Writer/Director and BAFTA Connect member, Emma Swinton specialises in the magical and historical.

With four shorts under her belt, Emma has a vast range of experience within directing, including interning for Sally Potter’s production company, Adventure Pictures. Additionally Emma has shadowed and assisted the Emmy award-winning director, Jessica Hobbs on season five of The Crown. The role covered prep, production and post, it was an invaluable experience heightening Emma’s knowledge of Directing within high-end drama. Emma has also worked as a guest teacher at the Fontainebleau School of Drama.

Emma graduated from the University of Westminster with a BA Hons in Film & TV Production in 2007 and has since gone on to make short films that have screened at leading global film festivals, including Palm Springs, Calgary International Film Festival, Underwire, Aesthetica, and London Short Film Festival.

Emma has directed leading talent including BAFTA award winners, John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings), Jo Hartley (Dead Man’s Shoes, This is England), and Burn Gorman (The Dark Knight Rises, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio). 

Emma’s current film The Witch’s Daughter is a proof-of-concept short, funded by the BFI. Emma is developing three other feature scripts. 

Her previous short Unearthed was made after Emma’s winning pitch was selected for the highly competitive Alexa Challenge, run by Arri and Directors UK.

Short Films

THE WITCH’S DAUGHTER 2023
Director
Co-written with Emily Carlton
BFI/ Bridie Films

UNEARTHED 2019
Director
Co-written with Karina Jakubowicz
Brew Films
Winner of Alexa Challenge (Directors UK/ Arri)

THE INVADER’S SONG 2018
Director
Co-written with Emily Carlton
Brew Films

TV Credits

THE CROWN Season 5 2021
2 Episodes
Leftbank / Netflix
Shadow Director to Jessica Hobbs