Bio
Paul Kalburgi is an award-winning British screenwriter, playwright and television producer. He received his MA (Writing for Screen & Stage) from the School of Drama, Film & Media at Regent's University, London; where he graduated with distinction and was also awarded the Postgraduate Student Prize. He studied Story Analysis for film through the Writer's Program at UCLA.
Screenwriting credits include Clint Eastwood: Hollywood Outlaw (REELZ Channel, USA), Shortland Street (TVNZ, New Zealand), The Price of Fame (REELZ Channel, USA / Channel 5, UK) and Healing (Revelation/Genesis TV, UK – Winner, Concrete Dream Film Festival, Los Angeles). As a producer, Paul has produced programmes for a host of networks in the UK and USA since 2007, across genres including celebrity/reality, docudrama, documentary, lifestyle, factual entertainment and local news.
Select playwriting credits include Broadway or Bust (Bath House Cultural Center, Dallas), In The Tall Grass (Bishop Arts Theatre Center, Dallas – Winner ‘Outstanding New Play’ DFW Theater Critics Forum, 2018), Maxine (Stockwell Playhouse, London and Times Square Art Center, New York), Almost The Birthday Party (Etcetera Theatre, London – published by Lazy Bee Scripts) and The Countess (Blue Elephant Theatre, London).
Alongside his writing projects, Paul continues to facilitate playwriting courses and workshops internationally. His book, The Writers’ Toolkit: Exercises, Techniques and Ideas for Playwrights and Screenwriters, is published by Nick Hern Books, London.
Paul is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America where he currently serves as the New Zealand Ambassador.
Awards & Recognition
Semi-Finalist Storieroad Int. for Second Time Around
Catalyst Story Institute, Duluth, MN, 2021
Winner Best Play for Almost The Birthday Party
Alex Drummond Trophy, SCDA, Scotland, 2019
Winner Best Original Soundtrack for Healing
Concrete Dream Film Festival, Los Angeles, CA, 2018
Semi-Finalist Best Original Soundtrack for Healing
Los Angeles CineFest, Los Angeles, CA, 2018
Winner Outstanding New Play for In the Tall Grass
DFW Theater Critics Forum, Dallas, TX, 2018
Nominated Best New Play for In the Tall Grass
Irma P. Hall Theater Awards, Dallas, TX, 2018
Finalist Best New Play for Maxine
Birdhouse Theatre, Milledgeville, GA, 2016
Winner Postgraduate Student Prize
MA at Regents University, London, UK, 2015
Education
2021 - Story Analysis for film
Writers Program at UCLA
2015 - MA Writing for Screen & Stage (distinction)
School of Drama, Film & Media
Regent's University, London
Residencies
2022 - Robert Lord Writers Cottage
Dunedin, New Zealand
Published Works
2020 - The Writer's Toolkit (book)
Nick Hern Books, UK
2017 - Almost The Birthday Party (script)
Lazy Bee Scripts, UK