City student beats thousands to win screenwriting prize

Published on Thursday 5 November 2009 08:52

IT'S the sort of dream ending anyone writing a Hollywood film might be tempted to come up with.

Aspiring writer and Edinburgh student Michael Cumes has just been awarded a major Hollywood screenwriting award for his script, beating thousands of hopefuls from across the world.

He has also penned a story for popular soap Hollyoaks for an upcoming episode.

Michael, 24, an MA student at the Edinburgh Skillset Screen and Media Academy, wowed the judges to take home the top prize at the prestigious Hollywood PAGE International Screenwriting Awards.

He beat 4,000 other entries to win gold in the Short Film category for his script The Romance Class.

The story follows a group of middle-aged women at a creative writing class as they argue about true romance and their own experiences. It was thought up while Michael was taking night classes whilst studying in Norwich, and he admitted it had been re-written "hundreds of times" to get it absolutely right.

"Words cannot describe how I'm feeling right now," he said. "I've long aspired to become a screen writer but, in such a competitive industry, I hadn't dared hope the dream would become a reality."

Michael, originally from Kent, admitted he had initially not considered screenwriting, although he always wanted to be a writer. But after a few attempts at a script he discovered it was exactly the right style for him.

His course has already seen him take up a work placement on Hollyoaks,

and he admits that while his award may point to a future in feature films, he would be just as happy writing for soap operas.

"Hollyoaks was a lot of fun and I think if you want to be involved in screenwriting in the UK, you need to write for television because that's where the industry is.

"Some people on my course said they would never write for a soap opera, but I'd really like that.

"It is a chance to reach millions of people every night."

Michael has been mentored by acclaimed Scottish screenwriter Colin MacDonald, best known for writing Casualty, Heartbeat and Sharpe's Honour. Macdonald has now set up a meeting with a film industry agent for his protg.

Michael is currently writing his final dissertation for the Edinburgh Skillset Screen and Media Academy – a collaboration between Edinburgh Napier and Edinburgh College of Art – and is due to graduate next year.

James Mavor, programme leader for MA Screenwriting, School of Arts and Creative Industries, at Edinburgh Napier said: "Michael's achievement is outstanding. The PAGE Awards have become one of the most important sources for new screenwriting talent across the world."

Michael is the second Edinburgh Skillset Screen & Media Academy student to scoop the Hollywood short film award.

David Bishop, now a successful author, screenwriter and lecturer, took home the prize in 2007.