2023 WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters Lab is underway

6th October 2023

Written by:

Yvonne Francas-Mellor, Managing Director (Production)

This week, WFTV launched its inaugural WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters Lab, sponsored by Miss Scarlet, to spotlight and support emerging female writing talent in the film and TV industry.

Kay was a lifelong champion of women in the industry, both in front of and behind the camera. We're so grateful to the team at WFTV and Miss Scarlet Limited for making this retreat happen - To continue Kay's legacy in this way is a perfectly fitting tribute.

We are pleased to announce the writers taking part in the retreat, who were selected from over 700 applicants.

Beth Bennett

Catherine Newell

Chloe Hudson

Christine McVie

Isabelle Blanche

Mariem Omari

Pasha Tong

Preethi Manuel

Rebecca Osias

Rekha Keshvara

Rhianne Deans

Sarah Louise Madden

Shay Elliot

Kay Mellor was a trailblazer and we're delighted to honour her contribution to the industry and continue her screenwriting legacy by inspiring a new wave of female screenwriters in film & TV ”

Katie Bailiff, CEO at WFTV

Hosted at the Arvon Foundation's Lumb Bank house located in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, the 5 day writers lab is a fully funded opportunity for the 13 screenwriters who are actively working on original scripts and looking to attract industry interest to take them to the next stage of their career.

The programme is led by course tutors Lisa Holdsworth (Ackley Bridge, Call the Midwife, Waterloo Road) and Olivia Hetreed (Girl with a Pearl Earring, Mrs Harris Goes to Paris, Wuthering Heights).

Evening sessions included a conversation with Happy Valley creator and writer Sally Wainwright OBE and a retrospective look at Kay's work with Yvonne and Gaynor (Kay's daughters and MD / Creative Director here at Rollem)

By sponsoring this initiative, we hope to inspire, incentivise and support talented women to similarly break ground and pursue a career in storytelling" ”

Patty Lenahan Ishimoto, Miss Scarlet Limited

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