Directors Lab Cohort 2025

Meet the 2025 BFI NETWORK Midlands Directors Lab Cohort

We are excited to announce the ten directors selected for our 2025 Midlands Directors Lab. Our class of 2025 joined us for a weekend of learning and networking at Broadway Cinema, Nottingham to develop their directorial skills and gain insights to support them in the next steps of their creative journey.

Over the weekend, we were joined by a series of guest speakers for Q&As and workshops exploring the skills needed for the next steps in a director's career. We also took a trip to Nottingham Trent's Virtual Production Studio to explore new opportunities built through technology. Our Guests included:

• Amy O'Hara (Film4)
• Moin Hussain (Director, Sky Peals)
• Caroline Slater (Director and Producer, Doctors)
• Sarmad Masud (Director, My Pure Land & Boarders)
• Anna Griffin (Griffin Pictures) and Alastair Clarke (Wellington Films) (Producers of Sister Midnight)

The third We're All Black Down Here is a BFI short currently in the final stages of post-production and will be on the festival circuit later in 2025.

James is currently developing his first feature film project set in the Midlands.

Starting out in music videos, Andrew produced a large number of visual promos, one of which was nominated for a prestigious UKMVA in 2017. Andrew's short ‘Peter the Penguin’ screened at Slamdance, Fantasia and Beyond Fest as well as winning Best Short Film at Grimmfest, where it caught the eye of Disney, who commissioned a short as part of ‘Bite Size Halloween’ on Hulu.

In 2022 Andrew wrote & directed his episode ‘The Heritage’, which premiered on Hulu. It went on to win awards at Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Panic Fest & Vortex in Rhode Island. It also won the grand prize at Meme Pas Peur, leading to a distribution deal on Shadowz, the leading horror platform in France. The film also caught the eye of Monkeypaw Productions, which led to various meetings with the studio for potential future projects.

Andrew was also part of the 2023 BFI NETWORK@LFF Cohort and has been supported to develop his debut feature through the Early Development Fund.

Andrew’s work often takes dramatic themes and puts them through the lens of thought-provoking horror with levity and absurdist humour. Previous work has seen him tackle familial bonds and societal situations skewed into uncomfortable body horror with striking unforgettable imagery

Cassiah has directed five short films including her recent award-winning BFI Network film 'Catch A Butcher' which screened at multiple BAFTA/BIFA festivals, and was acquired by ALTER and BFI Player. Most recently, Cassiah directed the BBC Studios short award-winning thriller 'The Pink Pill'.

She was also recently a Trainee Director on Apple TV’s ‘Hijack’ mentored by director/showrunner Jim Field Smith, and has also been mentored by director Claire McCarthy.

Cassiah is now working on her debut feature projects, including one in development with the BFI. In 2024, Cassiah was selected for the prestigious BRIT List, as well as selected for BFI Network@LFF 2024.

He’s also currently being mentored by Bafta award-winning director Lewis Arnold and recently shadowed him on his new ITV Drama.

David’s films have gained great success and have been selected at many festivals from around the world including BIFA, BAFTA and Oscar-qualifying festivals. He has also won many awards, including ‘Best Film’ and ‘Best Director’ for his films We, Safekeeping, Eject, Clouds, Eric, Nervous Ellie and Safe. David’s work has also been featured on David Reviews, Shots, 1.4 awards, Directors Notes and Omeleto, with several films streaming on genre favourite, Arrow Player.

His latest short, Nervous Ellie, premiered at the BAFTA-qualifying Bolton Film Festival and is set to screen at numerous other festivals.

Her recent eco-drama short, THE GENERATORS was supported by BFI NETWORK with National Lottery Funding. Starring Matthew Needham (House of the Dragon) and Rory Fleck Byrne (Dope Girls), it is currently on the festival circuit. She also directs music videos with major artists, with her work described as “Breathtaking”, “Ethereal, dreamy and confident”(Promo News).

She has several feature projects in early development. She loves to create stories that speak to the present with nods to the past, forefront female experiences and approach the climate crisis in a human, urgent and creative way.

He worked as a researcher for TV documentaries, set up a bespoke video production company, directing The New Grey Whistle Test, an online live music show, and making promotional films for The Birmingham Rep, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and Richard Alston Dance Company.

Mark joined the crew of The Gadget Show in 2009 and after directing on 23 episodes returned to drama as an Assistant Director. He has worked on features, HETV, and continuing dramas including Terence Davies’ Benediction, Swimming with Men, Doctor Who, McDonald & Dodds, The Winter King, and Casualty, as well as the Midland’s own Doctors.

He has directed several short films, most notably Keep Breathing, described as “really very good" by Mike Leigh. It was supported by BFI NETWORK and won Best Short at the Midlands Movies Awards 2020, was shown at the BFI London Film Festival 2019, and broadcast nationally on RTE in Ireland. Other shorts include Clockworks which won the Five Lamps Film competition in 2017, Tokenised was shortlisted in the Sci-Fi London 48 Hour Film Challenge 2022, and A Brighter Blue which was shown at Birmingham’s Flatpack Festival in 2024.

He has directed narrative commissions for the NHS, Mind, and other national charities, tackling complex mental health and social themes to drive meaningful, real-world impact. Jack is a member of BAFTA Connect and was recently selected for the prestigious Directors UK Inspire mentorship scheme.

That should tell you all you need to know. At the minute, his work focuses on terror and esotericism. His films have been selected to screen at FrightFest, Sitges, Dead Northern, Octopus and Sydney Indie Short Film Festival. Named semi-finalist for HIGA, quarter finalist for Cornwall Film Festival and winner of Best Director award for Vesuvius International Film Fest.

As a director and creative producer, Lorna crafts and brings to life stories that reflect the realities of the world while also imagining a better place. Her work is characterised by its emotional truth and distinctive atmosphere. She portrays the lives of people who live on the margins, or in times of crisis, showing their resilience and how there is light in darkness, hope in adversity.

Lorna directed the award-winning BFI NETWORK short, NED & ME, (2021). Described by Mike Leigh as "beautifully directed," the film was selected in the 2021 International Competition at the Academy-Award qualifying, Clermont- Ferrand Film Festival and was nominated for a Royal Television Society Midlands Award.

Her recent short, DOG RUN, won the Breaking Boundaries Grand Prize Award at the Academy Award-qualifying, 41st Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival. The film has picked up multiple awards at festivals internationally and is now available on Apple TV.

She was recently selected for DIRECTORS UK Inspire Programme 2025, where she is being mentored by BAFTA-winning film and television director, Saul Dibb. She is represented by United Agents.

He has developed drama and genre series for Amazon Studios, BBC Studios, Silvergate Media, Gaumont and Tall Story Productions and developed the feature CLAUDIA for Caribbean Tales.

He wrote and directed the BFI NETWORK-funded short RESULTS DAY (2023). Omari has shadowed Directors on series such as Justin's House, Malory Towers and Doctors and was Splinter Unit Director on Just Act Normal (The Forge / BBC).

He is currently developing BOUND, a supernatural thriller, which was selected for the BFI NETWORK Early Development Fund. In August 2025 Omari will direct his first episode of television for Jamie Johnson FC (Strike / CBBC)