Bio
A bit about who I am...
In recent years I have directed commercials for the likes of the Royal Navy, won a national contest with my first TV Pilot Screenplay, Sunrise Meets Sunset, and given back to the film industry by part-time lecturing Fiction Filmmaking at Kingston University.
Before that though, I worked at an NGO, interviewing people around the world, capturing their stories of courage and loss. I met hundreds of people from all walks of life, had films play at the UN, WHO, and on UK broadcast/VOD channels. It was a transformative experience that stays with me to this day.
Currently, I am in pre-production with my short film Green Grass (being produced by Makenna Guyler), a story of identity and belonging I have been wanting to tell for a number of years.
Looking further ahead, I am ultimately working towards my first feature film as a writer/director, which I hope to realise in the summer of 2025.
My Vision For a Better Film Industry
I'm tired of walking onto sets that are not representative of the world we live in, and even more bored of companies pretending that they are. The sets I enjoy are the ones made up of a tapestry of people from different cultures and backgrounds, where people are valued as humans, not just a tool to get a job done.
People first. Product second.
The older I get, the more willing I am to call bullshit on behaviour that doesn't align with my values.
I'm not perfect, far from it. I've made mistakes, I've been guilty of nepotism, ran film sets with stupidly long work-hours, and given little thought to making productions less environmentally damaging. But I am on a mission to change my own shortcomings, as well as the shortcomings of the industry.
As a writer/director, I am working hard to include and collaborate with underrepresented communities, most notably with D/deaf and disabled creatives, whilst also setting the tone for a safe, respectful, and enjoyable experience for all. And as an occasional producer, I have been implementing Albert's sustainability recommendations to track and offset carbon, reduce waste, and avoid products or catering in which animals are harmed.
I am passionate about disrupting long-held 'standards', which is why I decided to reduce some of my commercial work so I could train MA and BA filmmaking students at Kingston University. I am striving to provide the next generation with the skills and confidence to build better welfare-driven sets and champion voices that are too often silenced.
Here are a list of amazing organisations to check out:
✏︎ https://www.deaftalentcollective.com/
✏︎ https://www.ddptv.org/
✏︎ https://www.bslzone.co.uk/
✏︎ http://www.illuminatrixdops.com/
✏︎ https://womeninfilm.org/
