News and Events

BU student wins prestigious scriptwriting prize

19 September 2012

Sophie Petzal beats entries from around the world to claim Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award.

A Bournemouth University student will have her script performed at the International Emmy Awards in New York after winning a prestigious award.

BA (Hons) Scriptwriting for Film and Television student Sophie Petzal has received the Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award for a TV script she wrote called The Sanctioned.

The award is open to writers under the age of 30 from across the world, who can submit scripts that have not yet been made for television.

Sophie, who completed two years of her degree at BU before deferring to take part in an 18 month BBC trainee scheme, said: “Thousands of people apply every year, so you never think it is going to be you who wins.

“It feels incredible and now I’m just trying to make sure I make the most of it as an opportunity as well as a pat on the back.”

Sophie receives $2,500 prize money and will go to the International Emmy Awards, which run in New York from November 16th to 19th, to receive her award.

She will attend red carpet events and galas, and her script will also be performed by actors at the awards in front of an audience of industry experts.

“Lots of people have read the script but it has never been performed,” said Sophie. “It will be fantastic and I am really excited to see how it translates to the American audience, as there is quite a lot of British slang.

“It’s hard to get my head around it and what it could mean for me, so I think I am just going to try to enjoy it all.”

The Sanctioned is an hour-long TV pilot about a young teacher who gets embroiled in a rogue police force which kills criminals who have escaped justice.

Sophie said: “I don’t write for one particular genre, but things like morality are quite obvious in most of the things I write.

“What I am interested in and find fascinating are the moral black spots in everyday life and where you draw the line between good and evil.”