Screendaily

On 15th September 2009 I posted this:

http://jezfreedman.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/dough.html

So grateful to so many people I can't name them all here - but four years and one month later, this appeared in Screendaily

Director John Goldschmidt has started principal photography in London on comedic drama Dough.

Umedia International handles world sales and will bring the project to market at AFM next month.

Yehudah Jez Freedman and Jonathan Benson wrote the script, about the unlikely friendship between an old Jewish baker trying to save his family bakery and a young Muslim refugee from Darfur trying to help his mother by selling cannabis.

Producers are György Gattyán, András Somkuti, Goldschmidt and Wolfgang Esenwein, with Bruno György and Geraldine East executive producing.

The cast feature Jonathan Pryce, Phil Davis, Ian Hart, Pauline Collins and Jerome Holder.

Goldschmidt’s Viva Films partnered with German producer Esenwein’s Three Coloured Dog Films to package and finance the project. The project has been set up as an official UK-Hungarian co-production with Budapest-based Docler Entertainment fully financing. Esenwein said: “We are extremely happy to be working with András and Bruno and Docler Entertainment and with the terrific cast and very high profile crew that we secured for this film. We hope that Dough will work as a feel-good movie for a wide audience of all age groups and from all cultural and religious backgrounds around the world, because the message of the film is that no matter how different people are and how many prejudices there are to overcome – in the end friendship can conquer all.”

The project shoots on location in London and at Budapest’s Origo Studios.

The Funeral

Coming soon to the UK Jewish Film Festival

  

 Copyright © 2009-2013 BENIGN SAMUEL Art & Photography

Discount to London Screenwriters' Festival 2013

As in previous years, my good friend Janice Day is offering a £24 discount to the London Screenwriters' Festival.

http://www.londonscreenwritersfestival.com/tickets/

25th to 27th October 2013


London School of Film, Media & Performance
Regent's College

The list of speakers gets better every year

http://www.londonscreenwritersfestival.com/speakers/  

For the discount code email me

Pears Short Film Fund

Every year the UK Jewish Film Festival gives away two grants of 10K each for 2 short films. This year, one of the those grants was given to friend and client Dave Herman. I read his script and really liked it, and I was made up for him when I found out he'd won.

But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly more excited by the fact that the other grant was bagged by... me.

The script is called The Funeral, and although I'm obviously not going to be giving away too many details at this stage, so far the team includes director Nick Green and the guiding hand of my boss at Viva Films, John Goldschmidt who will Exec Produce along with me.

We're in full Pre-Production mode and other members of the team, and of course cast, will hopefully be attached in the next few weeks, ready to shoot in July.

Something that has already been really useful to me is Danny Stack's advice, both on and off his blog, about the things he learnt whilst making Origin.

So of course I will try to do the same, as and when I can, because after all that's the whole point of blogs and a screenwriting community.

The film will premier at the Jewish Film Festival in November.

Everyone hold onto their hats...

New Screenwriting Websites

A couple of new websites have been created that I think are well worth a look for any up and coming screenwriter.

 

The first is http://askthewriter.co.uk/

 

Run by Aaron Hubbard, it's a really simple but very interesting concept. Just interviews with UK scriptwriters. That's it. No ego, no self, no rambling on about dead prime ministers. Just a chat with someone doing the same thing we are, struggling with the same problems, finding different solutions, etc.

 

Nice.

 

The second one is http://www.screenwritingspark.com/

 

Created by Jason McKinnon, this looks like a monster of a site. I've only had a quick look around it so far but it seems like it has the makings of a great screenwriting resource.

 

Check them out


 

Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award 2013

It's that time of year again. All the details and application form can be found here.

 

http://www.iemmys.tv/foundation.aspx

 

So as not to waste your time, remember you have to be a non US citizen and under 30.

 

Deadline is 1st July.

 

It seems like a million years since I won this, but I still remember it fondly as both an amazing experience and an important step along the career path.

 

Good luck.

The Three of Us

This is a friend of mine's short film that only needs a bit more cash to be fully funded. I've read it, it's funny, but what's cool about this one is that for £50, you get a one-on-one session with the writer, Andrew Viner, to discuss and get feedback on one of your projects. 

And let's be honest, £50 is cheaper than most places you pay for written feedback. So to get a face to face session for that price, as well as other perks with just backing and being involved in a short film, is really good value for money.

I can also safely say that you will get top quality feedback from Andrew. I know this because I did my MA Screenwriting with him, have known him for almost ten years, and have co-written two features with him.

So to get involved, go here:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-three-of-us-film