Screenwriting students from UCLAN met BAFTA chairman David Parfitt at a screenwriting event held at BAFTA headquarters in London.

The third year students travelled to London for the BAFTA/Rocliffe New Writing Forum. After watching performances of some young writers scripts the students spent time chatting with Parfitt.

The student s spent time getting advice from the BAFTA and Oscar-winning producer of Shakespeare in Love and The Madness of King George about screenwriting and talking about his new film A Bunch of Amateurs.

The New Writing event is an excellent opportunity for the students, who will graduate in summer, to mix with industry professionals such as producers, development executives, directors, actors and literary agents.

UCLAN’s Screenwriting course leader, Bill McCoid, said: “It is a very positive experience for our students to meet some of the finest professionals in the film business. This gives them a flavour of how things really work.”

He added: ‘It is important that our students mix in these circles and the benefits to a writer, new or seasoned. It’s an invaluable method to test out new material.’

The evening was an eye opener for the students. Students Lee Byran and Stuart Knight, have optioned the movie rights to a novel.

They said: “We spoke to David about our ideas and he was very positive and supportive. It was impressive that someone with such a wealth of movie experience was prepared to give us his time. He was really approachable and friendly.”

Fellow student Martin Stocks said: “I really got a lot out of this event. Also, while I was in London, Tom Conran and I pitched an idea to a production company, which was an interesting experience in itself.”

During the evening the students got to watch professional actors read through scripts by young writers which then got feedback from Parfitt and an audience of film professionals.

David Parfitt’s film A Bunch of Amateurs, starring Burt Reynolds and Derek Jacobi has been chosen as this year’s Royal Gala Performance film and will be screened in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen on Mon 17 November.