As I wrap up my final week at the London Screenwriters’ Festival, I’ve been taking the time to reflect upon my experience at such a chaotic yet fulfilling organization.
When I first interviewed at LSF, I intended to enter as a meager intern, spending my days notetaking and brewing tea.
Quickly, this concept proved to be far from reality.
Within my first week, I was hitting the ground running, independently organizing this year’s Actor’s Table Read. It was certainly daunting, but after sending hundreds of emails to dozens of writers, directors, and actors, the event came to fruition in two serendipitous evenings.
The original plan was to hold the Table Reads exclusively over Zoom, and while we took advantage of the platform to host a Table Read with creatives all around the globe, Chris and I made the brave decision to return the Actor’s Table Read to the physical.
Despite logistical struggles, such as replacing actors as soon as a few hours before the event (as well as having to step in and act myself), the collective passion and excitement of each writer, director, and actor cultivated a magical space for artistic expression. Watching the work I’d been reading over the past few months come to life was truly exceptional, and I can only imagine how special it must have felt for the writers. I could not have asked for a more fortuitous outcome.
Alongside the madness of the Table Reads, I found myself helping with the festival wherever I could– organizing this year’s Legal Clinic and Advanced Mentoring Script Labs, as well as helping to set up the new LSFConnect site (coming soon, be on the lookout!!) I was also able to contribute to the festival’s website, exercising my hard skills in website design and finally becoming a pro at using WordPress.
Above all else, the connections I have fostered during my time at LSF is something I will cherish throughout my career. The emerging and established talent I had the pleasure of working with during the Table Reads was an incredible learning experience for a rising Writer and Director. Reading the uniquely exhilarating script samples from our delegates and watching our first-class directors get to work taught me indispensable skills in story structure, direction, and cultivation.
Being a successful creative goes far beyond talent– it requires unrelenting determination, eager communicativeness, and an intrinsic desire to excel. My experience at LSF has put these qualities on display and allowed me to hone them myself.
Whether it be the mind-numbing late-night emails or the countless zealous smiles, this is an experience I won’t forget any time soon.
Emily Monaghan is a screenwriter and director from the New York City area in the United States. Monaghan has written and directed several short films, including Changing Tune (2024) and Le Fleur (2023)
