17/06/2015 - 12 promising writers get an opportunity to develop their skills

The British Council has launched Script Junction, a UK-Nigeria screenwriting partnership programme. The initiative will kick off at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) from June 19-23 and continue with a second five-day module at the Africa International Film Festival in Nigeria in November. Other programme partners are the UK’s National Film and Television School (NFTS) and the Nigerian Film Institute. Script Junction is aimed at promising writers who are early in their professional careers, working on scripts of any setting or genre.

Six UK writers, who are either the NFTS MA Screenwriting programme’s alumni or from previous EIFF talent labs, have been selected. They are: Shola Amoo, Maurice Caldera, Russell Davidson, Sam Firth, Matthew Jankes and Jennifer Majka. Six Nigerian writers, selected after a competitive open call, are: Kenneth Gyang, Adiodun Kassim, Nicolette Ndigwe, CJ Obasi, Pearl Osibu and Lanre Quadri. All 12 participants will benefit from a range of workshops, talks and mentoring by senior industry professionals and visiting experts, and at the November module they will pitch their projects to an industry panel.

Rob Ritchie, a screenwriter and former head of the screenwriting department at the NFTS, will lead the programme and other course tutors are Lorianne Hall from the UK and Ishaku Dashon Gumut from Nigeria. 

Script Junction follows Docunexion, a similar cultural collaboration film programme connecting the UK and Mexico, a training and mentoring scheme that brings together three producer-director teams from the UK and three from Mexico. Docunexion kicked off at Sheffield Doc/Fest last week.