Quotes

"Kate's gift for drilling down into the essence of what the writer wants with both empathy and precision makes her one the UK's 'must have' script editors.
Now repeat once more more with feeling...cause I mean it. "

Solon Papadopoulos, Producer 'Of Time and the City', 'A masterwork' - Hollywood Reporter. One of TIME Magazine's top ten films of the year

"Kate understands the magic of your work.  But she won't take your shit."

Iain Canning, See-Saw Films (producer LION, MACBETH, SLOW WEST, SHAME, ORANGES & SUNSHINE, THE KING'S SPEECH, HUNGER, CONTROL)

 "Kate is a tour-de-force of script development : she inhabits a really interesting space where she inspires and steers writers, producers and directors, yet at the same time is a safe pair of hands for financiers and producers with their eye on audience and commercial issues. I've worked with her on several projects and it's always an energizing process"

Mia Bays, producer & marketing exec Missing In Action Films/Film London Microwave (MUM & DAD, SHIFTY, SCOTT WALKER: 30TH CENTURY MAN, BACKSTREET BOYS: SHOW 'EM WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF)

"Kate Leys is the cleverest person I have ever met on story and a genius for getting the best out of people. She is completely brilliant - passionate about story and comprehensively knowledgeable about the film industry - but she's a rubbish bowler."

Ivana MacKinnon, producer Stray Bear Films (BEAST, WAR BOOK, SCOUTING BOOK FOR BOYS, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE)

"In this new era of cc'ed creativity Kate Leys is the exception. She helps me find the things that I want to say. Sharpens them up. Then spits them back at me. Everything is all about what I want to say and how to tease that out of the work. She never gets in the way of that. When I work with her, I am my best self."

Mark Tonderai, writer/director (HUSH, HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET)

"Kate works with the best writers in the business.  She's tough as hell but only because she's setting the highest standards.  When it works, she becomes a pussycat." 

Rory Aitken, producer 42 Management & Production (MONSTERS: DARK CONTINENT, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR, AUTOBAHN, SHIFTY) 

"Kate worked on a film for us and the page count came down from 106 pages to 86 - but it was impossible to work out what had been cut."

The late Chris Collins, Producer, BFI Film Fund

"For the first time I feel like I know exactly where my screenplay is going and what it's saying."

Josh Appignanesi, director (THE NEW MAN, THE INFIDEL, SONG OF SONGS)  

"Kate has a marvellous capacity to be able to educate, encourage and assist the writer to recognise their own potential and strive to push their work forward. With a wide breadth of knowledge, experience in and passion for development she enables even the most flayed writer, exhausted by revision after revision, to approach a re-write reenergised without procrastination and avoidance."

Farah Abushwesha, founder Rocliffe New Writing Forum

"Kate Leys manages to combine her vast experience and insight into the script development process with a genuine interest and understanding of the industry. Over the years I have seen this reflected in the projects she works on and also in her teaching and mentoring. It would be hard to imagine a better script editor for writers and producers who actually want to make good films that get seen."

Elizabeth Draper, former film distribution executive at Pathe, Icon and 20th Century Fox and currently VP, Alternative Content Distribution, Arts Alliance Media

"I have had the good fortune to work with Kate Leys during my time at Film Four, Miramax FIlms and DNA Films. She has remarkable insight into what makes a story or a screenplay work and equally what makes a writer tick. Kate's passion for her work and ability to de-mystify the process makes her such a valuable ally for writers, producers and commissioners."

Allon Reich, producer (ANNIHILATION, FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD, DREDD, SUNSHINE ON LEITH, NEVER LET ME GO, 28 WEEKS LATER, THE HISTORY BOYS, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND)

"I learned more as a writer in 2 hours with Kate than in the previous 30 years."

Marcus Markou, writer/director PAPADOPOULOS AND SONS