Paul Ashton is Senior Film Executive at Creative England, where he leads the Sheffield Talent Centre as part of the British Film Institute UK-wide NET.WORK, and supports new and emerging filmmakers on their journey towards making their first features. He is also author of The Calling Card Script: A Writer’s Toolbox for Stage, Screen and Radio, published by Bloomsbury. He has been involved in finding, developing and producing films nominated for an Oscar Award (Wish 143) and a BAFTA (Shifty, Turning).Ashton was previously the Development Producer at BBC Writersroom where he found and developed drama and comedy writers towards production across departments, including Films, Drama, Comedy, CBBC and CBeebies. He oversaw the BBC unsolicited Script Room, competitions, development schemes, industry partnerships, new talent projects and productions, and was involved in drama and comedy that has gone on to win BAFTA, RTS, Sony, Prix Italia, Tinniswood and Imison awards.Before the BBC, he freelanced in script development, including work with various BBC departments, the Arts Council John Whiting and Meyer-Whitworth Awards, Spice Factory, FilmFour. His theatre literary and directing work includes Paines Plough, Liverpool Everyman Theatre, Theatre & Beyond. He has tutored scriptwriting (Sussex Uni) and guest lectured widely across numerous university programs (including University of East Anglia, Bournemouth University, De Montfort University, London College of Communication, Central School of Speech and Drama) and festivals (London Screenwriters' Festival, Cheltenham Screenwriter’s Festival, National Student Drama Festival).His scriptwriting includes the short film Hard Hat. He was Writer-in-Residence with the Half Moon Theatre and his play Cued Up toured the UK. His play Coasting was a showcased winner in the International Playwrighting Festival.Ashton was awarded a studentship from the Humanities Research Board of the British Academy to study for an MPhil at King’s College, Cambridge, and took a first class degree from Liverpool University.He is represented by Blake Friedmann Agency.
$3 Million
