Screenwriters’ Festival is all about the sharin ..read more

‘I was going to quit… When at LondonSWF, I met the love of my life, and we ended up producing and selling our first film together…’ It was raining. He grabbed her hand, smiling as if he knew her from before. Rachel was wet. Shy. Lost. He looked at her, speaking with his French accent. ‘Hi, I’m David Marantz’. ‘Hi, I’m Rachel Hillman’. They had no idea that this magic moment would change their life forever, becoming the catalyst of their filming career. During her first London Screenwriting Festival, in the garden of Regent’s University, Rachel was inside the ‘tent of love’, in front of her fut ..read more

  Welcome to the first podcast about The London Screenwriters’ Festival! Pitched last weekend by screenwriter Amy Livingstone and helmed by her, this is a deep dive into all things festivaly and screenwriting. In this episode, two delegates share their experience at the festival, with Amy Livingstone and festival founder Chris Jones. The Power of Accessible Opportunities Delegates highlighted the accessibility of the festival, emphasizing how it provided them with the opportunities they needed to grow and learn. The availability of actors, directors, and other talent at the festival was ..read more

After an exhilarating weekend at the London Screenwriters’ Festival, where creativity flowed like ink from a wellspring, I find myself back in the familiar embrace of my day job. The struggle to transition from festival euphoria to mundane workdays is real. But fear not—I’ve harnessed that energy and channeled it into my next script, ready to breathe life into new characters and worlds. The buzz of conversations, the electric hum of anticipation—these memories cling to me like the scent of rain on pavement. The festival was a whirlwind of inspiration, where seasoned screenwriters mingled with ..read more

Having attended the London Screenwriter’s Festival on a few occasions in the past, I thought I knew what to expect. In many ways I was right. I knew I would learn a lot from the amazing speakers. I knew I would reconnect with the tribe and make new friends. I knew I would laugh a lot and soak up the positive energy and come away feeling invigorated, inspired and fired up to write and take life on, feeling ten feet tall. All that happened at London SWF24, and so much more. The difference was: I jumped in, feet first and faced some fears. Actor’s Table Read As I had booked my ticket very early ..read more

Last weekend I walked across leafy, sun-dappled Regent’s Park and into a whirl of hopes, fears and ideas. Along with a crowd of other established and aspiring writers, I was headed for the London Screenwriters’ Festival 2024. I showed up to the festival with three TV pilot scripts and a few feature ideas to pitch. At the infamous Pitchfest event – basically, speed dating with film producers – all four of the execs I spoke to requested that I send them a treatment. And after a weekend of meeting people and learning lots, I came home invigorated and inspired.   Here’s what I took away ..read more

Feedback for LondonSWF 2024 is in and it’s OFF THE SCALE! ‘It’s been one of the best 72 hours of my life. And yes, I was sober!’ Nick Jackson // Screenwriter ‘What a weekend my first year at the festival and it won’t be my last! Before, I was an anxious introvert feeling a fraud, but because of the festival – because of you – I now feel confident, motivated, and determined to succeed’ Matt Coot // Screenwriter ‘I loved every second of every day and I feel like I can do anything. A life changing experience and I am so excited to come back next year’ Olivia Golightly // Screenwriter ‘Lot’s ..read more

The London Screenwriters’ Festival 2024 was a spectacular return to the main stage this year. Smaller than our biggest ones for sure, but BLIMEY, the energy was electric! So… we have decided that we will run again in 2025 and tickets are now on sale, including the pay monthly options. And signing up will also give you access to the recordings from ALL past festivals too in LSFConnect. I have a stack of feedback to type up, as well as pull down from Facebook and WhatsAppp, but here are few comments… GET PASS HERE ‘It’s been one of the best 72 hours of my life. And yes, I was sober!’ Nick Jacks ..read more

As you may know we are recording an ALIEN audiodrama with Dirk Maggs at the festival. Much like we did a few years back. And we asked delegates to submit a script. Judging is underway now and the field is still 100% open. We have not even shortlisted, but we wanted to get YOUR view on each of these three submissions. Which would you choose? And why? Please vote and leave your comments below. We don’t just want to know WHAT you think, but why.  Script 1… The one with the AI’s mission: ALIEN CREW EXPENDABLE SCRIPT 1 Script 2… The one with life pods: ALIEN CREW EXPENDABLE SCRIPT 2 Script 2 ..read more

On Friday, March 29th, in the run-up to the London Screenwriters’ Festival, we continue a series of LondonSWF replays, the very best of our past events replayed live.  The Friday Online, LSFReplay: The Seven Basic Plots SIGN UP FREE TO WATCH LIVE HERE AT 8 PM FRIDAY MARCH 29th  Christopher Booker will examine the basis of storytelling, providing an answer to the age-old riddle of whether there are only a small number of ‘basic stories’ in the world. Using examples, from ancient myths and folk tales via the plays and novels of great literature to the popular movies and TV soap opera ..read more