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| Krysty Wilson-Cairns is EIFF's first screenwriter-in-residence |
Glasgow-born writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns has been announced as the first Edinburgh International Film Festival screenwriter-in-residence.
Wilson-Cairns' credits including TV drama Penny Dreadful and short films All Men's Dead, The End Of An Era and Fink. She has a masters in screenwriting from the National Film and Television School and was named one of Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow in 2014. She currently has several features in development, including The Voyeur's Motel, which is set to be directed by Sam Mendes, and the Darren Aronofsky produced The Good Nurse.
Between now and the festival's 71st edition in June next year, , when the film festival returns for its 71st edition, Wilson-Cairns will receive access to Edinburgh’s four universities, where she will have the opportunity to develop project ideas with science and humanities researchers.
A bursary of £7,500 is provided to allow her to take the time to engage with the researchers at key points throughout the year.
The programme has been developed and supported by Wellcome and in partnership 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.
Holly Daniel, Head of Industry & Talent Development at EIFF said: “We are thrilled to be announcing Krysty Wilson-Cairns as our first EIFF screenwriter-in-residence. She is a very exciting talent, a ‘one to watch’ and her interest in all things science makes her the perfect writer to explore the knowledge, information and ideas that will be available to her in Edinburgh over the next year.”
Krysty said: “I’m unbelievably excited and very honoured to have been chosen as the Edinburgh International Film Festival’s screenwriter-in-residence. The access to scientific researchers and fellows at some of the finest universities in the world is not only a once in a lifetime opportunity, it also offers the possibility to forge bonds across disciplines that are so often (and wrongly) put on opposite ends of a spectrum. I am sure the combination of art and science will provoke an interesting reaction and many unique ideas, I feel truly privileged to be involved.”
