Sir Stephen Frears Revealed as Keynote Conversation for Storytelling360’s State of the Story Conference at BFI

Storytelling360 has revealed that Sir Stephen Frears will sit for a Keynote Conversation as the headliner of the the inaugural UK edition of their “State of the Story Conference” on Sunday, July 12th at the BFI Southbank Theatre.

The previously announced conference line up also includes Richard Gadd (3x Emmy Winner, Baby Reindeer), Gurinder Chadha, OBE (Golden Globe Nominee, Bend it Like Beckham), Philip Barantini (2x Emmy Winner, Adolescence), Joe Barton (BAFTA Winner, Black Doves), Matt Charman (Oscar Nominee, Bridge of Spies), Thea Sharrock (Director, Me Before You), Neil Marshall (Emmy Nominee, Game of Thrones), Tony Grisoni (BAFTA Winner, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote), Charmaine DeGrate (Emmy Nominee, Star Wars: The Acolyte) Monica Beletsky (Emmy Nominee, Fargo), Joy C. Mitchell (Writer/Producer, Bridgerton) and 25+ UK year TV/Film agent Abby Singer (Casarotto Ramsay) have all been confirmed with more leading filmmakers and agents expected to be added soon.

Unanimously regarded as one of Britain's finest directors, Oscar nominee, BAFTA and Emmy winner Sir Stephen Frears was Knighted in 2023 for his contributions to filmmaking.

Storytelling360 is a live discussion event series featuring top storytellers discussing the state of storytelling across a full day of panel conversations, while benefiting a charitable cause within the arts.

Founded in 2025, the inaugural series took place in Los Angeles at the Writers Guild Theater and New York at the Directors Guild Theater, featuring speakers Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman), Marta Kauffman (Friends), Eric Roth (Forrest Gump), Jon Hurwitz (Cobra Kai), Candace Bushnell (Sex and the City), Pulitzer Prize winner and 4x Oscar nominee Tony Kushner (Lincoln), Oscar winner Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine), Oscar nominee Celine Song (Past Lives), 2x Oscar nominee Lee Daniels (Precious), Sundance Audience Award winning filmmaker Craig Brewer (Song Sung Blue), 4x Emmy nominees Michelle and Robert King (The Good Wife), Tony Award winner Warren Leight (Law & Order) and others.

The series, which will also return in to the New York City Directors Guild Theater on October 4, 2026, also returned to Los Angeles in March 2026 with speakers Kevin Smith (Clerks), Academy Award winners Cord Jefferson (American Fiction), Diablo Cody (Juno) and Graham Moore (The Imitation Game), multi-Emmy winning former DGA President Paris Barclay, indie film icon and Academy Award nominated writer Nia Vardalos, Cobra Kai co-creator Hayden Schlossberg, KPOP Demon Hunters scribes Danya Jimenez and Hannah McMechan, industry leaders including The Black List founder and CEO Franklin Leonard, 12:01 Films producer Scott Glassgold, Verve Agency Partner David Boxerbaum and Lit Entertainment Founder Adam Kolbrenner.