Elsa O'Toole

Elsa O'Toole (BAFTA) trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School & Elizabeth Kennedy Royal Ballet Junior School. Her career spans acting, film journalism, script advising, BBC producing & filmmaking. Acting includes Royal National Theatre, Glasgow Citizen's Theatre, London's West End & collaboration with Ridley Scott, Gene Hackman, David Hare & Bill Nighy, plus 40+ TV & comedy series, films & ads in Hollywood, Mauritius, Paris, Bahrain, Muscat, Berlin, Dubai & Hong Kong. She freelanced as UKFC script / DVD assessor for 8 years, was hired as Fox Searchlight syndicated writer, moderated Cannes / London conferences & was the last journalist (1999) to interview Sir Dirk Bogarde for her exclusive tribute to The Servant, available in BFI's Reuben Library. Outlets edited / contributed to include VirginMedia Films, BBC Radio, The Voice & Tartan Films. Film journalist profiles include Johnny Depp, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Meryl Streep, Spike Lee, Brad Pitt, Leo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Clint Eastwood, George Clooney, Kate Winslet, Robert Pattinson, Jim Carrey, Matt Damon, Billy Bob Thornton and the late Heath Ledger. Elsa is the only Black writer voted into UK's Film Critics' Circle which celebrated 100th anniversary in 2013. She's proud to have covered BFI's London Lesbian Gay Film Festival for 12 years in mainstream press. 2002 she was invited to produce BBC TV's EMMA Awads, directing inserts with Sam L. Jackson. She engaged Halle Berry, Denzel Washington, Danny Glover & Maya Angelou (Lifetime Achievement Award) for the live TX ceremony, Grosvenor House Hotel. Elsa's BAME production co We Can Films most recent script Blasted was shortlisted by Film London, Screen West Midlands, B3 Media & is on British Council's Film Directory. Winner of Best International Short @ UMFF 2013 & officially selected by SDFF 2014, Blasted is enjoying global festival success. 2012 she helped develop Serbian thriller Foreigner, (Mel Raido, Dusan Tolmac, Verica Nedeska), produced Clowning Around & was AD on Underrated. Random fact: she has a silver in fencing (foil). Elsa will be at Cannes 2014 with her black comedy feature BAD SEX selected by Scenario Film's 'Babylon European Film Development Initiative'.