Ruby/BBC's Sex Education leads Brit List of hot screenplays

Sex Education, a script by Jonathan Stern and Jamie Minoprio which is being set up at Ruby Films and BBC Films, has topped this year’s Brit List, the fourth annual list of best unproduced screenplays compiled by the UK and Irish film community.

Sex Education is the story of a pair of teenage misfits who vow revenge on their bully schoolteacher by attempting to seduce his wife.

Over 170 screenplays were nominated by the voting group - who are more than 80 industry players across all levels of seniority and sectors. Due to the increased number of participants this year, a script had to receive three votes or more to appear on the list, which totals 35 scripts.

In order to qualify for the Brit List, a screenplay also had to be unproduced at time of circulation, be written by a non-US writer and not have featured on previous Brit Lists.

Among the high-profile scripts on this year’s list include Saul Dibb’s adaptation of Irene Nemirovsky’s Suite Francaise which is being developed as a directing project for Dibb; Ian McEwan’s adaptation of his novel On Chesil Beach which Sam Mendes is scheduled to direct; and new screenplays by Paul Andrew Williams, Jack Thorne and John Hodge.

Previous projects on the Brit List which have gone onto production include Salmon Fishing In the Yemen by Simon Beaufoy, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach and Ol Parker, Nowhere Boy by Matt Greenhalgh, Jane Eyre by Moira Buffini, Never Let Me Go by Alex Garland, Attack The Block by Joe Cornish, My Week With Marilyn by Adrian Hodges, The Debt by Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn, Wuthering Heights by Olivia Hetreed, We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lynne Ramsay, The Scouting Book For Boys by Jack Thorne and Men Who Stare At Goats by Peter Straughan.

This year’s projects are listed below, with writer’s agencies and production companies where known.

11 votes
Sex Education by Jonathan Stern and Jamie Minoprio (Casarotto)
Producers: Ruby Films/BBC Films

8 votes
Cheerleaders by Ben Schiffer (ITG)
Producers: Cloud Eight Films

7 votes
Honour by Shan Khan (The Agency)
Producers: Dan Films/Parti Productions

Shadow Dancer by Tom Bradby (Lucas Alexander Whitley (law) Agency)
Producers: Unanimous Pictures/Element Pictures/Wildbunch Production

Song For Marion by Paul Andrew Williams (United Agents)
Producers: Steel Mill Productions

Welcome To The Punch by Eran Creevy (ITG)
Producers: Between the Eyes

6 votes
Breathe (aka Back 2 Jack) by Claire Wilson (Casarotto)
Producers: Element Pictures

Engaged by James Condon (unrepresented)
Producers: Silvertown Films

The Animators by Clive Dawson (ITG)
Producers: Qwerty Films

5 votes
A Long Way Down by Jack Thorne (Casarotto)
Producers: Finola Dwyer Productions/Wildgaze Films

Granny Made Me An Anarchist by Ronan Bennett (Tavistock Wood) and Duncan Campbell (United Agents)
Producers: Origin Pictures/Easter Partisan/Film 4

4 votes
30 Eggs by Eoin O’Connor (Berlin Associates)
Producers: Treasure Entertainment

Blackrock (aka Bad Day In Blackrock) by Malcolm Campbell (Curtis Brown)
Producers: Element Pictures

Finishing School by Daisy Donovan (ITG)
Producers: Origin Pictures

Last Will by Geoff Thompson (Debi Allen Associates)
Producers: Steel Mill Productions

Letters From America by Gaia and Hania Elkington (United Agents)

Lovefest by Michael Cowen (United Agents)
Producers: Cloud Eight Films/Pathé

The Bride Stripped Bare by Andrew Bovell (HLA)
Producers: Forward Films

Valerio by Kelly Marcel (Casarotto)
Producers: 4DH Films

3 votes
3 Minute Heroes by Paven Virk (Alan Brodie Representation)
Producers: Mike Elliot

A Little Chaos by Alison Deegan (The Agency)
Producers: Potboiler

Broken by Mark O’Rowe (Curtis Brown)
Producers: Cuba Pictures

Devotchka by Gary Young (Sara Putt Associates) and Geoff Bussetil (ITG)
Producers: Peapie Films

Elfie Hopkins & The Gammon by Riyad Barmania (Alan Brodie Representation) and Ryan Andrews (ITG)
Producers: Size 9

Fumbling by Stephen Prentice (The Rod Hall Agency)
Producers: DJ Films

Girl’s Night Out by Trevor De Silva (The Rod Hall Agency)
Producers: Ecosse Films

Jamaica Inn by Patrick Harbinson (ITG) and Michael Thomas (Casarotto)
Producers: Hilary Heath/BBC Films

Karenfan by Geoff Bussetil (ITG)
Producers: Peapie Films

Modern Life Is Rubbish by Philip Gawthorne (Curtis Brown)

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (The Agency)
Producers: Neal Street

Passports by Paloma Baeza (The Agency)
Producers: Focus Films

Suite Francaise by Saul Dibb (Casarotto)
Producers: Qwerty Films/TF1

The Lovers by Bridget O’Connor (Michelle Kass Associates)
Producers: Thomas Thomas Films

This Little Piggy by Corinna Faith (Curtis Brown)
Producers: Warp Films

William And Harold by John Hodge (United Agents)
Producers: Cloud Eight Films/Pathé