Simon van der Borgh
Biography

A graduate of the UK’s National Film & Television School and the Maurits Binger Film Institute in Amsterdam, Simon has worked since 1984 in theatre, TV and film as a writer, director, producer, actor, teacher and script consultant. He is screenwriting tutor on North By Northwest’s 2005 ‘East of Eden’ program for writers, directors & producers working in Eastern Europe.  Simon works regularly as a script consultant on feature projects in Europe & the USA and as a guest tutor at Leeds Metropolitan University, Screen Yorkshire, NorthWest Vision and on Arista’s ADEPT programmes in the UK, Italy and Australia.  In 2004 Simon taught a series of short film masterclasses to 250 emerging filmmakers in New Zealand and Australia, sponsored by the British Council, the NZ Film Commission, Fulbright NZ and MIFF. He has written 9 feature film scripts and his original screenplay BONEY AND BETSY was developed with support from the UK Film Council. He recently co-produced TOWARDS THE UNKNOWN REGION, a two-part South Bank Show film about composer Sir Malcolm Arnold produced & directed by Tony Palmer, which premiered at the Royal Festival Hall in September 2004. THE ALCHEMIST OF HAPPINESS, a feature-length film by Ovidio Salazar of Simon’s script for Matmedia productions in London won the ‘Religions for Peace’ Award at the 2004 Trento Film Festival and is due for international release in 2005.