About this Event
We’re back at the fantastic Leeds International Film Festival on Tuesday 4 November with an afternoon of inspiring sessions and brilliant speakers, followed by a BFI NETWORK Mixer.Our afternoon of talks brings together writers, directors and producers across shorts, features and broadcast to discuss their process, breaking into the industry, and the craft of filmmaking, alongside other issues affecting new and emerging filmmakers in the North.We’ll end the day at Department to continue discussions over a drink at our BFI NETWORK Mixer.
Tickets cost £5 and include entry to the entire industry day.
From Pitch to Post - SOFTY
Meet the team behind BFI NETWORK’s Short Film Softy which has screened at festivals across the country. We’ll be digging into the film's development, production and its life so far. Softy features Ashley Walters and explores a family’s struggles through abuse and mental health issues as his son dreams of a life elsewhere.
Panellists:
Joshua Reeves is a Manchester-born writer and director. He has worked with BBC, ITV, SKY, SONY & ELEVEN. His latest BFI-backed film Softy premiered at Manchester Film Festival. Joshua has also directed for ITV's Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
Chris Lane is the founder of independent production company Leapling Films and member of The Production Guild, whose films have reached millions of viewers around the world. His diverse producer credits include Softy, Forever Young, Inertia, and A Father's Day.
What the Spec
Learn how to craft a standout spec script - and where it can take you. A panel of writers and development producers will share insights on the challenges of writing a spec script and how to make the most of it once it’s finished.
Hosted by Esther Jackson-Burton, a Salford-based Development Producer working across the North and Midlands BBC Voices programme and the Writers' Access Group.
Panellists:
Adam James is a queer script editor and writer based in Manchester. He is an in-house script editor at Wall To Wall North, where he worked on the Warner Bros Access Northern Writers Programme with the Royal Exchange Theatre and has developed series with Apple, Disney+ and Sky. Formerly at SISTER, he helped establish their Northern hub, and as a writer he is a graduate of Channel 4’s 4Screenwriting course, Soho Writers Lab, and a former writer-in-residence with Box of Tricks. Adam is currently making his first short film, developing original TV projects with Mam Tor Productions and Riff Raff Entertainment, and his debut play Neverland was staged at HOME in 2023.
Gemma Bedeau is an emerging Scriptwriter and Comic writer from Leeds. Gemma has written for the Princeless comic series for Action Lab and her blaxploitation comic series Afroella landed her a Glyph Award nomination for best female character and features in the Museum of Uncut Funk.
Our final panel will be confirmed soon.
Film Hub North Mixer @ Everyman Bar
18:00 – 20:00
A chance to stretch legs, mingle, and meet like-minded folk.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Everyman Leeds, Albion Street, Leeds, United Kingdom
GBP 5.00
