IMAGINE…

…waking up to snow-dusted mountains, fjords stretching to the horizon, and the Northern Lights shimmering overhead.

You spend your mornings in intensive workshops with internationally experienced writers, directors, actors, and story coaches.

Afternoons are yours to write, uninterrupted, as your ideas take shape.

You share ideas with a small, intimate group of fellow creators who understand your process, your doubts, and your excitement.

By the end of the week, your story is no longer a fragment or a half-formed idea. You’re leaving with clarity, momentum, and confidence in your story and your voice.

Workshop leader

Stéphanie Joalland is a film producer and writer-director with a love of genre, especially the supernatural and sci-fi. Originally from France, she studied filmmaking at UCLA and now lives in London, where she co-founded Frenzy Films 

Her feature film THE QUIET HOUR is on Netflix and her projects have won prestigious international accolades. Among them, her award-winning climate-change related project ICE is a co-production with the Nordic Countries. She regularly lectures at the University of Cambridge and NFTS.

Having spent half a year in Norway as an Erasmus student, she couldn't resist the appeal of the Northern Lights - this time to guide you at Aurora!

Stephanie will help you identify the core of your story, create a clear structure, and turn your ideas into a polished outline or draft that could realistically move toward production. You’ll leave knowing exactly what the next steps are for your project, equipped to move forward with confidence, and with a clear plan to turn your ideas into a strong, production-ready draft.

Guest Masterclasses

Nicholas Pinnock is a powerhouse actor and producer whose work spans television, film, and stage. You’ve likely seen him in Top Boy, the legal drama For Life, and most recently he stars as Judge Roland Brack in the highly anticipated film Hedda.  

He has worked with major studios and taken on complex, emotionally rich characters. At Aurora, Nicholas will lead masterclasses on story, character, and emotional stakes — including a dedicated acting workshop where local actors bring attendees' scenes to life, giving you a rare opportunity to hear your dialogue spoken and refine your work with direct feedback. We’re so excited to have him join us!

Main instructor with Stephanie & masterclass 

Sean McConville is a British/Irish producer-writer-director and co-founder of Frenzy Films. After working on studio movies such as STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE and James Bond movies GOLDENEYE and TOMORROW NEVER DIES, he obtained an MA in screenwriting from the London College of Communication and studied screenwriting at UCLA. His feature film DEADLINE starred Brittany Murphy and Thora Birch, sold all around the world and premiered on Sky Cinema. He produced THE QUIET HOUR which is now on Netflix. His upcoming genre feature project, THE LAST MOON, was selected for the Marché du Film "Fantastic 7" this year at Cannes. He is a Berlinale Talents and Cannes Producers Networks alumnus.

At Aurora, Sean will show you how to take your story from concept to a detailed, production-ready outline, with practical tools for pitching, character arcs, and story development.

Co-leading the Acting Workshop

Bessie Carter is an actor, producer, and activist. You might know her from Bridgerton, the BBC's Outrageous, or I Hate Suzie Too. She has performed at the National Theatre, the Old Vic, and the West End, and trained at RADA and Guildhall.

At Aurora, Bessie and Nicholas Pinnock are teaming up to lead a one-day acting workshop. They'll workshop your scenes with local actors — right there in front of you. You'll hear your words out loud, see what lands, what surprises, what needs work, and walk away with feedback you simply cannot get anywhere else!

 We can't wait to see what she and Nicholas create with your words in Senja!

Guest Masterclass

Brendan Foley is a Northern Irish screenwriter, producer and director who's worked with studios in Hollywood, Canada, Finland, Germany and beyond.

He wrote and produced the action-thriller Johnny Was starring Vinnie Jones, which won Audience Awards from six film festivals (yes, six!). He wrote, produced and directed The Riddle starring Sir Derek Jacobi and Vanessa Redgrave. He's also a #1 bestselling author, and he's currently developing series with the BBC, CBC in Canada, and ZDF in Germany.

He'll be joining us to work with our writers on character-driven storytelling and the realities of getting a script made in the international market.

Guest Masterclass

Shelly Goldstein's first play, "Coming Attractions", ran for almost two years in Chicago.  She's written hundreds of hours of TV comedy, drama and documentary, including the Emmy-winning PBS special CHICAGO VOICES and Sheryl Lee Ralph's DIVAS SIMPLY SINGING. She was a lead writer on 2025's HBO hit SHERLOCK & DAUGHTER, starring David Thewlis.

At Aurora, Shelly will lead a session on TV and stage comedy, dialogue, and what travels across formats and what doesn't. Whether you're writing a sitcom, a stage play, or a scene that needs to crackle with wit, she'll help you find the funny, sharpen the rhythm, and make every word earn its place.

Got more questions?

If you're interested in joining us at Aurora, but have questions that we haven't answered above, please just drop me a message and I would be happy to talk you through ALL the details, to make sure this is a great fit for you!

Ingvill