12/10/2012 - Sam Firth wins £10,000 for The Story Of Me And You

Al Smith has won the first ever Wellcome Trust Screenwriting Prize of £20,000 for Halflife – a coming-of-age love story centred around two brain-damaged teenagers on a road trip. A special commendation was also awarded to screenwriter and experimental filmmaker Sam Firth, who was given a £10,000 prize to help her develop further her proposed experimental documentary The Story of Me and You, exploring the nature of memory, reality and objective truth.

Launched in June this year, the new annual screenwriting prize is run in association with the BFI Film Fund. The award aims to encourage high-quality feature films inspired by biology and medicine. As well as the cash prize, the winning screenwriter receives support from the Wellcome Trust to connect them with world-leading scientists and to help identify commercial partners and producers.

Clare Matterson, Director of Medical Humanities and Engagement at the Wellcome Trust, said, "Although the quality of shortlisted entries was extremely high, we were unanimous in our decision to award Al Smith our first ever Screenwriting Prize. His story is imaginative and well structured with strong, believable characters. We hope that this award and the support of the BFI and Film 4 will enable him to develop this into a rich and thought-provoking film."

Lizzie Francke, Senior Executive in the BFI Film Fund, who helped judge the prize, said, "Al Smith is a talented writer with a strong background in theatre and television. We’re delighted that with the support that this prize provides, Al can now continue to develop his screenwriting voice."