East Elliott is a writer and director from North London, based in New York City. He is a 2022 recipient of the BAFTA/Pigott Scholarship in support of his pursuit of his MFA at New York University’s Tisch Graduate Film program. His work explores masculinity, violence, class, race and dysfunctional family dynamics through a unique and unconventional visual language.
Being a part of the BAFTA Scholarship program has given me the opportunity to be a part of a network of gifted filmmakers and students, with whom I look forward to collaborating, as well as attend screenings with some of the finest writers, directors, actors and craftspeople in the world today. As a born and bred Londoner, I am honoured and profoundly grateful to a member of the wider BAFTA community and look forward to the year ahead and beyond.
East’s latest short film, 'It Wasn’t, But It Could Have Been' (post-production), is a Beckett-esque odyssey into an abstracted world where two friends are forced to confront the overwhelming futility of their existence. When not making films, East enjoys volunteering as a children’s soccer coach in New York’s lower east side.