Edinburgh International Film Festival Announces Glasgow Native Nicole Taylor As 2017/18 EIFF Screenwriter-In-Residence

Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has today announced Glasgow-born screenwriter Nicole Taylor as the new EIFF Screenwriter-in-Residence.

The appointment will see Taylor receive a bursary of £7,500 and access to the four Edinburgh universities between now and June 2018, when the 72nd edition of the film Festival will take place. During this time Taylor will have the opportunity to develop project ideas with science and humanities researchers.

Taylor most recently wrote BBC One's three-part series Three Girls about the Rochdale grooming scandal, which premiered to outstanding reviews and a powerful audience response. The Times called Taylor’s Three Girls a “searingly compelling drama” and The Herald commented that “TV with this kind of power and significance is rare today” and “to see it three nights running in prime time on BBC One is astonishing”. It averaged a consolidated audience of 8.1 million on BBC One and more than 9.3 million requests for the series were made on BBC iPlayer.

Prior to that Taylor’s multi-BAFTA nominated single drama, The C Word, starring Sheridan Smith, was produced for BBC One. She has also written on numerous series, including Indian Summers for Channel 4, The Hour for BBC Two, and Ashes to Ashes for BBC One.

Her original feature Country Music has just completed filming in Glasgow - directed by Tom Harper, produced by Faye Ward and stars Julie Walters, Sophie Okonedo and Jessie Buckley. The film was developed and financed by the BFI (awarding funds from the National Lottery), Creative Scotland and Film4.

Taylor said “I am so delighted and grateful to have been chosen as the EIFF’s Screenwriter in Residence. I can’t think of a more valuable opportunity for a screenwriter than access to the great brains and great work of Edinburgh’s universities. I’m so excited about the year of discussions that lie ahead, which I hope will be touch paper for new ideas and new work”.

The programme is developed in partnership with Wellcome and with the Beltane Public Engagement Network, who provide links and facilitate access to research at The University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Napier University and Queen Margaret University. This access helps build connections between the worlds of film and science.

Mark Adams, Artistic Director at EIFF said “We are thrilled that Nicole will be the latest EIFF Screenwriter-in-Residence. She is a real talent, delivering striking new work and look forward to seeing what she will be achieving with the research opportunities on offer.”

Meroë Candy, Film and Drama Executive at Wellcome said “We were lucky enough to have Nicole attend one of our first ever Wellcome Ideas Lab at EIFF in 2014. She is a wonderful writer and her commitment to research and authenticity in both Three Girls and The C Word was exceptional. We’re delighted to continue to support her to be inspired by science and research.”

Heather Rea, Project Lead for the Beltane Public Engagement Network said: “We are delighted that Nicole will be working with our researchers this year. There is so many interesting things being studied at universities that need to be ‘out there’, and story (and film!) is one of the best ways to share it. It will be fascinating to see what Nicole uncovers and how she uses her expertise to weave it into her work.”

The residency includes:
£7,500 Award
Access to some of the leading researchers and fellows in Scotland
Access to the universities facilities and libraries

More information on EIFF is online here.

About Edinburgh International Film Festival
Established in 1947, Edinburgh International Film Festival is renowned around the world for discovering and promoting the very best in international cinema - and for heralding and debating changes in global filmmaking. Intimate in its scale, ambitious in its scope, and fuelled by pure passion for cinema in all its manifestations, EIFF seeks to spotlight the most exciting and innovative new film talent, in a setting steeped in history. Notable films premiered in recent years have included: GOD’S OWN COUNTRY, CARS 3, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, AMY, FINDING DORY, 45 YEARS, A MOST WANTED MAN, COLD IN JULY, THE IMPOSTER, BRAVE, TABU, THE HURT LOCKER, MOON, FISH TANK, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, MAN ON WIRE, CONTROL, KNOCKED UP, RATATOUILLE, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and BILLY ELLIOT.

EIFF is supported by Creative Scotland, the BFI (awarding funds from the National Lottery), the Scottish Government through the Edinburgh Festivals’ Expo Fund, the City of Edinburgh Council, and EventScotland.

The Edinburgh International Film Festival Limited is a company registered in Scotland No: SC132453. It is a subsidiary of the Centre for the Moving Image (CMI) which is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status with Scottish Charity No. SC006793. The Centre for the Moving Image (CMI) was established in 2010 with a mission to be at the forefront of the development of a vibrant and successful film and moving image industry and culture across Scotland and beyond. The CMI currently comprises EIFF, Filmhouse in Edinburgh and the Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen.

About Wellcome
Wellcome exists to improve health for everyone by helping great ideas to thrive. We’re a global charitable foundation, both politically and financially independent. We support scientists and researchers, take on big problems, fuel imaginations and spark debate.

As part of our strategy for engaging audiences with science and health research, we deliver initiatives that connect writers and filmmakers with science and humanities research to inspire future stories. This includes the EIFF Screenwriter in Residence, the Wellcome Screenwriting Fellowship in partnership with BFI and Film4, Experimental Stories for Radio with BBC Radio 4 and the NFTS Bridges to Industry for Drama with Sky Atlantic. Recent films and television from Wellcome include Paddy Considine’s Journeyman, Clio Barnard’s Dark River, Dylan Howitt’s BBC/Netflix film Out of Thin Air, Fergus O’Brien’s BBC Drama Against the Law, Rachel Tunnard’s Adult Life Skills, and James Wood’s BBC comedy Quacks.

About Beltane Public Engagement Network
Beltane is a network for people interested in making academic research accessible to a wide variety of audiences. Beltane is providing access to the best researchers in the region and facilitating access to behind-the-scenes at the research labs at the four Edinburgh universities: University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Napier University and Queen Margaret University.