Learn from the creative minds behind the Sundance Film Festival hit, The Ballad of Wallis Island, in this exclusive Spotlight Event. Writers and actors Tom Basden and Tim Key, alongside director James Griffiths, share insights into their journey from their 2007 short film to their 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of this charming and affecting feature-length musical comedy.

Hailed by the Associated Press as, “the loveliest movie of the year,” The Ballad of Wallis Island follows eccentric lottery winner Charles as he attempts to reunite his favorite band, McGwyer Mortimer, for a private performance. As former bandmates and ex-lovers reluctantly gather at his island home, old tensions resurface, threatening to derail Charles’ dream concert.

Learn from the team as they discuss the film’s evolution, the chemistry between its stellar cast (including three-time Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan), how they develop their comedy, writing songs for a fictional folk duo, and the importance of finding the right location to build their fictional world. You’ll feel inspired about hearing from the talented team that brought this delightful comedy to life.

The Ballad of Wallis Island is in select theaters now and in movie theaters everywhere April 18.

Tom Basden

Writer / Actor

Tom Basden is an award-winning writer and actor having performed and written extensively for comedy shows on the BBC, Netflix and Channel 4. Tom co-created and stars in Plebs, ITV2’s longest running sitcom. Plebs won Best New Comedy Programme at the 2013 British Comedy Awards, where Tom was also nominated for Best Comedy Breakthrough Artist, and the show’s third series received a nomination for Best TV Situation Comedy at the Writer's Guild Awards. He also created and starred in three series of Here We Go for the BBC. more...

James Griffiths

Director / Producer

James Griffith is a BAFTA-nominated British television and film director and producer. James has quickly established himself as one of the most prolific & successful pilot directors in television today, having in just a few years put 9 of 11 pilots that he's directed and executive produced on the air in the United States, spanning comedy & drama for both broadcast & cable, A Million Little Things, Black-ish and its FreeForm-based spinoff Grown-ish, Disney+’s The Mighty Ducks, (a series based on the beloved hit film franchise) and ABC’s Stumptown starring Cobie Smulders. more...

Tim Key

Comedian / Poet / Actor / Writer

Tim Key is a comedian, poet, actor, and writer. At the start of his career, Key won the 2009 Perrier Award and has since gone on to write and perform eight solo shows, the most recent of which, Mulberry, was described by The Times of London as “the greatest stand-up response to lockdown” with more than 150 shows performed in 2022 and 2023. more...

Erica Elson

Moderator | Digital Course & Event Producer

Erica Elson is a Producer, Writer and Educator based in the mountains outside Los Angeles. Her short film, WING NIGHT, premiered at Method Fest in Los Angeles. She is the co-author of the book THE AWKWARD HUMAN SURVIVAL GUIDE and co-hosted a podcast by the same name on the 5by5 network for five years. Elson's articles have been published by HuffPost, Lifehacker, and Reader's Digest. Prior to working in education, she worked in television development and writers’ rooms such as VH1’s HINDSIGHT, where she had the chance to write for the spinoff web series PLANET SEBASTIAN. more...

Tags:Comedy, Sci-Fi & Horror Acting Shorts

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