Bio

Gemma Crofts is an award-winning screenwriter, experienced script editor and former development executive, working across film and television. 

She has worked on television shows for Netflix, Fremantle, Werner Film Productions, Orange Entertainment, SBS and more. She was a writer and key creative on the first season of SURVIVING SUMMER (Netflix), writing the sales pitch and development documents, as well as an episode. 

Gemma is currently in development on multiple projects both in Australia and internationally, including; an original comedy with award-winning UK comedian Mark Watson for Curio Pictures (THE ARTFUL DODGER); a co-creator of TWISTED, a series adaptation of iconic Australian author Paul Jennings’ short stories for Fremantle Media (HEARTBREAK HIGH); and a US rom-com starring Emmy-Award winning actor Justin Hartley (THIS IS US) for Happy Accidents (GINNY & GEORGIA).

As a former development executive for over fifteen years, Gemma worked for production companies such as Werner Productions, Mushroom Pictures and Dynamic Television (US), developing projects from early pitches, funding applications, all the way through to commissions. She was formally trained in story development at the prestigious European-based Binger Film Lab, and also studied producing at VCA, giving her a unique combination of story and production experience. 

She regularly works as a script editor for projects backed by Screen Australia, VicScreen and SBS, and is experienced with funding body deliverables and processes. She also works as a script doctor, rewriting projects for companies including Happy Accidents (US) and Brouhaha Entertainment (AUS). 

She has been nominated twice for the Australian Writers’ Guild Award for ‘Best Unproduced Screenplay’, winning in 2016 for her feature THE MAN FROM THE MOON. Her sci-fi feature MAYFIELD was a semi-finalist for the Nicholl Fellowship from the Academy Awards, an Austin Film Festival semi-finalist, and won the PAGE Bronze Screenwriting Award for Science-Fiction. 

She is represented by Karen Colston at Yellow Creative Management. 

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Testimonials

”Gemma wields her deep knowledge of structure and character with a firm sense of compassion and care for a writer’s voice and story.”

– Katrina Irawati Graham, writer/ director, Bali 2002

Gemma has truly extraordinary script and story instincts, combined with extensive development experience and a desire to help others tell their stories effectively. So much of my own writing has been greatly improved with her notes and thoughts, and any emerging or established writer would be lucky to have her insights on their script.”

– Catherine Smyth-McMullen, Screenwriter (Sandman, The Other Lamb, Two Sentence Horror Stories)

“We were looking for quite a while to find a script editor before we found Gemma but we knew from our first meeting that she was the one. Her relaxed demeanour belies a wealth of experience, not only with story and structure but also dealing with broadcasters. Gemma combines her experience and enthusiasm with a great sense of humour and genuine compassion.”

– Bordertown Films

As an emerging screenwriter, I’m focused on getting my scripts from adequate to excellent. I had a feature script that wasn’t working, but I couldn’t pinpoint why. Gemma’s feedback was incredible, invaluable and sensitive – not only did her feedback identify the problem areas, it also unlocked the script in my own mind, allowing me to see the bird’s eye view of the story, enhance the structure, and improve critical beats as well as some of the smaller details.
Gemma’s feedback was key to getting my script from adequate to excellent. I can’t recommend her highly enough.

– Matija Šraj – Emerging Screenwriter and Writers’ Assistant