William McGregor (director)

William McGregor (born 26 September 1987) is a British screenwriter and director working in film, television, and commercials. He is known for his strong use of landscape and often gothic themes.^[1]

His 2009 student film, Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite?, won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Drama;^[2] the Cambridge Student Film Festival was renamed "The Watersprite Film Festival" in honour of the film.^[3]

He was selected as a Screen International "Star of Tomorrow" in 2012^[4] and a Berlinale Talent Campus participant in 2010.^[5] McGregor is represented for drama by Independent Talent and for commercials by The Mill.^[6]

Television

McGregor became the youngest-ever director of E4's BAFTA-award-winning drama, Misfits, in 2013, directing the first three episodes of series five.^[7] In 2014, he directed the finale of the BBC's Poldark. The final episode was described as "one of those rare occasions when a popular drama series delivers something that properly belongs to art" by The Daily Telegraph.^[8]

As of late 2015, McGregor was in post-production on a four-part miniseries for the BBC called One of Us, starring Juliet Stevenson and Laura Fraser.^[9]

Feature films

As of late 2015, McGregor was developing his first feature film, The Dark Outside, with BAFTA- and EMMY-award-winning producer Hilary Bevan Jones.^[10]

Awards

• Won – Best International Mini-series Sichuan TV Festival for Poldark^[11]
• Nominated – Best Directing for a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made Television Sichuan TV Festival for Poldark^[12]
• Nominated – Best Drama National Television Awards for Poldark^[13]
• Nominated – Best Newcomer Rushes Soho Shorts Festival for Bovine^[14]
• Won – Coca-Cola Cinemagic Young Filmmaker of the Year 2010 for Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite?^[15]
• Won – Coca-Cola Cinemagic Innovation Award for The Little^[15]
• Nominated – National Film Festival for Talented Youth "New Talent Award" for The Little^[16]
• Won – Best Drama Royal Television Society Award for Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite?^[17]
• Nominated – Best Short Warsaw Film Festival for Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite?^[18]
• Nominated – Best Student Film The European Independent Film Festival for Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite?^[19]
• Won – Cambridge Student Film Festival "Film of the Year" for Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite?
• Won – Cambridge Student Film Festival "Best Direction" for Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite?
• Won – Cambridge Student Film Festival "Technical Achievement" for Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite?^[20]
• Won – National Student Film Festival "Technical Achievement" for Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite?
• Won – National Student Film Festival "Best Cinematography" for Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite?
• Won – National Student Film Festival "Best Horror" for Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite?
• Won – Exposures "Best Cinematography" for Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite?^[21]
• Nominated – National Young Filmmaker Award for Follow the Scent^[22]
• Nominated – BAFTA 60 Seconds of Fame^[23]

Filmography

Short films

• Follow the Scent (2006)
• Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite? (2009)
• Bovine (2010)
• The Little (2010)
• The Puppeteer (2010)
• Eradicate (2011)
• No Escape (2012)

Television

• Misfits – Series 5, Episodes 1, 2, 3
• Poldark – Series 1, Episodes 5, 6, 7, 8
• One of Us – Series 1, Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4

Feature films

• The Dark Outside (in development)

Commercials

• Pepsi – Get Hyped for Half Time
• Ford Fusion - Change
• Google - Hangout
• Google - Front Row
• Freddy – Snake
• SEGA – Rome2: Total War
• Boots – Summer
• Barclays – Help

References

External links

• Official website