What a great feeling to be in Enter The Pitch again this year, a second time around and with two films in the short list.

My two films are UNEMILY and BELLY OF THE WHALE

BELLY OF THE WHALE is pitched by co-creator Andy Squires based in Leeds and UNEMILY with writer Simon Cookson based in Manchester, both very talented fellas.

BELLY OF THE WHALE

What if Johna was spat out from the belly of a whale on the coasts of Yorkshire? Sent to warn the villagers to change their ways and stop over fishing of the seas. But on his journey love trumps faith when he meets a woman on the road and he chooses her over his mission. Years later and happily married the waves turn against the town and a pod of whales are beached distressing all the inhabitants and an omen of worse to come. Soon follows a storm so fierce that half the village is swallowed, the cliff caves in and the houses plunge into the sea. Johna’s house is the only one left on the cliff, but his heart is destroyed when his family is lost to the storm. The Village rebuilds and Johna grows bitter alone in his wind swept shack. Now another stranger arrives on the beach, his skin and hair bleached white from the whale’s stomach acid. Johna knows he is here for him and that finally a reckoning has come, but after loosing his family can he find his faith.
“They have swallowed me up and spat me
out changing the way I see forever.”
Photograph Taken by Robin Friend. Title : Belly of the Whale
UNEMILY
Unemily is a story of judgement and atonement. It combines many themes and visuals from the book of Ezikel, gods wrath and the cleansing of people. The land is ravaged and our characters know safety is on higher ground, (possibly from a previous flood). The cities have crumbled, dry bones and oil scar the surface. Two women travel together through the wilderness, both believing that they and their companions are the last people alive. We join them at sunsets on a wasteland hilltop. Through their stilted and unusual language we learn that the younger girl, Unemily was rescued when her previous companions were killed. The women are starving and both suffering from exhaustion. They are obviously in fear for their lives and especially as nightfall draws closer. Hearing that the last of their party was killed the night before, the older woman, Ungwen confronts Unemily of her long held suspicion that a bad force follows her. Immediately after a man startles both women, urgently encouraging them to follow him back to his settlement, also scared of the night. But can they trust this new stranger or indeed each other? Unemily is compelled to carry out her mission to the end.

Photograph Taken by Robin Friend

I’m really excited, but I’ve been here before and there is one more cut to go before the final 10. So what is this prize?

The finalists’ weekend

As a top 10 finalist, you will meet and have lunch with the judges. Then you will have the chance to talk to them individually at length about the strengths and weaknesses of your idea. After that, you’ll get the chance to go away and hone your pitch based on the conversation, before coming back to do a final pitch.

The apprenticeship

industry professionals including script writers, producers, directors, actors, camera operators or directors of photography and post-production experts. During this time, you will be mentored and given advice on how best to turn your pitch into a short film.

The film

You will get to make a short film based on your pitch. The production and technical support you will receive has an estimated cash value in excess of £30,000.

The Hollywood experience

You, a member of your team, or a friend or family member will be flown to Hollywood in Autumn 2012 for a week. During this trip you will have a private meeting with Producer Ralph Winter (X-Men, Fantastic Four) who will watch and give feedback on your film. You will also get to meet other industry professionals. During your stay, there will be free time to see the sights and sounds of Hollywood. We’ll also give you a total of $500 spending money.

The judges will select, at their own discretion, pitches they believe are equipped to impact the world through art and film.

Anna Cox

Anna Cox

Anna Cox has worked at the BBC since 1993 as a documentary director and producer. Her award winning films have ranged from a fly on the wall doc for BBC2 about an experiment into prayer in the States, to numerous drama docs for BBC1. Her work has taken her from the deserts of Egypt, to the suburbs of New Zealand via the “Hollywood” sets in remote parts of Morocco. She’s currently series producing four hours of TV for BBC1, which will broadcast in the lead up to Christmas this year.

Martin Kiszko

Martin Kiszko

Martin has composed and orchestrated over 200 scores for film and TV. Amongst these were the landmark natural history series Land of the Eagle and Realms of the Russian Bear, in which he pioneered the recording of music samples on film locations. The diversity of Martin’s material also embraces BBC, ITV and C4 dramas including: Black Hearts in Battersea, The Levels, and The Uninvited. His TV signature tunes include: BBC’s Newsround, Food and Drink; Omnibus; Wildlife on Two and The Natural World.

Nick Park

Nick Park CBE

Mention Wallace and Gromit to almost anyone and they’ll automatically smile. The cheese-obsessed inventor and his trusty dog have become part of the national consciousness and – along with the Creature Comforts animated series – have won Nick four Oscars and six BAFTAs.

Nev Pierce

Nev Pierce

Neville Pierce is a screenwriter, in active development on several features, including his directorial debut. He is also a journalist who writes, as Nev Pierce, for The Sunday Times and EMPIRE, where he is Editor-At-Large. www.nevpierce.com

David Oyelowo

David Oyelowo 2010

David has worked in film, TV and Theatre in the UK and the USA. He played Henry VI with the RSC (d: Michael Boyd) and Prometheus in Prometheus Bound in both London and New York. His work in TV includes ‘Kremlin’ in No1. Ladies detective Agency, the last work from Anthony Minghella, and Danny in three series of the BBC programme Spooks. Recent film credits include Joe ‘Lightning’ Little in the Lucas Films epic Red Tails. He was nominated for Best Actor in the 2010 Royal Television Society Awards.

David plays the protagonist in The Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). He is currently in production of ’One Shot’ playing opposite Tom Cruise. He is married to the actress Jess Oyelowo and they are currently living in Los Angeles. Both Jessica and David starred in the winning Pitch for 2010: Rahab.

A picture of Stuart Hazeldine

Stuart Hazeldine

Stuart Hazeldine is one of a select number of UK-based screenwriters who write exclusively for the major Hollywood studios. His first credit was the sci-fi TV movie ‘Riverworld’ in 2003. In 2007 he rewrote  ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still’ (directed by Scott Derrickson, starring Keanu Reeves & Jennifer Connelly) and the thriller ‘Knowing’ (directed by Alex Proyas, starring Nicolas Cage).

He recently adapted John Milton’s epic religious fantasy poem ‘Paradise Lost’ to be directed by Alex Proyas in January 2011 starring Bradley Cooper, Benjamin Walker and Casey Affleck, and has just written ‘Gods and Kings’, an epic retelling of the story of Moses, for producer Dan Lin (‘Sherlock Holmes’) and Warner Bros.

Stuart made his directorial debut with the British psychological thriller ‘Exam’, which he also wrote, produced (with Gareth Unwin) and financed. It won the Santa Barbara Film Festival and the Bronze Hitchcock award at the Dinard Film Festival. He was nominated for a 2010 BAFTA for Best Debut.

David Suchet

David Suchet 2009

Most famous for his portrayal of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, David is also an internationally acclaimed theatrical performer. He took the lead role in the play Oleanna, directed by Harold Pinter, at the Royal Court Theatre. His other TV credits include: Maxwell and The Way We Live Now. He has won two RTS awards and an Emmy.

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