Industry stalwarts including director Cheryl Dunye (“Bridgerton”), actor, writer, director Romola Garai (“The Amulet,” “Becoming Elizabeth”), producer Elizabeth Karlsen (“Mothering Sunday”) and Sky Comedy commissioning editor Tilusha Ghelani have joined the illustrious roster of mentors at The Writers Lab U.K. & Ireland.
Now in its second year in the territory, the lab, which supports women and non-binary writers over 40, is set up to discover new writing voices from across Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The initiative is produced by Untamed Stories’ Julia Berg and Ruth Spencer and TWL co-founders Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon.
It is presented with support from Dirty Films, the independent production company headed by Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton, Coco Francini and Georgie Pym. The Writers Lab U.K. & Ireland is in association with Birds’ Eye View, Dancing Ledge Productions, Curzon CM Development Fund, Maisie Williams’ production company Rapt, London-based film and TV agency Dench Arnold, Screen Scotland, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen, Ffilm Cymru Wales and BFI Network with funding from the National Lottery.
The other mentors and speakers for the program include Farhana Bhula, senior commissioning Executive, Film4; Ana Garanito, head of scripted, Green Door Pictures; Yvonne Isimeme Ibazebo, producer, “Top Boy”; Emily Mortimer, writer, director, producer, “The Pursuit of Love”; Alice Seabright, writer, director, producer, “Chloe”; and Claire Wilson, writer, “Rocks.”
The program will run September 2022 to Feb. 2023.
The 13 Participants Of The Writers Lab U.K & Ireland 2022 Are:
“Big Shoes,” Nk’iru. Njoku (1-hour comedy, England)
“Black Other,” Stephanie Pearce-Power (½-hour drama, England)
“Disconnected,” Esosa Ighodaro (½-hour comedy, Ireland)
“Gadflies and Mischievous Little Girls,” Lisa Baker and Anne-Marie Margerison (feature action, Wales)
“Hidden,” Rosalind De Aragues (1-hour thriller, England)
“Lone Woman,” Lisa Keogh (feature thriller, Northern Ireland)
“Marie’s Wedding,” Claire Duffy (feature drama, Scotland)
“Northern Lights On An Old Road,” Nicola Baldwin (feature sci-fi, England)
“Planet Rising,” Tamsin Larby (1-hour drama, England)
“Sabrina Healey,” Samara MacLaren (1-hour drama, Scotland)
“Saviours,” Rosie Toner (feature horror, Scotland)
“Smashers,” Bernadette Rowe (½-hour comedy, Ireland)
“Wings,” Julie Moggan (feature coming-of-age, England)
The 12 Honorable Mentions Of The Writers Lab U.K. & Ireland 2022 Are:
“And For Your Information,” Denise Deegan (feature drama, Ireland)
“Boy,” Amber Trentham (feature drama, England)
“De-Bra,” Heather Brown (½-hour comedy, Northern Ireland)
“Donor 1070,” Bethan Marlow (1-hour comedy, Wales)
“The Eighth Wonder,” Denise Devoy (1-hour sci-fi, England)
“Influence,” Olivia Hannah (1-hour Comedy, England)
“The Lift,” Lorien Haynes (feature sci-fi, England)
“Margaret’s Wardrobe,” Ita Fitzgerald (feature comedy, England)
“Me and Jimmy Rogers,” Leia Vogelle (feature drama, England)
“Over the Rainbow,” Joanne Dunphy (feature comedy, England)
“Scattered,” Karen Martinez (feature comedy, England)
“Wild Atlantic,” Ruth Earley (feature drama, England)