PROFILE
I am an Emmy, BAFTA & RTS winning documentary filmmaker with over 20 years’ experience in long- form and series documentary filmmaking for both broadcasters and theatrical release. My work is known for its authenticity, honesty and emotional power. Some projects have been micro, working intimately with the smallest of crews, whilst others involve large production teams. All are driven by a desire to tell character-driven, complex real stories in a compelling and engaging way. I have a proven track record for finding original ideas and have a strong reputation for telling impactful and powerful stories through the emotive characters that are at the core of my films. I specialise in working collaboratively with my subjects and production teams to create outstanding documentaries which provide a platform for a wide variety of previously unheard voices. I embrace new and daring approaches to documentary as an art form and have a good understanding of audiences, trends and what piques people’s interests.
I have worked in the independent sector as well as for UK broadcasters and global SVODs and understand the complexities and nature of feature documentary making. My film ‘My Beautiful Broken Brain’, a Netflix Original feature documentary, was executive produced by David Lynch and won the IDFA DOCU Award, The Ahftaz Festival Documentary Award, TRT and received a special mention from the AWJ for best female director. I have made BAFTA & EMMY winning films such as ‘Surgeon’s Cut’ for Netflix, and have explored diversity, disability and representation issues through films such as ‘Touretteshero: Me, My Mouth and I’. I am acutely aware of diversity and representation and I am passionate about the advancement of diversity and representation in the industry and giving opportunities to new and unrecognised creative talent.
I have led development teams and executive produced independent films through my own company. I can work under pressure, I am experienced in delivering to deadlines and budgets and working on multiple projects at the same time. I prefer to inspire rather than control and am driven by the talent of the teams that I work with. I seek excellence in my own work first and like to lead by example. I encourage risk-taking and innovative approaches in the development of ideas but understand the expectations of broadcast and SVOD platforms. I am always looking for new ideas and understand the complexities of production, channel outlook and viewer need and satisfaction. I am passionate about documentary films and the access they give us to people, environments and stories that change our world view.
CAREER / FILMOGRAPHY
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR - DOROTHY STREET FILMS / CNN: 6 part series - confidential. 2024
SERIES DIRECTOR - “Accused: The Fake Grooming Scandal” CH4. 3 x 60 documentary series telling the story of the false grooming ring allegations that tore apart the remote coastal community of Barrow. Production Company: Expectation. TX:Jan 7th 2025
DIRECTOR / WRITER “My Dead Body” CH4. The story of Toni Crews, a young mum with a rare terminal cancer who charted her illness online before donating her body for medical research and public dissection. Production Company: 141 Productions / All Three Media. TX: Dec 5th 2022
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “I Get Knocked Down” AMAZON A punk version of “A Christmas Carol” where ex-pop star Dunstan Bruce of Chumbawamba goes in search of his long lost anarchist mojo. Independent film produced and originated through SO&SO PICTURES LTD. Release: 2023
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “The Surgeon’s Cut – Living Donor” NETFLIX One of four films about pioneering surgeons. Shaped by horror films, feminism and an intellectually rigorous family, Nancy Ascher mad history as the first woman to perform a liver transplant. Executive Producers: James Van Der Pool & Andrew Cohen. TX: Aug 2020
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER “Eli: A Prison Dog” TOPIC USA Tasked with the job of transforming him into a highly-disciplined dog in just twelve months, this observational feature documentary charts three prisoners' uncertain path to rehabilitation within the broken American prison system. Directors: Jason Khol & Nora Mandray. MAKO FILMS & SO&SO PICTURES LTD Release: 2021
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “Touretteshero: Me, My Mouth & I” BBC2 A film exploring neuro-diversity and the lack of representation in the arts through the work of Samuel Beckett from disabled performer Jess Thom's personal perspective. Executive Producers: Andrew Fettis & Emma Cahusac. TX: Sept 2018
PRODUCER “ Mumford & Sons: We Wrote This Yesterday” AMAZON A feature length music documentary observing the band as they play the major cities of South Africa with an eclectic mix of musicians. Exploring craft of song writing and the people, events and influences that dictate that. Director: Sam Wrench. SUNSHINE PICTURES Release: 2017
HEAD OF DOCUMENTARIES – THE SUNSHINE COMPANY Running the documentary division of Sunshine, a new media entertainment studio. Developing and making both long form documentaries for broadcasters, as well as short form series and single films for brands. 2016-2019. Company Directors: Kit Hawkins & Al Macuish Oct 2014 – Jan 2019
DIRECTOR / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER “My Beautiful Broken Brain” NETFLIX Feature length documentary about life changing in the blink of an eye. A year in the life of Lotje Sodderland following a life threatening brain haemorrhage.Executive Producers: Adam Del Deo, Lisa Nishimura & David Lynch. TX: March 2016
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “What’s Killing Our Bees?” BBC2 High profile factual film presented by Bill Turnbull – investigating why bee populations are declining. Featuring world first experiments using transponders on bees to see if they are affected by pesticides or viruses. Series Editor: Aidan Laverty. HORIZON. BBC2. TX: Sept 2013
DEVELOPMENT PRODUCER NYLON FILMS. Running development at new independent company, Nylon Films, finding, writing and pitching new documentary series ideas as well as working on brand films with clients such as L’Oreal, The V&A, London Science Museum and Marks & Spencer. Company directors: Helen Morell & Annette Porter. Feb – Aug 2012
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “The Ultimate Climb” DISCOVERY High profile documentary telling the story of 22 year old Geordie Stewart who became the youngest Brit to climb the highest summit in each of the worlds 7 continents - finishing at the summit of Everest. Executive Producer: Liz Tucker. VERVE PRODUCTIONS. TX: FEB 2012
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “Do You See What I See?” BBC2 High profile factual film looking at the science behind colour and following the Himba tribe in Namibia who have a different perception of colour to the rest of the world. Series Editor: Aidan Laverty. HORIZON. TX: Aug 2011
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “How To Mend A Broken Heart” BBC2 High profile factual science doc with specialist presenter Kevin Fong where we have come to in our attempts to replace the human heart. Human stories mixed with incredible science. Series Editor: Aidan Laverty. HORIZON. TX: March 2011
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “Back From The Dead” BBC2 The incredible story of Anna Bagenholm, a skier who was trapped under the ice in the Norwegian mountains for over 3 hours without a heartbeat and yet survived, making medical history. Series Editor: Aidan Laverty. HORIZON. TX: OCT 2010
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “Nicola Roberts & The Truth About Tanning” BBC3 Entertaining documentary following Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts in her quest to raise awareness about the dangers of tanning. Involved filming human stories alongside a campaign resulting in Nicola talking the House of Commons and changing the UK's sun-bed regulations. Executive Producer: Patrick Holland, RICOCHET 2010
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “Olympic Dreams” BBC1 Feb - Sept 2009 Observational documentary following Olympic hopefuls through the highs and lows of preparing for glory in 2012. Self-shot on Z1 and use of Phantom. Executive Producer: Dinah Lord. 2010
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “Britain's Most Dangerous Drug” BBC2 April - Oct 2007 Examination of the Lancet Report which published the UK's top 20 recreational drugs and their social, physical and psychological effect in order of harm. Use of graphics integral to the film. Series Editor: Andrew Cohen. HORIZON. 2009
DEVELOPMENT PRODUCER for HORIZON BBC Managing the development team and writing and pitching ideas for a new style of Horizon. Finding stories that were accessible to a wider audience and working them up into commissionable treatments. Also involved in looking for independent and regional commissions. Series Editor: Andrew Cohen. BBC. April 2006 – April 2007
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “Bionic Buildings” BBC4 A light approach to intelligent architecture with specialist presenter Charlie Luxton for BBC4, looking at architecture influenced by the science of bio-mimetics. How it has influenced our past and how it could change our future. Crew & self-shooting. Executive Producer: Tessa Livingstone. TX: March 2005
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “Edge of Life” BBC2 Observational documentary looking at the life & death decisions made by the doctors and parents of premature babies, pre and post birth that will determine their futures. Executive Producer: Jessica Cecil. BBC2. TX: June 2004
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “Your Life In Their Hands “ BBC1 Observational documentary exploring the world of liver transplantation through the eyes of surgeon Nigel Heaton and the patients themselves. Set at Kings College Hospital, London. Included foreign filming in Hyderabad, India. Executive Producer: Jane Aldous. TX: OCT 2003
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR “The Lost City Of Roman Britain” BBC2 History film for series “Meet The Ancestors”. The search for why the Roman city of Silchester was abandoned at the end of Roman Britain. Extensive use of CGI and dramatic reconstruction. Executive Producer: Jonathan Stamp.. TX: Feb 2003
THEATRICAL WORK
DIRECTOR “Burnt Out In Biscuit Land”. A show by disabled people about their right to exist. While the world outside is in chaos, three neurodiverse inhabitants of an apocalyptic bunker are doing their best to survive Writers: Jess Thom and Matthew Poutney. UK Theatrical Tour April - July 2023
DIRECTOR “Am I Invisible Yet?” In this personal and irreverent one-man show Dunstan Bruce, ex- frontman of the chart-topping band Chumbawamba, takes the audience on an existential voyage told through poetry, prose, music and projections. Writer: Dunstan Bruce Producer: Tom Dussek. UK Theatrical Tour June-Nov 2022
COMMERCIAL WORK
Thames Water – Saatchi’s: Three short films looking at how Thames Water provide their customers with all the water needed to make their world better. Rivers to fish on, reservoirs to sail on, towpaths to cycle down. Nature reserves and swimming lessons and understanding the water system. Production Agency: Be the Fox
Active Minds – Google This short film tells the stories of two men living with dementia and how their day-to-day lives are made more manageable thanks to games and activities designed by the company Active Minds. Production Agency: Sunshine
This Book & Me – Sky Arts: A series of five short films, aired on Sky Arts featuring celebrities talking about their favourite book by a female author and how it influenced them. Jennifer Saunders, Edith Bowman, Mary Beard and Kate Mosse. Production Agency: Sunshine
Victoria Beckham 5 years – Skype: Online collaboration with Skype that focused on the intersection between technology and creative industries. The project shone a spotlight on creative talent, including celebrated British fashion designer Victoria Beckham, telling the story of how she turned from Spice Girl to global fashion designer. Production Agency: Sunshine
Chime For Change - Gucci: Executive produced 10 short documentary films for Gucci funded global campaign – raising awareness for women’s issues in education, maternal health and justice. Production Agency: Sunshine
Future Dreams: 2 short documentary films for the breast cancer charity Future Dreams. The first tells the story of the two women who started the foundation and who both lost their lives to breast cancer. In the second film their daughter and granddaughter 15 year old Amy looks to the future and the creation of Future Dreams House, a haven for women recovering from breast cancer.
Production Company: So&So Pictures: Never Give Up – Orianne Collins The Never Give Up Foundation offers the possibility to people with disabilities to surpass themselves. They aim to provide help to athletes, military veterans, adults and children with disabilities. This short film tells the story of its founder Orianne Collins and her own personal journey after a life changing accident. Production Company: So&So Pictures
Augustinus Bader: Re-thinking Skin – Augustinus Bader A short documentary film and revealing study over 27 days where BBC Earth cinematographer Richard Kirby exchanges the wonders of the natural world for filming the wonders of the human body as he trains his macroscopic lens on the skin of seven fascinating people. Production Agency: Sunshine
OTHER
- Senior visiting lecturer at the National Film and Television School
- Teach storytelling masterclasses for D&AD, the global association for creative advertising.
PERSONAL DETAILS
Languages: Fluent French (French passport)