Julia Smuts Louw is a screenwriter and novelist based in Cape Town. With a background in writing for animation, Julia co-wrote the Lucas Films Star Wars short film AAU’S SONG (Disney+), and wrote the Emmy nominated BBC One Christmas Day special THE SMEDS AND THE SMOOS. Adapted from the international best-selling Julia Donaldson book, the film has also won awards from BANFF, New York Film Festival, and The Japan Prize.
In live action, Julia was a writer on eTV’s AMBITIONS. Other credits include MOOSEBOX (Nickelodeon) and SUPA STRIKAS (Cartoon Network, Disney+). Her animated feature script, SPIKE, is in development with Submarine (Netherlands) and Diprente (Johannesburg) and has won the Thuthuka Grant (Dutch Film Fund/NFVF) as well as a Creative Europe grant. Her short story LAATLAMMER was shortlisted for the Short Story Day Africa Prize in 2021 and published internationally by Catalyst Press. Julia’s debut novel is forthcoming.
Julia was the founder of the outreach initiative Draw for Life, teaching the basics of drawing for animation to underprivileged teens. She also produced the Animation SA podcast in her capacity as Head of Marketing for Animation SA.
Represented by Aoife Lennon-Ritchie