As per usual, I’ve been a bit swamped to do individual posts, so they’re all going to be combined into one.
London Screenwriters Festival
The London Screenwriters Festival ran Thursday 9th to Sunday 12th April 2026 at Regent’s University in London.
I was invited to be one of the Pitch Execs at the Pitch Fest. What that meant is that screenwriters had a 5-minute window to come and pitch their ideas to me. I was in block B (Thursday afternoon).
I was a late addition. I said I was interested in hearing about narrative shorts, microbudget features, genre films and anthologies. I had more gaps than the other execs, but I didn’t mind. It meant more people came to me for longer, and I could help them with their pitches (years of running script development workshops and teaching people how to pitch came in handy).
It was interesting being on the other side, speaking to the other Pitch Execs about their experiences and hearing what the attending screenwriters thought. We aren’t obligated to continue the conversations after the pitches, but I did hand out my card. I have been in contact with some of the people who pitched – some I helped with loglines and pitch materials.
It was a good experience, and I hope I get invited back again. I also got to attend the festival, which was good.
Drone at Sci-Fi-London
Our September 2025 short film, Drone, made as part of the Action On The Side one-month weekend filmmaking project, screened at Sci-Fi-London
The film screened Sunday 27th May at Rich Mix cinema in Shoreditch, London.
Here is a pic of the team at the screening: Raine (Art Director), João (Writer/Director), and Alex (Lead Actor).
Unfortunately I couldn’t attend, because I was in…
Cannes Film Festival & Market
Garage was in the Festival de Cannes Short Film Corner this year*. I attended Cannes with Dympna (Director) and Isabelle (Lead Actor). My goal for Cannes was Networking: promoting Action On The Side, finding collaborators for future projects, and – if possible – watch some films.
I spent most of my time between the UK Pavilion, the New Zealand Film Commission, and the Short Film Corner. I met a load of fantastic filmmakers from around the world. I didn’t get to watch any films — but I have access to the Short Film Corner films to catch up on.
Romford Film Festival
This weekend (Friday 22nd to Monday 25th May 2026) is the Romford Film Festival. The festival is held over the bank holiday weekend at the Lumiere Cinema in Romford (Essex, UK).
Garage screened at 5pm on Friday 22nd. I attended with Dympna (Director) and her husband Tom, Jack (Editor), Isabelle (Lead Actor) and her best friend Alessandro.
Garage screened before a feature: 49 Miles More.
We had a Q&A about Garage. I look forward to seeing the recording and photos.
Both Garage and Drone are on their film festival runs this year. Garage screens at the Love & Hope International Film Festival. The Festival runs 14-17 October 2026 in Barcelona, Spain.
Busy Times 