I woke up one day and decided I should try to spend my life doing what I love. I've woken up every day since with the same idea, so, until it stops happening, here's the state of play...
Richard Smith is a BAFTA award-winning screenwriter, and was recently named runner-up in the BBC New Filmmaker Award for his directing debut.
Richard's first feature script, psychological chiller TRAUMA, was directed by Marc Evans, starring Colin Firth and Mena Suvari. Produced by Warner Bros/Little Bird/BBC Films, it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and opened across UK cinemas in August 2004; "a haunting meditation on grief and self-delusion...a UK film whose visual and aural virtuosity sets it apart" (Screen International). ..Gripping thriller.. (News of the World).
Richard's half-hour film, LEONARD, won Best Television Screenplay in the 2002 BAFTA Scotland Awards. Starring Dennis Lawson and Stuart Wilkinson, directed by Brian Kelly, it was produced by Stella Maris Films/Scottish Media Group/Scottish Screen. Other awards for LEONARD include the Audience Award at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, the Organization Prize at the Algarve Film Festival, the award for Best Single Drama at the Mental Health Media Awards and Best Fiction at the Tehran Festival for ..the highly professional skills in driving the narrative and for its sense of humour in dealing with a human relationship....
Richard is currently working on his sixth feature script commission: NIGHTWORK (based on the book by Irwin Shaw) for Ealing Studios (ST TRINIANS), which will star Dustin Hoffman. He recently completed BIG DEAL for Celador Films (THE DESCENT) and a feature adaptation of LEONARD with New York-based Kinetic Arts, supported by Crab Apple Films and Scottish Screen. He has several other projects in development, both film and television, including DO NOT DISCONNECT for Edge City Films (which he’s attached to direct).
Richard directed his first short film, MONO, in February 2006, written by himself, funded by Digicult/The Film Council/Scottish Screen, produced by GMAC/Abigail Howkins. It stars Samantha Young and Ainslie Henderson. It was runner-up in the BBC New Filmmaker's Award, won the Audience Award at Merchant City Festival and Best Short Drama at the End of the Pier International Film Festival. It was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA, and for a TORC award by the Celtic Film and TV Festival. It was selected across the world, including Los Angeles, Mill Valley (San Francisco), Atlantic Film Festival (Nova Scotia), Uppsala (Sweden), Foyle (Ireland), Leeds, Encounters (Bristol), Sao Paulo, Inverness, Vendome (France), Santa Barbara, Milan and Black Maria (New Jersey). It was shown domestically by BBC3. You can see it online at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/A15983328
Richard directed the three-minute film, SCORE, for filmaka.com, and was designated a 'winner' by its jury.
As a script editor, his credits include HIKIKOMORI (wr/dir Paul Wright), which was nominated for three Scottish BAFTAS (and won one), and for Best Short at the 2007 British BAFTAs. He developed ICE PLANT with Kate Burton for Digicult 2007. He..s an advisor on the Moonstone script labs, and resident script editor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He has a postgraduate degree (with distinction) in screenwriting from the University of Salford, and is a graduate of Arista.
In another life, Richard wrote the ten-part television series, RE:PLAY, and the twenty-part TV series, DONNAWORLD, for Donna Air. ..An astonishing piece of television.. (The Guardian). He did stand-up comedy for three years, and threatens one day to do it again...
Richard is represented by The Rod Hall Agency: 6th Floor, Fairgate House, 78 New Oxford St, London WC1A 1HB. 020 7079 7987.
PS - I'm thinking of popping my blogging cherry and charting my next feature project from conception to wherever it ends up (it could be the shortest blog in history). Since you've read this far, you're either into film-making or you need to get out more - either way, let me know if you'd be interested to read it...
