Directors UK Podcast

Hikari speaks with Will Sharpe on her latest film Rental Family. They discuss the nuances of cross-cultural directing, collaborating through improvisation, filming on location, and casting Brendan Fraser.

Kaouther Ben Hania joins Soudade Kaadan to discuss The Voice of Hind Rajab. Kaouther reflects on what it was like working with such challenging subject matter, how staying focused on the importance of the story helped her and her crew remain motivated, and the power of telling a story that truly resonates.

Kate Winslet joins Francis Lee to discuss the work that went into making her emotional directorial debut, Goodbye June. Kate shares insights from her experience working with some of the industry's most accomplished directors, and her approach to assembling a cast and crew that collaborate effectively.

Lindsay Utz sits down with Lottie Gammon to discuss her latest documentary, Prime Minister (co-directed with Michelle Walshe), which chronicles Jacinda Ardern's tenure as Prime Minister of New Zealand. Lindsay reflects on how the team secured such extraordinary access, her approach to shaping a compelling narrative from extensive raw footage, and how she and Michelle worked together throughout the filmmaking process.

Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor speaks with Christiana Ebohon-Green on her latest film Dreamers which tells the story of Nigerian migrant Isio, who finds hope in an unexpected love that gives her the strength to fight a broken system. Joy discusses her the work that went into directing this tremendous feature debut, why she thought it was important to add colour to this story of struggle, and more. 

Shih-Ching Tsou speaks with Rhianna Dhillon on her latest film Left-Handed Girl. In their conversation Shih-Ching discusses techniques and strategies for shooting in busy public locations, her approach to working with young non-professional actors, and how she had to stand firm on telling her story her own way.

Kleber Mendonça Filho speaks with Walter Salles on his latest film The Secret Agent. Kleber discusses the work that went into crafting such a complex layered film, how he and his editor captured the rhythm of life, and more.

Kirk Jones joins Alex Godfrey for an in-depth discussion on the work that went into directing I Swear, an account of the life of John Davidson, a Tourette syndrome campaigner who grew up with the condition in 1980s Scotland, at a time when it was little known and misunderstood.

Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao joins Joe Wright to discuss the creative processes that shaped her latest film, and her approach to directing.

Nia DaCosta sits down with Afua Hirsch to discuss the work that went into directing Hedda, and her approach to the craft.

In the latest episode of the Directors UK Podcast, Mona Fastvold speaks with Wendy Mitchell about her latest film The Testament of Ann Lee. The two explore her bold directorial vision and the creative journey behind her daring new film.

Paul Thomas Anderson speaks to critic Danny Leigh about his distinctive approach to directing and the creative process behind his latest film, One Battle After Another.

Akinola Davies Jr sits down with Chiwetel Ejiofor to discuss the making of his powerful feature directorial debut My Father's Shadow. Akinola shares insights from the development process, taking inspiration from the archive, and his process collaborating with cast and crew.

Elizabeth Lo joins Jeanie Finlay to discuss her latest documentary, Mistress Dispeller. In China, a discreet new industry has emerged to help couples preserve their marriages in the face of infidelity. So-called “mistress dispellers” are hired to protect marital bonds — and dismantle affairs — by any means necessary. With remarkable intimacy, Mistress Dispeller follows an unfolding family drama from every corner of a complex love triangle. Elizabeth reflects on how she negotiated extraordinary access to the participants' private lives, built and maintained trust throughout the filming process, and more.

Ryan Coogler speaks with Destin Daniel Cretton on his latest film Sinners. Ryan shares his creative journey as a director, what it was like shooting in 70mm, and his unique, genre-bending approach to the craft.

Nadia Latif joins fellow director George Amponsah for an in-depth conversation about her film directorial debut, The Man In My Basement. Nadia shares what her extensive experience directing for theatre prepared her for director for film, how she the opportunity to adapt Walter Mosley's book came to her, and the creative decisions that went into making this film.

Daisy-May Hudson joins fellow director Alex Kalymnios for an in-depth conversation about the making of her fiction feature debut, Lollipop. Daisy-May shares her unconventional route into filmmaking, the moment she realised that directing was for her, why film is such a powerful medium to tell stories that matter. The conversation delves into the creative and practical challenges of crafting Lollipop, and how Daisy's unique perspective shaped both her storytelling and her process of working with non-professional actors.

Recorded live at our exclusive Directors UK member event, Academy Award-winning director Guillermo del Toro sits down with friend and fellow Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón for a fascinating deep dive into his creative process, and the making of his haunting new film, Frankenstein.

In the latest episode of the Directors UK Podcast, recorded live at our exclusive Directors UK member event, Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow speaks with fellow director Peter Straughan on her approach to directing, and the work that went into directing her explosive new film A House Of Dynamite.

Olaide Sadiq's directorial debut Grenfell: Uncovered examines the disturbing chain of events that led to the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, giving survivors, bereaved families and firefighters a platform to share their story. In the latest episode of the Directors UK Podcast, recorded live at our exclusive member event last month, Olaide sits down with fellow documentary director Toby Trackman, to discuss how she became involved with the project, her approach to working with collaborators and the responsibility she felt towards them as director, and what it was like working with Netflix on this project.

Recorded live at a Directors UK members event, in partnership with Illuminatrix and FOMO House, director Shannon Murphy and DoP Annika Summerson explore their recent collaboration on BBC drama Dope Girls, in a live discussion moderated by DoP Susanne Salavati. Shannon and Annika share how their creative partnership evolved during filming. Image Credit: BBC/Bad Wolf/Grant Royce

Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the casting process behind Channel 4 series, Queenie, in the latest episode of the Directors UK Podcast. Recorded live at our career development masterclass last Autumn, Director (episodes 1-4) Joelle Mae David, Casting Director Aisha Bywaters, and lead actor Dionne Brown, explore the show's approach to casting. Director James Kent hosts their conversation. Listen to the discussion wherever you get your podcasts.

Sean Baker is In Conversation with Ian Haydn Smith on directing Anora. Sean shares his experience casting and working with Mikey Madison, what it was like shooting on a tight budget, and how the story grew from the film's locations. Image credit: Christopher Andreou

John Crowley is on the Directors UK Podcast speaking to Anna Bogutskaya on what went into directing We Live In Time. John shares his experience in the edit, his approach to rehearsals, as well as what challenges come from working on a non-linear story.

Brady Corbet is on the Directors UK Podcast, In Conversation with Sam Mendes on what went into directing The Brutalist. Brady reflects on the importance of a director's creative vision, and his journey bringing this epic story to screen.

Greg Kwedar shares the work that went into directing his latest film Sing Sing. A stirring true story featuring an ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors, Greg talks about how he worked with the cast to translate real experiences into powerful scenes, and how he practised filmmaking “in community” on the set.

Ellen Kuras speaks about what went into directing her latest film Lee, which tells the true story of American photographer Lee Miller on her quest to document the truth of the Nazi regime. Ellen discusses what sparked her interest in Lee Miller's work, her approach to telling a story through images, and her commitment to telling this story from a woman's perspective.

Recorded live at our In Conversation members event in December 2024, Jesse Eisenberg is on the Directors UK Podcast speaking to Sandra Hebron about his latest film A Real Pain. Jesse shares his process, how his work as an actor prepared him for directing, and the risks he's glad to have taken as a filmmaker.

On the Directors UK Podcast, journalist and filmmaker Shiori Itô discusses her debut feature documentary Black Box Diaries, In Conversation with Jeanie Finlay. Shiori shares how the documentary format gave her more freedom to tell her own story, and helped facilitate her own investigation into her sexual assault in an effort to prosecute her high-profile offender.

Recorded live at our In Conversation member event in November 2024, Robert Eggers speaks to Sandra Hebron about what went into directing his latest film Nosferatu. Robert talks about the evolution of his distinctive style, working with collaborators to craft a dark gothic nightmare, and how his love of the 1920's classic led to this terrifying reimagining. (Image credit: Christopher Andreou)

Recorded live at our In Conversation members event in November 2024, director Edward Berger speaks to Susanna White on his latest film Conclave. (Image credit: Christopher Andreou)

Recorded live at our In Conversation event in November 2024, director Jon M. Chu speaks to Josie Rourke on his latest film Wicked. Jon shares how his upbringing informed his approach to storytelling, directing music on screen, and his experience casting the film.

In this episode of the Directors UK Podcast, Nightbitch director Marielle Heller speaks to fellow director Tinge Krishnan on the film's surreal visuals, making a successful novel your own as a director, and working with children. Please note there is strong language in this episode. (Image credit: Christopher Andreou)

In this special bonus In Conversation discussion, Coralie Fargeat speaks to fellow director Ti West on her latest film, The Substance. The two speak about the importance of trusting your vision as a director, the huge effort that goes into getting visual effects right, and so much more.

Recorded live at our In Conversation event in November 2024, Lyttanya Shannon spoke to Board member Zoe Hines about her newest documentary Sweet Bobby. Lyttanya shares what it was like adapting a hugely popular podcast to the screen, how she approached interviewing the documentary's subjects, and more.

Recorded live at our In Conversation event in October 2024, Academy Award-winning director Steve McQueen speaks to Jessica Hobbs about his latest film, Blitz, on the Directors UK Podcast. Steve shares what goes into making a British epic, how he brought the cosmopolitan London of the past to life, and why he enjoys taking risks as a filmmaker. (Image credit: Christopher Andreou)

Listen to the latest episode of the Directors UK podcast! From a special preview screening and In Conversation event in October 2024. Jacques Audiard speaks to Greta Gerwig about the making of his latest film, Emilia Pérez. Jacques shares his experience directing a musical outside of Hollywood, working in a foreign language, and more.

Listen to the latest episode of the Directors UK podcast! From a special preview screening and Q&A event in June 2024. Sean Wang speaks to Tinge Krishnan about the making of his latest film, Dìdi (弟弟). Sean shares about his coming-of-age feature debut, improv with his young cast, and acting with his grandma. Please note there is strong language in this episode.

Listen to the latest episode of the Directors UK podcast! From our special In Conversation event from May 2024. Richard Linklater speaks to Sarah Gavron about the making of his latest film, Hit Man! Tune in to hear the two discuss what it was like shooting on location in New Orleans, Richard's experience working with Netflix, and how he approaches working with actors. (Image credit: Christopher Andreou)

The latest episode of the Directors UK podcast comes from our members' masterclass with BAFTA-award winning multi-camera director Nikki Parsons. We take a deep dive into Nikki's work directing Strictly Come Dancing and the Eurovision Song Contest, exploring how the full process from rehearsals to live performances comes together. Moderated by award-winning live entertainment and multi-camera director Tim van Someren, we also discuss how multi-camera directors manage creative leadership on set, collaborate with crew and talent, and work with new technology such as CuePilot to help them navigate complex live broadcasts. Watch Layton and Nikita's performance on Strictly Come Dancing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTEoUFtTp8k&t=34s Watch the Strictly Come Dancing group dance in Blackpool:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-klD_VVve6g Music: Loyalty Freak

This episode features director Alexander Payne, who joined us to discuss the making of his latest feature film The Holdovers. Alexander spoke to film journalist Wendy Mitchell about his approach to shooting to establish a strong sense of place, how he found the visual tone for the 1970s setting, and getting the balance right between creating a period piece and building a lived-in authentic tone.

This episode features directing duo Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, who joined us to discuss the making of their latest film and first narrative feature Nyad. Listen now to learn about their transition from documentary to drama, the challenges of shooting in and underwater, and portraying the real Diana Nyad.

Sofia Coppola sat down with fellow director Emerald Fennell to discuss her latest film Priscilla, a biopic of Priscilla Presley. Hear the two award-winning directors discuss the challenges of portraying a household name, translating Priscilla's 1985 memoir to the big screen, and conveying the worlds of teenage girls.

For our final In Conversation members event of 2023, Andrew Haigh sat down with Sandra Hebron to discuss his latest film All Of Us Strangers, a beautiful and poignant film about love and loss. Andrew spoke about capturing vulnerable performances from his cast, including Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal, and creating a calming environment on set. He also dived into how approaches his craft as a director, such as his decision to shoot on 35mm for the film. Please note: this podcast contains some strong language. (Image credit: Christopher Andreou)

As part of our In Conversation season, Todd Haynes returned to Directors UK and spoke to fellow director Harry Wootliff about his latest feature film, May December. Todd spoke about how he created the film's distinct style of comedy, working with actors Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, and a director's responsibility.

This episode of the Directors UK podcast comes from our In Conversation event with Bradley Cooper and Shawn Levy, who went behind-the-scenes of the Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro. Bradley discussed cinematic tools he used to depict the marriage of Leonard and Felicia Bernstein, the importance of collaboration, and his evolution as a filmmaker from his debut feature A Star is Born to Maestro. Listen to their fascinating conversation now!

This episode of the Directors UK podcast was recorded at our members' masterclass with director, producer and editor Thomas Meadmore and documentary story consultant Nic Guttridge. Thomas and Nic were joined by award-winning documentary director Sophie Robinson to discuss the making of gripping true crime ITV feature documentary 'The Real Vanishing Act — Missing Millionairess'. They shared a great insight into how they used story mapping to create the documentary's structure and narrative, the importance of trust-building when gaining access to contributors and how they blended archive content with current events to create the tone and pace of the documentary. We hope you enjoy this deep dive into the craft of feature documentary making! (Image credit: Fremantle)

As part of our In Conversation season, James Hawes sat down with fellow director Jessica Hobbs to discuss his theatrical feature debut One Life, the true story of Sir Nicholas 'Nicky' Winton, a young London broker who rescued 669 children from the Nazis in the months leading up to World War II. James and Jessica had a brilliant deep dive into James' approach to his craft, discussing shooting on location in Prague, collaborating with key creatives to create a particular visual tone and establish an authentic period setting, and preparing the cast and crew for filming some of the film's most sensitive scenes. James also touched on the responsibility he felt when showing the final edit to Nicholas Winton's family, and the complexities of representing real people on screen. (Image credit: Hollie Forson)

This episode of the Directors UK podcast was recorded at our masterclass with Emmy-nominated director Peter Hoar, who gave us insight into his critically acclaimed episode of HBO's The Last of Us. Peter was joined by fellow director and his Directors UK Inspire mentee Stephen Gallacher for a deep dive into the making of Episode 3, 'Long, Long Time', discussing the importance of collaboration with everyone on set and breaking down key scenes to explore Peter's approach to his craft. A lively conversation between mentee and mentor, Peter and Stephen also explored tackling imposter syndrome and understanding your responsibility as a director. In this episode of the Directors UK podcast, Peter and Stephen discussed three scenes from The Last of Us, Episode 3 'Long, Long Time', with a brief overview of two of these scenes included in the podcast. The third and final scene discussed by Peter and Stephen appears approximately an hour and 10 minutes into the episode and takes us through to the final shot of ‘Long, Long Time'. Please note: this podcast contains some strong language. (Image credit: Sky/HBO)

Welcome to the latest episode of the Directors UK podcast! As part of our In Conversation season, director and cinematographer Molly Manning Walker sat down with fellow director Michael Pearce to discuss her debut feature film How to Have Sex. Recorded at one of our member events, Molly discussed shifting from cinematography to directing, her approach to working with actors, and the challenges involved with directing hundreds of extras for How to Have Sex's clubbing scenes. We hope you enjoy the episode! (Image credit: Christopher Andreou)

Welcome to the latest episode of the Directors UK podcast! As part of our In Conversation season, we were joined by Zach Braff for a deep dive into A Good Person. Speaking to BFI programmer Rowan Woods via Zoom, Zach explores his approach to his craft and working with actors, his visual language as a director, and how he creates the tone for his films with his cinematographers and Heads of Department in pre-production. This was a fantastic conversation, with brilliant insight into Zach's work as a director — we hope you enjoy the episode! Please note: this podcast includes some strong language.