FRANCES LEA

Frances started life as a painter before training in film at Bournemouth Film School. She set up and ran a unique cinema at Treadwell’s Art Mill in Bradford, and wrote and directed a number of films including Release Me for BBC2, (‘a surprising and brave film, and an inspiration to watch’, Jane Campion) which won seven International Awards and had a cast of adults with special needs. She directed a thirteen part drama series called Samson Superslug for ITV Network, Fugee Girl for Channel 4 and she wrote and directed Oh Julie! a model animation for Channel 4, which won four International awards around the world and got cinema and DVD distribution with Manga.

Frances directed an Internet drama series Get A Life Harry for IMP Corporation and directed the low budget feature film Everyone’s Happy, written by Simon Beaufoy and produced by Footprint Films (‘recalls Mike Leigh at his most restrained … puts many flashier Britpics to shame’, Variety). Recently, Frances has been writing two screenplays Strawberry Fields and Finger Puppets as well as reviving her passion for painting.