We are thrilled to introduce this year's 大象传媒 Writers Pilot cohort, showcasing a remarkable group of writers from all corners of the UK. The creativity and passion of these writers is truly inspiring, and we are excited to see their ideas flourish under the expert guidance of our industry partners. The 大象传媒 continues to be a proud supporter of fresh talent, committed to driving creativity and diversity in the next generation of storytellers.鈥� Jessica Loveland, Head of New Writing for 大象传媒 Drama Commissioning and 大象传媒 Writers
Meet the writers and production companies taking part in our latest Pilot scheme. For 2024/25 this prestigious initiative is partnering 14 talented early-career screenwriters (including two writing partnerships) with 12 independent production companies, with a script-commission, giving the screenwriters the opportunity to write the first episode of a potential 大象传媒-commissioned original drama series or serial.
For the first time this year two additional Scotland-based writers are taking part in the Pilot scheme and have been partnered with Scottish indies, with support from Screen Scotland.
During the year-long scheme, which runs from July 2024 to June 2025, the writers attend masterclasses and workshops with established television writers, production teams and experts in screenwriting, while developing their original script. The aim is that the writer鈥檚 series or serial will be taken into full development by the 大象传媒. The writers were identified from an open callout via the 大象传媒 Writers website in September 2023.
The participants in Pilot for 2024/25 are:
- Alex Mathias - Lookout Point
- Ali Taylor - Mam Tor Productions
- Alvin Yu - New Pictures
- Daniel Katanchian - Abbottvision
- Danny & Lauren McNamara - Two Cities Television
- Emma Ramsay - Synchronicity Films
- Faebian Averies - Kudos
- Lauren Bensted & Adam Grant - 5 Acts Productions
- Matthew McDevitt - Hartswood Films
- Paolo Chianta - Film Nation
- Sophia Chetin-Leuner - Greenacre Films
- Zak Zarafshan - Company Pictures
This year鈥檚 cohort have heard from writers and industry experts including Emma Frost, Matthew Graham, John Yorke and Daf James alongside sessions from the 大象传媒 Audiences team, the Head of 大象传媒 Drama Development and 1-2-1s from their mentors in the 大象传媒 Drama Commissioning team.
Sami El Hadi, Head of Development for 大象传媒 Drama says 鈥淛ess Loveland and her team at 大象传媒 Writers have assembled an incredibly talented group of emerging writers for the current Pilot scheme. We鈥檙e always passionate about finding and championing new voices at 大象传媒 Drama, and we鈥檙e excited to see the material that comes out of this year鈥檚 programme.鈥�
Kieran Hannigan, Head of Scripted at Screen Scotland says 鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to be supporting two exciting Scottish voices in this year鈥檚 fantastic cohort of 大象传媒 Writers Pilot. Screen Scotland is committed to supporting new writing talent and this programme provides a unique opportunity for emerging writers to develop original work with the support of 大象传媒 Writers, 大象传媒 Drama Commissioning and some of the best drama indies around. We are excited to see what these partnerships can deliver.鈥�
Recent successful outcomes from Pilot include Lost Boys and Fairies written by Welsh writer Daf James and produced by Leeds-based indie Duck Soup Films, which was developed as part of the 2019 scheme, and was broadcast on 大象传媒 One and 大象传媒 iPlayer earlier in 2024.
Applications for writers to take part in the next Pilot opportunity will be open in early 2026 via the 大象传媒 Writers website.
Find out more about the writers below:
Faebian Averies
Faebian is a two-time award-winning Welsh female writer, first winning The Wales Writer in Residence Award for 大象传媒 Wales and National Theatre Wales in 2020, and then taking home the Imison Award a year later for her debut 大象传媒 Radio 4 play THE LEMONADE LADS (other past winners of this prestigious award include Peter Morgan and Mike Bartlett). Faebian was signed to Curtis Brown in 2023. During her first year as a Curtis Brown client Faebian developed an original TV idea which she sold to NBC Universal Studios, whilst also setting in motion relationships with indies across the UK and further afield. Faebian is experienced in working across stage, screen and radio and is over the moon to be partnered with Kudos for Pilot.
Faebian is represented by Nick Fenwick at Curtis Brown.
Lauren Bensted and Adam Grant
Lauren and Adam met at university and have been writing together for the best part of a decade. Their projects together include BAD TASTE (Wall-to-Wall, script commissioned by Channel 4) and a comedy-drama series developed with Drama Republic.
Lauren has written and directed a number of short films, including ANNA, ISLAND which starred Harry Michell and Jessie Cave, CONFECTION which won the Misfits screenwriting competition and NEW YEAR, selected for and funded by the BFI x London Calling Scheme. Other developed projects include THE FIXER UPPER, a novel adaptation for FilmWave. Lauren has been selected for writing programmes at the Royal Court and Soho Theatre and has taken part in writers鈥� rooms for Working Title and The Lighthouse.
Adam wrote and directed the short film HOW TO BREAK UP which has now started an international festival run, selected by the Oscar-qualifying Austin Film Festival and BIFA-qualifying film festivals Exit 6 and Tweetfest, and awarded Best Comedy at Oxford Shorts and Best Debut at Discover Film Festival. Adam鈥檚 writing for stage has been performed at the Clapham Fringe, Anthroplay scratch night and Slam X Kings at the Arcola Theatre.
Lauren and Adam are represented as a duo by Camilla Young at Curtis Brown.
Sophia Chetin-Leuner
Sophia is a writer from London. Her play THIS MIGHT NOT BE IT was shortlisted for the Women鈥檚 Prize for Playwriting and longlisted for the Verity Bargate Award (2020). It received an extended, sell-out run at the Bush in February 2024 and was published by Nick Hern Books. It was first developed when Sophia was a part of the Bush Theatre鈥檚 Emerging Writers鈥� Group (2019).
Her first play SAVE+QUIT toured the UK and Ireland. It was an Irish Times Pick and was published by Nick Hern Books as part of their Best of the Vaults (2017). Sophia received the Dalio Foundation Scholarship to study at NYU Tisch鈥檚 Dramatic Writing MFA (2016-8). Sophia began writing PORN PLAY while there, which was also shortlisted for the Women鈥檚 Prize and was a finalist for the Verity Bargate Award (2022).
Sophia also writes TV and Film. She was part of the 大象传媒 Writersroom's Drama Room (2022-3) and her pilot FIX was shortlisted for the C21 Drama Script competition (2021). She has developed original TV scripts with Two Brothers, Mam Tor and Lucky Doll Productions.
Sophia is represented by Jennifer Thomas at United Agents.
Paolo Chianta
Paolo Chianta is a Scottish writer and filmmaker based in London who was previously selected for the 大象传媒 Writersroom's Comedy Script Room, the London Library Emerging Writers Programme and BAFTA Connect. Paolo was commissioned by the 大象传媒 to write THE VALIANTS, a TV comedy pilot with Balloon Entertainment. His short drama BRIGHTER LATER aired on 大象传媒 Radio 3 and his drama for 大象传媒 Radio 4, EAT AND RUN, starring Emma Sidi and Dustin Demri-Burns, was a finalist for Best Original Single Drama at the 大象传媒 Audio Drama Awards 2024.
Paolo鈥檚 animated short films have been selected for film festivals including Slamdance, London Short Film Festival, Vienna Shorts and DOK Leipzig, and his latest film, THE ROLE, will screen before new features across Scotland in 2024/25 as part of the Shorts in Support programme. He is currently developing TV projects with various production companies and further radio projects with 大象传媒 Studios.
Paolo is represented by Lily Williams and Mark Starling at Curtis Brown.
Daniel Katanchian
Daniel is a British screenwriter from London. Last year Daniel was a participant on both Channel 4鈥檚 4screenwriting 2023 programme and the 大象传媒's Drama Room 2023, selected from thousands of entrants for each scheme to develop new pilot scripts from scratch.
Since then, Daniel is developing drama series and feature film projects with multiple production companies across the UK, as well as working with producers in the US too.
Daniel currently works in unscripted TV where he develops documentary films and series. He has developed shows commissioned by Netflix, Amazon Prime, the 大象传媒 and Channel 4 over the past five years.
Daniel is represented by Alex Bloch and Doorie Lee at 42 Management.
Alex Mathias
Born in West Wales, Alex studied English Literature at Cardiff University. He began his professional life as the projectionist of an independent cinema where he gained an education in screenwriting in the projection booth.
He was selected for the 大象传媒 Drama Room from over 3,500 applicants. In 2022, he was a finalist in the Studio21 Drama Series Script competition where he pitched in Content London and had his crime drama TV series optioned. He has a psychological sports drama TV series in development with Riot Time and a feature in development with Ffilm Cymru Wales. Alex has had short films made for 大象传媒 Two and The Oxford School of Drama and was shortlisted for the 大象传媒 Academy.
Alex writes drama marbled with off-kilter humour and grounded sci-fi which often explores themes of family, ambition and class.
Matthew McDevitt
Matthew McDevitt was selected for 大象传媒 Belfast Voices, Dan煤 Greenlight Lab and 大象传媒 Drama Room. His script PRESERVATION appeared on The Brit List 2023 with 13 industry recommendations and is currently in development with Gaze/Anton. Matt was also a member of the writers' room for Season Two of 大象传媒 ONE PSNI drama BLUE LIGHTS. Winner of the 大象传媒 NI/Element Pictures award, he was commissioned to write a comedy drama about his experiences of commune life in THE SEEKER.
His Irish border crime drama YELLOWBACK (Deadpan Pictures) is currently with broadcasters. Previously a finalist for the Mammoth Screen 大象传媒 NI award. Matt recently wrote an episode of CASUALTY due for broadcast February 2025. His Radio 4 short stories include HANDY NUMBER and SHE NAMED US. Matt currently has projects in development with Hat Trick and Wild Atlantic.
Matt is represented by Francesca Devas at the Independent Talent Group.
Lauren and Danny McNamara
Lauren and Danny are a BRITLIST and 大象传媒 PILOT screenwriting team with an exciting style and some irresistible ideas. They are currently developing a number of projects for TV, including Psychological Thriller WHO THE F**K IS STEVE? For Two Cities and the 大象传媒, an adaptation of number one bestseller IDOL by Louise O鈥橬eill for Eleven Film, original crime thriller ANONYMOUS for Eleven Film with executive producer Tim Schlattmann (DEXTER), and AI thriller VERSUS for Leonine Studios.
Previous work includes an adaptation of New York Times best seller THE TRUANTS by Kate Weinberg for See Saw films and NETFLIX, revenge thriller QUID PRO QUO with Nicola Schindler for Quay Street Productions, heist thriller 505 for West Road Pictures, gritty teen drama CARELESS with Helen Black for Left Bank Pictures, comedy drama UNMANAGEABLE for Ranga Bee, psychological thriller THE FALLEN with Kefi Chadwick for Tall Story Pictures, and many more.
Danny is better known as the songwriter and lead singer of multi-platinum award-winning band Embrace. As well as playing sell out tours all over the world, Embrace enjoyed a string of top ten singles and three number one albums. Lauren is the brains of the outfit.
Lauren and Danny are represented by Rob Krait at Casarotto.
Emma Ramsay
Emma is a writer/director from Edinburgh. After graduating in 2019 with an MA in screenwriting she went on to work in television drama development for Two Rivers Media and World Productions (VIGIL, LINE OF DUTY). During this time she has also written episodes of continuing drama RIVER CITY and children's sitcom NOVA JONES. Today, she has a number of original projects in development across film and television and has just completed her BFI Network funded short film as writer/director.
Emma is represented by Francesca Devas at Independent Talent.
Ali Taylor
Ali Taylor is a screenwriter and mum of three who lives in Glasgow. Her credits include several episodes of RIVER CITY (for which she was nominated Best Debut Writer at the Edinburgh TV New Voices Awards 2020), THE DUMPING GROUND and MOLLY & MACK. She has recently been selected for the EastEnders Writing Scheme. Her first, BFI funded, short, JUST JACKIE premiers this October.
Ali has original dramas in development and she was a previous participant of the inaugural 大象传媒 Scottish Voices Drama Room, The Writers鈥� Lab UK & Ireland, WFTV Four Nations Scheme and the Young Film Foundation. She has written several radio dramas, including THE APPLE, THE TREE and ONE EIGHTY, FAN which will air on Radio 4 this November and she has been twice shortlisted for the 大象传媒 Writersroom Writer鈥檚 Prize for Drama.
Prior to screenwriting, Ali was a copywriter and creative director in advertising where she won national and international awards in almost every medium. She completed an MA in TV Fiction Writing (with distinction) in 2018 at GCU, supported by a 大象传媒 Scotland scholarship.
She鈥檚 indebted to 大象传媒 Writers for their support and is thrilled to have been matched with the wonderful Mam Tor on 大象传媒 Pilot.
Ali is represented by Jean Kitson at Kitson Press Associates.
Alvin Yu
Alvin is a writer/director. He was the 2023 大象传媒 Studios Creator in Residence with Clerkenwell Films, as well as a member of the 大象传媒 Writersroom Drama Room 2021-2022, and London Voices in 2021. In 2023, his short film LIONHEAD was commissioned by Disney and NFTS through the Star Imagine Shorts Incubator scheme, and premiered at the 67th London Film Festival 2023, and will be screening at various BIFA and BAFTA Qualifying festivals across the UK including Norwich Film Festival (BAFTA qualifying), Sunderland Shorts (BIFA Qualifying).
Alvin is represented by Talia Tobias at United Agents.
Zak Zarafshan
Zak Zarafshan is a British-Iranian playwright and screenwriter from the East Midlands, based in London. His debut play THE BOYS ARE KISSING opened at Theatre503 in January 2023 to a sell-out run, with 4-star reviews in The Guardian, The Stage and WhatsOnStage and nominations for Best Writer at The Stage Debut Awards and Most Promising New Playwright at The Off West End Theatre Awards. The play is being licensed for multiple productions overseas, and Zak is currently under commission to Sheffield Theatres. He was previously a part of the Soho Theatre Writers Lab, Tamasha Playwrights Group, and shortlisted for Channel 4鈥檚 4Stories scheme.
Zak is represented by Giles Smart at United Agents.