Brits to Watch: The Screenings – Stephen Fingleton

In October 2015 writer-director Stephen Fingleton was introduced to key figures in the US film industry at screenings of his feature-length debut The Survivalist in New York and Los Angeles. The script garnered industry-wide attention when it featured on the Hollywood ‘Black List’ for the year’s best un-produced scripts in 2012, before topping the British Black List in 2013. 

With three stellar performances at its core, The Survivalist is a post-apocalyptic thriller set in a world where resources have run out. The film premiered in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival in April and was awarded a Special Mention by the jury in the Best New Narrative Director category. It will be released by Alchemy in the US in 2016.

Brits to Watch: The Screenings introduces promising British talent to an exclusive audience of film industry professionals. BAFTA then facilitates a number of follow-up meetings with key industry figures for the individuals in both cities. The seires is hosted by BAFTA in New York and Los Angeles and produced in partnership with British Council, with the support of IMDb, the Academy Circle, and Soho House New York.

Beginning in 2013, the series has featured directors and writer-directors Clio Barnard (The Selfish Giant), Richard Laxton (Burton and Taylor), Amma Asante (Belle), Kieran Evans (Kelly + Victor), Hong Khaou (Lilting), Yann Demange(’71), John Maclean (Slow West) and Carol Morley (The Falling).

Biography of Stephen Fingleton

Stephen Fingleton was born in Northern Ireland and began his career in guerrilla filmmaking. He was chosen by Screen Daily as a Star of Tomorrow in 2013, and was one of 16 filmmakers selected by the UK’s prestigious BFI Lighthouse short film scheme, which funded his film, SLR. The film was shortlisted for an Oscar, nominated for an Irish Film and Television Award, and won Best Irish short at the Foyle Film Festival.

Fingleton’s debut feature, The Survivalist, premiered in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015, where it was awarded a Special Mention by the jury in the Best New Narrative Director category.

He is represented by Philip d’Amecourt and Philip Raskind at WME in the US, and Jack Thomas at Independent Talent Group in the UK.