Interview With Kaos Films CEO Arif Hussein

by Emma Harding

There's been a lot of talk on various websites about Kaos Films' latest venture the British Feature Screenplay Competition and we thought why not put the CEO Mr Arif Hussein in the hot seat on your behalf and ask him directly some of your questions.

Q: I'm going to dive straight in and ask you why have you decided to launch the feature competition - is this a money making scheme?

A: If I wanted to make money I'd go and play on the stock market even the horses will give me better odds. You know, over the last seven years that the British Short Screenplay Competition (BSSC) has been running we've received about a hundred emails a month asking if or when will we launch a feature screenplay competition. My reply has always been no. Because, contrary to popular belief the BSSC actually costs us money. And every year I say this is the last year, I'm going to close it down. And each year I'm persuaded by everyone to carry on.

Q: Tell us about the competition, what's in it for the writer?

A: This is the writer's competition aimed at the writer with the biggest prize in the world for the writer. Not only will we produce the writer's winning script, the writer will be paid for their work, receive full on screen credit and get a backend percentage. This is a standard industry contract for a screenwriter. The prize of this competition is unprecedented.

Q: Explain to us the reason for assigning the rights to Kaos Films?

A: Okay, the way any producer/studio works is that when a writer is hired they are asked to option the rights to the producer. Basically to stop the writer from touting the property on the open market while the producer is trying to raise the finance. But before the producer can go into production that option will need to be exercised i.e. the rights need to be assigned to the producer. As we are going straight into production we are by-passing the option stage and asking the writer to assign the rights to us at the outset.

Q: And the writer will get paid for this?

A: Yes.

Q: Okay, I enter the competition and win.

A: Congratulations!

Q: How do I know you are going to produce the film?

A: I see where you're going. Back to the scam theory. Okay, if this is a scam do you think the eminent line-up of judges (Kenneth Branagh, Michael Kuhn, Sir Alan Parker, Nik Powell, Natascha Wharton and Stephen Woolley) who offer their valuable time would have anything to do with us? Our sponsors and our partners the National Film and Television School do you think they would want to be part of a scam or do you think they are all on a percentage!

Q: Are you looking for a particular type of script?

A: We're looking for the best script that can be produced for $2 million.

Q: Any particular genre?

A: Any genre.

Q: You don't have anything in mind that you would like to do, i.e. a comedy perhaps a drama?

A: Look I don't get to choose the script. The judges will judge the script that they think is the best entry. I don't know what they are going to pick.

Q: Okay, tell me I have a script I believe is the next year's Oscar winner. Why should I enter it into your competition shouldn't I be sending it to production companies.

A: For sure! Absolutely you should send it to the production companies. It will only win the Oscar if it's produced. So sure you should send it to production companies if you have an agent or lawyer. And if you don't, no one's going to look at it. Your Oscar winner will be filed in the bin. And don't forget, every studio has their remit of what they are looking for that year and the next year and so on. Your script may not fit their slate. And before you know it five years go by and ... On the other hand if you enter it into the British Feature Screenplay Competition and if it really is an Oscar winner we will produce it because our only mandate is to find the best screenplay of the year.

Q: Finally, I live in the USA can I enter the British Feature Screenplay Competition?

A: Yes, the competition is open to everyone of any nationality living anywhere in the world. And I'd like to say that the screenplay does NOT have to be set in the UK. It can be set anywhere - within reason if you see what I mean.

Updated: 08/29/2008

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