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Britain is making more movies than ever - indie, blockbuster, arthouse, co-pro and streamer-targeted. But who really wants what - and how is their appetite different from the studios and mini majors of Hollywood? Is pitching different here? Is it as simple as having a great idea or a great script - or does who you are and where you’re coming from make a big difference too?
Seasoned filmmaker and producer John McKay will share his up to the minute knowledge of the many marketplaces for feature film scripts in the UK, with nuanced insights into current trends, helpful public funding and key commercial meeting points for pitching and selling your screenplay.
Participants can either sign up for the WEBINAR and listen to the discussion and ask questions or the CLINIC to practice your pitch and receive individual feedback and market advice from John.
John McKay is a UK-based producer of film and TV with a background in writing and directing, known for bringing powerful stories to the screen. In 2024, he was longlisted as a BIFA Breakthrough Producer for his work on FAALING INTO PLACE —the debut feature from writer-director Aylin Tezel, co-produced with Weydemann Bros (The Outrun), which received the FIPRESCI Critics Prize for Best Debut prior to its worldwide release.
John’s recent credits as producer also include THE PRIMROSE RAILWAY CHILDREN (2024), a 90-minute feature drama for BBC1 and BYU Networks starring Kevin McKidd, winner of the 2025 RTS Scotland Award; and THE BEAKER GIRLS(2022), a 3-part series for CBBC. He also produced MY MUM TRACY BEAKER (2021), a flagship 90-minute drama for BBC1 and CBBC, which was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Series.
Earlier in his career, John directed feature films including CRUSH with Andie Macdowell and Imelda Stanton, PICCADILLY JIM with Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney, and NOT ANOTHER HAPPY ENDING with Karen Gillan; leading TV direction includes CANTERBURY TALES, LIFE ON MARS, SHETLAND, and WE'LL TAKE MANHATTEN, which went on to win the Prix Europa for Best Drama; and charming family single film Katy, which won the International Emmy..
Partnering with award-winning queer producer Laura McBride at Compact, a new production company based in Scotland but producing and trading worldwide, projects in current development include Egyptian-Scottish Rachelle Atalla’s movie adaptation of her acclaimed novel The Pharmacist, set in a post-nuclear bunker, James Ley’s sparkling gay romcom, LOVESONG TO LAVENDER MENACE, selected for finance forum Inside Out 2023, and PRICKER, Cora Bissett’s debut feature, a feminist witch-finding drama; and a growing slate of TV drama, including thriller CUCKS by Layo Akinlude on the dangerous life of illegal immigrants in the UK, ASSYNT, a sophisticated eco-thriller created by writer James Mavor (Reichenbach Falls), and womens football drama THE MUNITIONETTES by Skye Lab alumnus Alice Clarke.
Originally a Perrier-nominated writer in theatre and comedy, McKay's hit debut play Dead Dad Dog was recently revived in sell out runs at the Finborough London and the Traverse Edinburgh, together with its contemporary sequel, Sunny Boy.
For screen, John wrote the aforementioned CRUSH and WE'LL TAKE MANHATTAN, and many others screen commissions, including GHOST HUNTERS for Warners UK and BREAK THE BANK for StudioCanal; as well as TV series projects THE PROS, THE BRUCE and STATE OF INDEPENDENCE for BBC Drama, Wallace for STV, and sitcom MY DEAD DAD for Channel 4.
Cancellation Policy: You may cancel for a full refund up to 5 days prior to the start of the class. Cancellations requested after this period will be ineligible for refunds.
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