Screenwriting Masterclass - Anthony McCarten

IFTA was delighted to present a Screenwriting Masterclass with Anthony McCarten, a four-time Oscar nominated screenwriter, producer, director and novelist. The Masterclass took place on Wednesday 30th August at the Light House Cinema, Dublin 7. This event is in association with Screen Ireland/Fís Éireann.

A true master of the modern biopic, he wrote the script for 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody (starring Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury), the highest-grossing biopic of all time, and was Oscar nominated for his work on The Theory of Everything (based on the life of Stephen and Jane Hawking), Darkest Hour (starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill) and The Two Popes (starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce as Pope Benedict and Pope Francis).

“Talent is not bestowed, it is not God-given, it can be developed. I do not believe I had any level of demonstrable talent when I began. All my brothers and sisters are in the trades, and I look at storytelling as a trade. Learning the craft is going to stand you in better stead than any heavenly bestowed giftedness.”

Anthony Mccarten

  He won two BAFTAs for writing and producing The Theory of Everything. He also wrote Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, the Irish film Death of a Superhero (based on his own novel) and wrote and directed Via Satellite and Show Of Hands.

His acclaimed work as a novelist includes Show of Hands and the recently published Going Zero, and his writing for stage includes the hit Broadway musical A Beautiful Noise, based on the life and music of Neil Diamond.

At this special Masterclass, Anthony will discuss his impressive career, the art of screenwriting and the challenges of adapting real life and historical events for the screen.