Features

The International Screenwriters' Festival, the latest addition to Gloucestershire's thriving events calendar, launched in style at Cheltenham Film Studios.

A large crowd from business, arts, film and TV gathered in the grand manor house setting to hear speeches from industry luminaries including Waking The Dead writer Barbara Machin and the stars of BBC1's Casualty.

The Festival, which takes place in June 2006, is supported by high profile industry names including Gladiator writer Bill Nicholson and BBC Bristol-based Casualty Executive Producer Mervyn Waston.

David Pearson, director of SWF and MD of Arturi Films, a  Gloucestershire-based TV and film production company, talked about the role of good storytelling in all successful business fields - not just the media. 

Actors Simon Shepherd (Peak Practice), Martina Laird and James Redmond (Comfort and Abs from Casualty), who live, work and film in the region spoke passionately about the importance of good screenwriting to their own work.

Barbara Machin, creator of awardwinning BBC crime drama Waking The Dead, made a powerful speech about the importance of the role of the writer to reflect on TV and in Film what was happening in society was enthusiastically received.

Afterwards Barbara, whose screenwriting career started with Granada Television where she worked on Coronation Street among other dramas, said: "There was such a lack of respect for the screenwriter when I was first writing, so I think this festival is fantastic.

"So here is a platform to celebrate this and look long and hard at the art and craft of writing screen drama, to learn more and to meet the great stars. You don't often meet the writers and here's a festival that puts them centre stage."

More details on the Festival can be found by registering at screenwritersfestival.com (in the See Also section on the top right hand side of this page).