It’s one of the film industry’s most prestigious events and it’s ‘pitch’ competition night. A handful of finalists are waiting in the wings. There will only be one winner. For past finalists it’s meant writing commissions, project finance and representation. It’s been nearly twelve months since the list was announced and all the PR, trade interviews and canvasing kicked off. There’s a lot at stake. The place is a buzz. Centre stage is the compare, Julian Friedmann, the renowned literary agent. Stage left is a lectern and - me - waiting to pitch a British snooker comedy ‘onefourseven’ for which I’m writer and producer. I already have some investment but not enough to go into production. It's make or break. Blinking at the camera flashes, I wonder if I should have shaved and worn a brighter shirt. I have no notes or autocue. No more time to rehearse. The only prompt to remind me why I’m there is my movie graphic on the massive screen behind me.

Right under my nose is a very large TV Camera with BBC on the side. It’s there for Film 2009. The lens looks so large I feel like I could fall in. To my left, off stage, the competition - most notably, professional comedian Tim Telling, founder of The Daily Mash, BAFTA nominated filmmaker Tim Clague and screenwriter Philippa Langley who went on to international fame by discovering Richard III in a car park. I recognise a few familiar faces in the crowd but that doesn’t help calm me; there’s my old Masters screenwriting tutor Simon van der Borgh, known for In Tranzit, Kidulthood and These Final Hours; my industry mentor, Kate Lees, of Four Wedding’s And A Funeral, Trainspotting and Leaving Las Vegas fame. I have three minutes to sell my story. Three minutes to stand out from the rest. An airhorn sounds.

There are many reasons why a script gets rejected, a movie bombs at the box office or why a movie pitch loses out to a clean shaven, professional comedian with impeccable timing and a brighter shirt. There’s a lot of lessons to learn in this business. This site is about sharing mine.