Around the festival as delegates hurry about a huge support system silently operates. People in red t-shirts that boldly state “I Am Wonder Woman” usher the way to confused delegates, solve problems, add brightness and laughter, run the tech that make the talks accessible and audible, take pictures, help out and generally keep the busy seminar rooms and gathering spaces clean, functional and welcoming for the hundreds of us descending on them for three days. The festival runs from 8am to late most evenings and so long hours and perpetual motion are par for the course. Despite this the festival staff are often upbeat, energised and ready to deal with whatever the day throws into their path. Most of them are volunteers and their generosity is what enables a large screenwriting event like this to happen every year.
Behind the festival staff are the festival organisers and management who have year long prepared for this event. It’s a mammoth task, people come from all over the world and the festival likes to provide as much assistance as possible to delegates to ensure their visit is productive, exciting and a good experience. Speakers are working writers, producers and directors with big projects afoot and shifting schedules but every year
To honour that industry and reward the writers who so often do not see the limelight the festival now hosts the British Screenwriters Awards and again festival staff put a lot into organising this event and facilitating the nominees attendance and comfort as they come to be congratulated for what has been a great deal of achievement to see their work realised on screen.
Behind the glitz and glamour the function of writing requires a host of support and this too is visible at the festival. The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, The Great British Pitchfest, Final Draft, mentoring labs, table reads, training sessions for pitching and networking events, an online network that runs year round, script doctors and mentoring labs, a book shop with book signings, legal clinics, experts, cutting edge technology and software, a host of professionals, each year brings everything and everyone that you will need to improve and enhance your ability to share your stories in the way only you can, because the delegates themselves do a job too inspiring and connecting to further our knowledge and inspire and help one another.
This festival is full of things to do and if you want to spend a few minutes not doing anything the beautiful setting of Regent’s Park University is a lovely place with serene surroundings to do just that.
All in all this festival is a world class event giving a touchstone to writers everywhere to let you know you are not alone at a computer with a blank page, there are people here in person and online reaching out to help you do what you do. If you haven’t been to the festival yet, if you haven’t reached out and connected online, we’re waiting for you. Come join us.
Leilani is an actor, screenwriter and filmmaker and has been blogging for the London Screenwriters’ Festival since it’s inception in 2010.
