Festival Programme EVENT SCHEDULE

MONDAY APRIL 19TH 2021

14:00 YOU HAD ME AT HELLO: MEET PRODUCERS Speed-dating event for Writers and Producers and 16:00 Production companies

18:00 OFFICIAL FESTIVAL LAUNCH Festival Directors discuss the aims of the Festival with 19:00 special guest Screen Ireland CEO, Desirée Finnegan

19:00 BEGINNINGS: A WRITING WORKSHOP BY MARY KATE O FLANAGAN Award-winning and story consultant Mary Kate 22:00 O’Flanagan workshops the art of mastering ACT I

TUESDAY APRIL 20TH 2021

13:00 MORE THAN JUST A BUZZWORD: A PANEL ON DIVERSITY IN STORYTELLING 14:00 Discussion on meaningful diversity in storytelling

18:30 PANEL: PRODUCERS ON WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR Discussion on what projects producers are currently looking 19:30 for, how to approach them and at what of development.

19:30 MASTER OF THE PAGE, STAGE & SCREEN: AN INTERVIEW WITH RODDY DOYLE 20:30 We talk in depth to Roddy Doyle about his writing career and his advice for emerging writers, or those considering a move into screenwriting from other formats. WEDNESDAY APRIL 21ST 2021

13:00 WRITING FOR REAL: A PANEL ON WRITING FOR DOCUMENTARY This panel will provide a great insight for to 14:30 expand their practice into the factual genre

18:30 ANIMATE THIS:SCREENWRITING IN IRELAND’S ANIMATION INDUSTRY 19:30 Tips for aspiring animation writers from the experts

19:30 TBC blurb TBC 20:30

THURSDAY APRIL 22ND 2021

13:00 GETTING THE GREEN LIGHT: FUNDERS & COMMISSIONERS ON WHAT THEY LOOK FOR IN A STORY 14:00 If you’re hoping to go from script to screen, this panel is for you

18:30 READY ONE: SCREENWRITING OPPORTUNITIES IN IRELAND’S GROWING GAMES INDUSTRY 19:30 Discussion on screenwriting opportunities in the games industry

19:30 (AB)NORMAL PEOPLE?: THE HIGHS & LOWS OF PROFESSIONAL SCREENWRITING AND HOW TO AVOID OUR FATES 20:30 Stuffed with talented, accomplished, hard-working screenwriters who will share their experience in the trade, this panel will explore their ideas of how things might be and where to next for screenwriting in Ireland FRIDAY APRIL 23RD 2021

13:00 AG SMOINEAMH AS GAEILGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WRITERS IN THE IRISH LANGUAGE 14:00 Discussion on great Irish screenwriters and current opportunities

18:30 SHEDUNNIT: AN INTERVIEW WITH SMOTHER CREATOR, KATE O’RIORDAN 19:30 Kate talks to us about her long career in writing which has

brought her to the limelight with her amazing new TV series. 19:30 ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD: AN INTERVIEW WITH STUART CAROLAN 20:30 We will chat to one of Ireland’s multi-award winning writers about where he plans to go from here, his views on the craft, and the keys to writing a great script. EVENT CONTENT INFORMATION

YOU HAD ME AT HELLO: WRITERS MEET PRODUCERS

Speed-dating event for Writers and Producers.

With Production companies: Samson Films, Treasure Entertainment, Wild Atlantic Films, Danú Media, O’Sullivan Productions, Cowtown Pictures (TBC)

Ten screenwriters will have the opportunity to meet with Producers and Development Executives from some of Ireland’s most exciting production companies. Each writer will submit their bio and a writing sample before having 15 minutes with each producer/exec to either pitch an idea or simply introduce themselves. Our hope is that the event will lead to new partnerships, new projects and new opportunities for the selected screenwriters. We are planning to reproduce this event bimonthly as a way of helping great producers and great writers to get in a (virtual) room together.

OFFICIAL FESTIVAL LAUNCH

Welcome to the Dublin International Screenwriting Festival. This launch event will prepare you for the exciting programme of events happening over the week of the festival. The Festival Directors will talk you through the aims of the Festival and the programme of events, with a special address from Screen Ireland CEO, Desirée Finnegan & music from Anna Mieke (TBC) BEGINNINGS: A WRITING WORKSHOP BY MARY KATE O' FLANAGAN

Mary Kate trained in the craft of screenwriting with the professors of screenwriting at The University of Southern California. She has worked as a tutor alongside her former professors for the last ten years. She has continued to be mentored by them, in particular David Howard, author of The Tools of Screenwriting. She is a guest tutor at the Czech Film School FAMU and The National Film School in Ireland as well as a lead tutor on pan-European programmes. Mary Kate is also a Grand Slam Champion Storyteller at The Moth in LA. You can hear her story here

MORE THAN JUST A BUZZWORD: A PANEL ON DIVERSITY IN STORYTELLING

There has been real progress in recent years in terms of the recognition that we want and need more diversity both on and behind the camera. But what does this mean for screenwriters? The important question is not whether we should embrace diversity in our storytelling, the answer to that is obvious. The real question now is how can we do so in a way that is meaningful and creative rather than tokenistic and box-ticking. The panel will discuss their lived experience and what meaningful diversity in storytelling looks like to them.

Grainne Bennett (Screen Skills Ireland) Adaku Ezuedo (Phoenix Rise) Alina Serban (asked) Rosaleen McDonagh (screenwriter) Aisling Byrne (screenwriter) Mark Smith (Actor) Moderator: Gavin Ryan (Festival Director) WHAT PRODUCERS WANT: PRODUCERS ON WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR The relationship between producer and screenwriter is (or should be) symbiotic. In a profession as rejection-heavy as screenwriting, it is refreshing to remember that producers are just as keen to produce great new scripts as screenwriters are to write them. This panel (featuring some of Ireland’s most respected producers) will discuss what projects they are currently looking for, how they like to be approached and at what stage of development. We will also talk about the attributes producers look for and what raises a red flag when meeting new writers.

Liz Gill (O’Sullivan Productions) Aaron Farrell (Shinawil) David Collins (Samson) Sarah Gunn (Treasure Entertainment) Conor Barry (Savage Productions) Moderator: Miriam Devitt (Screenwriter)

MASTER OF THE PAGE, STAGE & SCREEN: AN INTERVIEW WITH RODDY DOYLE

Roddy Doyle has been so immensely successful as a novelist (and playwright and children’s writer and...and) it is sometimes easy to forget that he has had no small measure of success as a screenwriter. From the ground-breaking TV ‘Family’ to the multi-award- winning feature ‘Rosie’, Roddy Doyle has created equally stunning and powerful stories on the small and large screen as he has in his prose fiction. In this first ‘in conversation’ we talk in depth to Roddy Doyle about his writing career and his advice for emerging writers or those considering a move into screenwriting from other formats.

WRITING FOR REAL: A PANEL ON WRITING FOR DOCUMENTARY It’s often said a film is written three times; first by the screenwriter; again when it is directed; and a third time in the edit. In no genre is this more true than in documentary, but how can a documentary have a writer? In this panel discussion a writer, producer, director, editor and documentary commissioner/financier come together to discuss authorship in factual film, and screen media production. Discussing the factual production process from treatments and pitches, through filming to the VO scripts, paper edits, rough cuts and fine cuts this panel will provide a great insight for screenwriters to expand their practice into the factual genre.

David Ryan Producer & Head of Development at Tile Films Jennifer Davidson Writer with experience script writing and treatment writing for factual Stephen O’Connell Internationally regarded editor of fiction and non-fiction Maurice Sweeney Director of international fiction and documentary Lesley McKimm / Sean MacGiolla Phadraig Documentary Commissioner/Financier Moderated by Daniel Hegarty, Producer & SPI Factual & Entertainment Committee Member

ANIMATE THIS!: A PANEL ON SCREENWRITING OPPORTUNITIES IN IRELAND’S ANIMATION INDUSTRY

Ireland’s Animation industry is booming, competing with the best anywhere in the world. From Oscar nominated feature films to TV series appearing on international broadcasters and streamers, Irish animation has certainly conquered the world and that trajectory doesn’t seem anywhere near slowing down. How can screenwriters break into this vibrant and growing industry? The panel will discuss opportunities for screenwriters and some tips on the do’s and don’ts for aspiring animation writers from the people who know the industry best.

Nuria Blanco (Producer - Cartoon Saloon) Lena Byrne (Producer - Sow You Entertainment) Dee Roycroft (Writer/Script Editor) Richie Conroy (Writer) Moderated by Jody O’Neill (Screenwriter/Actor) TBC EVENT TBC EVENT BLURB

GETTING THE GREEN LIGHT: FUNDERS & COMMISSIONERS ON WHAT THEY LOOK FOR IN A STORY At the end of the day, audience tastes will dictate which stories are successful and which stories fail to resonate. The commissioning editors of our main broadcasters hold the daunting task of predicting these fickle tastes by green- lighting the shows that will go into production and find their way onto our screens. Funders also play a central role in determining what gets produced and what doesn’t but their role is different to that of the commissioning editor and their considerations can sometimes be broader than audience appeal. Outside of the viewing public, the people on this panel are the ones who will most likely decide what gets made and what doesn’t. If you’re hoping to go from script to screen, this panel is unmissable. Alan Moloney of Parallel Film Productions will join the panel to talk about his experience with commissioning editors and funders in the U.K. and the U.S.

Dermot Horan (RTE Head of Acquisitions) Bill Malone (Virgin Media) Deirbhile Ni Churraighin (TG4) Dearbhla Regan (Screen Ireland) TBC Alan Moloney (Parallel Film Productions) Moderator: Mary Kate O Flanagan (Screenwriter/Script Consultant) READY WRITER ONE: SCREENWRITING OPPORTUNITIES IN IRELAND’S GROWING GAMES INDUSTRY History might find it amusing that writing for games is seen as a niche side panel on a screenwriting festival. The games industry is growing so fast that in North America, according to MarketWatch, it has become more valuable than movies and American sports combined. The future of storytelling may move away from linear into branching narratives and perhaps one day all screenwriters will be writing for games with a few niche writers nostalgically toiling away on film and TV projects. Irish-based games companies are having huge success internationally and as gameplay becomes more complex and the focus on storytelling becomes more pronounced, writers are becoming more and more sought after in this growing industry. This panel of industry insiders will help shed some light on where the opportunities currently lie for writers and how writing for games differs from other kinds of writing.

Brenda Romero (Romero Games) Dave McCabe (Green Heart Games) Basil Lim (TBC) Ellen Cunningham (TBC) Eve Golden Woods (Games Writer) Moderated by: Eoghain Meakin (Games Writer/Lecturer)

(AB)NORMAL PEOPLE?: THE HIGHS & LOWS OF PROFESSIONAL SCREENWRITING AND HOW TO AVOID OUR FATES

Screenwriting is a craft, a calling, an art form. It is also a job. For a long time, we have accepted that it is a difficult, precarious and often financially ruinous one. Why is it like that? Especially as writers play such a foundational role in the creation of the stories that end up on our screens. Could it be different and how would screenwriters reimagine the film & TV industry in a way that places as much value on the originators of our favourite screen stories as it does on those who interpret and produce them? Stuffed with talented, accomplished, hard-working screenwriters who will share their experience in the trade this panel will explore their ideas of how things might be and where to next for screenwriting in Ireland.

Ken Harmon (confirmed) Paul Webster (confirmed) Sarah Francis (confirmed) John Fox (confirmed) Damian Fox (confirmed) Carol Walsh (confirmed) Jennifer Davidson (confirmed) Tadgh Hickey (confirmed) Chaired by: Gavin Ryan (Festival Director) AG SMOINEAMH AS GAEILGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WRITERS IN THE IRISH LANGUAGE Translate this into Irish: The Irish language is one of our greatest assets. Within it is held our heritage and the essence of not only who we once were, but who we are today in a diverse and intercultural society. By leaning into our language, we can connect with a whole world which is currently overwhelmed by a creeping ‘MacDonaldisation’ of culture. The Irish language holds the key to telling stories that are contemporary and fresh rather than slavish imitations of big budget blockbusters. We need to tell stories that are both unique and globally identifiable. It is in our language that we can best express this perspective. Irish language TV and film can be more than just a way of keeping our native language vibrant, it can also be a way to lend vibrancy to an industry that thrives on fresh voices and fresh perspectives. This panel will discuss the opportunities for screenwriters working in Irish and the opportunities Irish film & TV has in taking advantage of this cultural well.

Antoin Beag O’Colla (screenwriter) Bríd Seioge (Abú Media) Moderator: Sean T. O’Meallaigh (Screenwriter/Actor)

SHEDUNNIT: AN INTERVIEW WITH SMOTHER CREATOR, KATE O’RIORDAN

The Irish Examiner said of Smother that it was ‘a rare delight to watch an Irish drama hit all the right notes’. Bantry’s own Kate O'Riordan talks to us about her long career in writing which has brought her to the limelight with her amazing new TV series. We will talk about her career as a novelist, her many credits in film and TV and the steps she took on the way to get Smother onto our screens as well as her tips for emerging writers looking to find their big break.

ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD: AN INTERVIEW WITH STUART CAROLAN

Stuart Carolan won the IFTA for best screenwriter for a television drama five years in a row. He was to screenwriting in Ireland what the Dubs are currently to Gaeilc football, unbeatable. While Stuart is perhaps best known in Ireland as the creator of hit TV show, Love/Hate, but his recent work show running the hit TV series The Alienist: Angel of Darkness has really put him on the map internationally. In this interview, we will chat to one of Ireland’s multi-award winning writers about where he plans to go from here and his views on the craft of screenwriting and the keys to writing a great script. -ENDS-