Lisa Clarkson

Lisa Clarkson is a BAFTA winning filmmaker from Edinburgh. She was just announced as one of 15 selected for this year’s LFF talent development programme BFI NETWORK@LFF (https://www.screendaily.com/news/bfi-networklff-unveils-2026-cohort/5220724.article)

She wrote and directed PATERNAL ADVICE, a Short Circuit/BFI NETWORK and Ossian International production, based on a Janice Galloway short story; it premiered in competition at the 77th Edinburgh International Film Festival, and won The Scottish Short Film Award at Glasgow Short Film Festival 2025 and Best Fiction at This is England Film Festival 2025 in Rouen, France. The film also played at Aesthetica in York and La Guarimba Film  Festival in Calabria, Italy. It went on to win Best Short Film at the BAFTA Scotland Awards 2025.

She directed an episode of the BBC Four/Hopscotch series SKINT under creative director Peter Mullan which premiered at Glasgow Film Festival 2022 and went out on BBC4. For her episode ‘UNICORN’, Lisa was nominated for the Victor Adebodun Debut Director Award (Scripted) at the 2023 New Voice Awards.

Her trainee director credits include GRANITE HARBOUR S1 for LA Productions / BBC Scotland (3 x 60) where she shadowed Gary Williams from prep to wrap, shooting in Glasgow and Aberdeen, all on location, and including second unit (pick ups, inserts, GVs, with and without actors, scenes/insert scenes). She also worked on the Amazon/Wild Mercury HETV production THE RIG S1 (under Alex Holmes) from block 2 prep to wrap which included 2nd unit, pick ups, inserts and SFX shots.

She’s writing (and will direct) her debut feature ‘Claudie’ for Pulse and BBC Films, and another ‘In The Name of Pleasure’ with Story Horse Pictures & Short Circuit. ‘Claudie’ is about a nail technician and housewife who begins at drama school to follow her dreams of becoming an actress. ‘In The Name of Pleasure’ is a beautiful story of star crossed lovers set during The Troubles, and the greatest illegal rave of their lives.

As a writer, she is currently adapting the coming of age novel ‘Ginger and Me’ by Elissa Soave for Mother Pictures new Film and TV arm. She has an original pilot script, ‘Art School’, set up at Mother Pictures.

She just wrote this rave film for director Leigh Powis, which recognises twenty years of Manchesters’ Warehouse Project, it’s breathtaking: https://vimeo.com/1196261279?fl=pl&fe=vl