FEATURE DOCS

“Gazza” Feature length archive documentary in two parts for BBC 2 - directed by Sampson Collins, in depth reappraisal of the life of one of UK’s biggest sporting stars and target of a toxic tabloid culture. WINNER of 2023 RTS for BEST DOCUMENTARY SERIES, and nominated for 2023 GRIERSON award for BEST SPORTS DOC.

“Classy and unobtrusive and gruesome.” - The Guardian

“Confounds expectations.” - The Telegraph

“Exhausting, appalling, exhilarating, and the intimate footage frequently fascinating.” - The Evening Standard

“Queen of Speed” Drum Media for Sky Documentaries, 2021. Dir. Barbie MacLaurin. Portrait of the most successful female rally driver in history and her struggles against institutionalised gender bias in sports, set against backdrop of one most dangerous periods in any sport ever, the group B rally cars of the 1980’s. WINNER 2022 EMMY for BEST SPORTS DOC.

“Be Water” Feature length doc, ESPN 30 for 30, Dir. Bao Nguyen. Prod. Julia Nottingham. ESPN + Dorothy Street Pictures *OFFICIAL SELECTION SUNDANCE 2020, SXSW 2020 and CANNES 2020* - also nominated for an Emmy 2021, and invited to Telluride, Hot Docs, among many other festivals and is the most watched ESPN 30 for 30 film ever.

In the two years before his untimely death in 1973, Bruce Lee returned to his native Hong Kong and completed four films which changed the history of film and made him a household name. Through rare archival footage, memories of family and friends, and his own words, the story of that time and Lee’s prior experiences are told with an intimacy and immediacy that have infrequently been used in earlier tellings of his legend.

Growing up and living between the West and the East, Lee was ahead of his time in thinking about the transnational audience. He experienced the racist reaction of an American film industry inundated by a subservient and menacing image of Asian people—and learned he’d have to tell his own stories to escape it. Director Bao Nguyen elegantly weaves Lee’s personal struggle for visibility with that of his times and reminds us that though it was for a short time, Lee’s star burned so brightly we still see it today.

'Elegant, satisfying, thoughtful and surprisingly relevant documentary.’ New York Times

‘Endlessly absorbing.’ - Hollywood Reporter

‘Intimate and expansive.’ -‘ Birth, Movies, Death’ Blog

‘Engaging and well crafted.’ - Variety

“Children of the Snowland” Feature length doc, dir/prod. By Marcus Stephenson and Zara Balfour. Shot almost entirely on Go Pros, we travel back to an ancient way of life with children who thought they would never see their homes and families again, as they try to understand who they are, and their place in the developing world. But whilst on the journey of a lifetime their foundations are rocked yet again by the biggest earthquake to hit Kathmandu in living memory. Mayfly Production & Dartmouth Films. WINNER BIFA RAINDANCE DISCOVERY AWARD + 2019 GRIERSON NOMINEE 2019 Best Cinema Documentary Category. “Wonderfully touching” - Financial Times

“Death of a Gentleman” Independently produced feature length polemic about test match cricket’s struggle for relevance in the modern world. A tale of sporting dreams versus money, greed and power. Official Selection, Sheffield Doc Fest 2015. Dir Sam Collins. Cinematic release Autumn 2015. “Rousing and Powerful” “Persuasive and Gripping” - BFI Top 3 on iTunes Doc chart after successful cinema release and festival run.

“Asunder” 1 x 75min feature documentary. Entirely archive based film, commemorating the centenary of the Battle of The Somme and its effect on the communities of the North East of the UK. Bold and immersive, Asunder tells the story of the home front during one of the bloodiest battles in history. Premiered at Sunderland Empire in July 2016, accompanied by a live score by Sunderland’s Field Music and Newcastle’s Warm Digits alongside the Royal Northern Sinfonia. Fully mixed version to be released in 2017. Produced by artist and filmmaker Esther Johnson and Bob Stanley for 14-18 Now.

“Chemsex” 1 x 90min Feature documentary for Vice on the use of drugs for sex in the gay community in London in 2014. Extremely frank and honest portrait of a scene in crisis. Dir. Max Gogarty and William Fairman. LFF & IDFA official selection. Cinema release Dec 2015. “Stark and unflinching, 4 stars” – Timeout. BFI’s top 3 LGBT films of 2015 “Scary but valuable, 4 stars” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian. 4 stars from Attitude, The Times, Little White Lies, Total Film, Gay Times.

“Solitary Nation” - 1 x 60min Observational film following several characters as they experience Maine State Prison's Solitary Confinement Wing. An intimate and brutal portrait of their lives and experiences, which amounts to a damning portrait of the practice of keeping prisoners alone for months or even years. Dir. Dan Edge. Mongoose Films for PBS. “Solitary Nation is about as hopeless an hour of television as you can imagine, which is exactly the reason to watch it." NY Times

***UPDATE*** The two different versions of the film which I cut for BBC 2 and PBS were combined to make "The Last Days of Solitary", a feature length film broadcast in the UK as part of the Storyville strand, and has been nominated for two 2017 Grierson Awards - Best Single Documentary - International, and Best Current Affairs.

“We The People..” Dir. by Carl Hindmarch for Complex films. Intimate portrait of iconic rap group A Tribe Called Quest. Unique behind the scenes footage of the group as they record what is to become their final album in the shadow of Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory. CURRENTLY UNRELEASED DUE TO RIGHTS ISSUES.

TELEVISION - recent

AIDS: The Unheard Tapes

Dir. Mark Henderson, 1 x 60min, produced by Wall to Wall for BBC 2, 2022 - Series lead and edited Ep 1 of 3 part series marking the 40th anniversary of the emergence of HIV/AIDS - Using audio testimony from the British Library and in depth archive to give a first person view on the decades long crisis. NOMINATED FOR BAFTA 2023.

FIFA Uncovered

Dir. Dan Gordon, Ventureland for Netflix. From power struggles to global politics, an exploration of FIFA reveals the organization's checkered history and what it takes to host a World Cup. NOMINATED FOR 2023 EMMY.

“Such brazen wrongdoing it’s like a particularly repulsive true-crime show.” - The Guardian

The People VS The NHS

Dir. Mark Henderson, Pulse Films for BBC 2 - Impressionistic and emotional rendering of the incredible story of the battle for PrEP on the NHS - not just a legal fight which saw doctors, activists and AIDS charities come together to overturn a controversial NHS decision, but a real life David and Goliath fable: one man’s journey from the depths of despair to becoming a beacon of hope for the LGBT+ community.

TELEVISION - past hits

Revolution in Ruins: The Hugo Chavez story

The extraordinary story of Chavez's 14-year presidency. A precursor to many of today's populist leaders, Chavez bypassed traditional media and spoke directly to the people. Told by many of those who knew him, it is the story of incredible short-term achievements in health and education, but also of the tragic legacy of his idealism, populism and ruthless pursuit of absolute power. A story that is now more relevant than ever. BBC2 2019.

Murdered For Love? Samia Shahid

Dir. Sasha Aschilli for BBC 2 - A devastating portrait of the cultural practice of 'Honour Killing'. With unique access to some of Samia's closest friends, and her personal archive of photography, video and audio, this film tells the story of Samia's life and how she came to tragically be killed.

I Shot My Parents 1 x 60min documentary for BBC. The dark story of Nathon Brooks – a 14-year-old from Washington State who, in 2013, took a revolver from the gun cabinet at his family home and shot his mother and father three times apiece in the head while they slept. Miraculously, both survived. How could they forgive their son, now serving 15-and-a-half years in prison, for assault with a deadly weapon? 

Children of the Gaza Conflict 1 x 60min documentary. A savage but tender portrait of the lives of five children directly affected by the conflict in Gaza in 2014, and the lasting implications on their families. Dir James Jones. BBC2

Saved 1 x 60 min ITV 1. Gripping Drama doc based around the idea ‘would you risk your life to save someone else?’ Bold and cinematic reimagining of real life drama. Dir. Jonathan Rudd The Garden for ITV “Cleverly creating a momentum of rolling cliff hangers” - The Guardian “If you start watching you won’t stop..” - The Guardian

Kangaroo Dundee - Natural World Special – 2 x 60min. Feature length portrait of a man who has dedicated his life to rescuing baby kangaroos from the pouches of their mothers killed on the outback’s roads. First ever two part special for Natural World. AGB Films for BBC2 (Natural History Dept) *Nominated for ‘Best Wildlife Documentary 2013’ by The Grierson Trust* “A lovely bit of programme making… allows you to intimately marvel at a life utterly different from your own” - Caitlin Moran, The Times

Our War: The Invisible Enemy Ep 2 of 3, 60 min documentary. Using material shot by British soldiers in Afghanistan to tell first hand the stories of a brutal conflict that will define a generation. A touching, intimate, and painfully honest portrait of a modern war. BBC *BAFTA winner for Best Factual Series 2012* “…a sobering snapshot… captures the gallows humour and banter driven spirit that binds the men together” - Time Out

There are many more going back to 2005 and beyond details available on request!