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Aspiring arts producer Jenna Al-Ansari will be seeing her TV dreams come to fruition after winning an international screenwriting competition for her one-woman political satire called Protect and Survive based on the pandemic.
The 31-year-old British-Bahraini living in London took on more than 600 participants in the SCREENSHOT SISTER 2020 to win a TV development commission, in which her entry was described by a panel of judges as ‘full of big ideas, so silly, heartening and brave’.
The former St Christopher’s School student, who studied English literature at St Andrews University in Scotland is over the moon for the victory and thanks the organisers South of the River Pictures and SISTER Pictures for the opportunity.
“In the midst of the UK lockdown, I saw someone tweet about a competition and thought I’d give it a go - the challenge was to create a five minute video encapsulating an idea for a TV show,” said Jenna who works with OKRE, a charity set up to help people working in film, TV and games tell stories that defy stereotypes shown onscreen. “There were then a few interviews and chats and I had to submit a written extract and finally do a live performance in a London theatre for the amazing judges.
“There were around 600 applicants at the first stage and the final performance shortlist was 13 groups and individual performers, all of whom were incredible. I loved being able to meet such talented people.
“I loved the process of the competition too. It was such an amazing exercise and I hadn’t performed theatre live in front of an audience since I was at university! Every one of the judges was a powerful, successful woman in her field and so it was an absolute privilege to be able to perform my own work for them and get their feedback. It was truly inspiring!”
The judging panel was led by British comedians and actresses Lolly Adefope and Rosie Jones, writer and television producer Phoebe Waller – Bridge and Oscar-winner Olivia Colman at a closed-door showcase held at The Royal Court Theatre on May 1.
The SCREENSHOT SISTER initiative was created as a direct response to the impact Covid-19 had on the performing arts and it was designed to create opportunities for emerging comedy writer-performers to showcase their work.
In Jenna’s performance, she took to the stage as Conservative MP Bambi Buttery-Potts battling to have her Protect and Survive nuclear protection campaign taken seriously, which Olivia stated was one of the best, most complete performances she’d seen in a long time.
Now Jenna has been commissioned by South of the Rover Pictures and SISTER Pictures to write a pilot episode for Protect and Serve.
“The idea for my piece stemmed from the current Covid-19 pandemic,” said Jenna. “I think it demonstrated how essential good political leadership is in a crisis. I was so proud to see Bahrain act so quickly and decisively at the start of the pandemic whereas here in the UK, the leaders were slow to act and sadly this has led to a huge and devastating loss of life.
“I also think that in the face of that pain, laughter can bring people together and can help us see where we need to improve and how we might imagine a better future in the face of any new challenges.
“The pilot will go to channels in the UK and globally, and inshallah, it will get picked up! There are no guarantees in the hugely competitive market of television but I’m hopeful and grateful for the opportunity.”
As for what is next for the talented screenwriter, she aims to keep on writing.
“I have a second comedy show about online moderators in development with Hat Trick Productions,” added Jenna. “I’m also working a third comedy inspired by my dad and his experiences as a young Arab student in the US in the 1980s. I’d love to be able to show Arabs onscreen in Western countries as the joyful, fun and loving people we are; defying some of the negative stereotypes about us.
“People in television and film are always searching for fresh talent and there are so many incredible untold tales we have to share from this part of the world. Also, know you are not alone - you are part of a huge community of amazing Middle Eastern creatives.
“For example, the producer of my show with Hat Trick Productions is Iranian/British, I’m working with an Egyptian producer on another idea at Film Nation and I’m hosting an event next month for Saqi Books, celebrating Arab women authors. People like you are out there who want to help you succeed.
“I hope I’m able to see my idea come to life on screen but, also honestly, I’m also just excited to learn from this incredible process and take that experience further in my career. Hopefully, you’ll be watching something I’ve created on a screen in the next couple of years!”
Jenna still visits her family that live in Sanad when she can and she hopes her story will inspire other young Arab writers, especially women.
She said: “I was lucky that my parents were hugely supportive from the start and I will always be grateful for that. Believe in yourself!
“Practical advice is to go to the cinema as often as you can – Saar was always my favourite and I am heartbroken to hear it is no more – watch TV shows you love and read their scripts online afterwards if you can find them. Start writing and then keep writing! Send your work into competitions like this one and to writing agencies that are open to submissions.”
