Tell us about your background
I grew up in Edinburgh. I was always a creative child, but I struggled academically in school—film quickly became an escape for me.

What sparked your love of film / screen?
Our family always loved cinema; my grandparents, parents, and sister were all fans of different genres and filmmakers. My parents separated when I was young, and a lot of the time we spent with each of them centred around renting videos or going to the cinema. I began collecting VHS tapes and would watch them repeatedly, inviting friends over to share them. With film as the constant thread in all my relationships, I began to see cinema as a powerful way to connect with people.

How did your time at RCS prepare you for the world of work?
RCS was the first time I was treated as a professional. Prior to my BA, I had made skits and sketches with friends, but RCS encouraged me to think more deeply about telling a story through sound and image. I gained a deeper appreciation for cinema history and received fundamental lessons across many aspects of the craft.

We made numerous shorts throughout the two years, giving me hands-on experience in nearly every production department. That grounding was essential for understanding the distinct roles cast and crew play on set. I also took full advantage of the access to camera kit, student crews, and post-production facilities to make my own shorts outside the curriculum. Essentially, I used my time at RCS to make as many films as possible and learn as much as I could. My graduation short received a Royal Television Society (RTS) Award, which was instrumental in securing my spot on an MA programme.

What was it like studying in Glasgow?
I loved studying in Glasgow. It’s a vibrant, youthful city with an exceptional cultural and social scene—truly the ideal city for a student—and RCS is so conveniently located right in the city centre. I made friends for life at RCS, including collaborators I still work with to this day.

What have you been working on since you graduated?
Since graduating in 2009, I completed an MA in Directing Fiction at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) in Beaconsfield, where I furthered my education and made more ambitious shorts. After graduating in 2013, I signed with an agent and spent several years writing and developing film and TV projects. My debut TV pilot was selected for the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Competition, and in 2019, my short film Neville is Dead was nominated for a BAFTA Scotland Award.

That success led to my first TV directing gig—a BBC comedy pilot called Ladybaby—followed by directing blocks on the BBC drama Shetland and the BBC comedy/horror Wreck. Throughout that time, I was developing my debut feature film, The Incomer. In 2025, we went into production with the support of Screen Scotland, the BFI, and executive producers Moby and Trevor Noah. The film stars Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin, and Grant O’Rourke (who was actually in my RCS graduation film!). The Incomer premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the NEXT Innovator Award, had its UK premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and was released worldwide by Universal Pictures.

Any career highlights you’d like to share?
Making my debut feature film has definitely been the ultimate highlight of my career so far. Getting to shoot in Scotland with a predominantly Scottish cast and crew was an absolute joy. The response to the film since its premiere has been overwhelmingly positive, and its success has opened up exciting new opportunities for me in both the UK and the US.

Image credits: Anthony Dickenson