Harry Lighton

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Harry Lighton
Harry Lighton on the Green Carpet at the 2025 Zurich Film Festival 05.jpg
Lighton in 2025
Born (1992-10-20) 20 October 1992 (age 33)
Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Alma mater University of Oxford
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Years active2016–present

Harry Lighton (born 20 October 1992) is an English film director and screenwriter. His feature directorial debut, Pillion , premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and won two British Independent Film Awards and a Gotham Independent Film Awards.

Contents

Early life

Lighton was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, [1] England on 20 October 1992. [2] [3] He is the son of Sir Thomas Hamilton Lighton of the Lighton baronetcy. [4] Lighton has a twin brother. [3]

Lighton has an English literature degree from the University of Oxford. [1]

Career

Lighton began making short films whilst studying English literature at the University of Oxford. [1] His most noted short film, Wren Boys (2017), received a British Academy Film Award nomination for Best Short Film at the 71st British Academy Film Awards, [5] and a British Independent Film Award nomination for Best British Short Film at the British Independent Film Awards 2017. [6]

His feature film debut, Pillion , [7] premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, [8] where Lighton won the award for Best Screenplay. [9] The film also screened at the 2025 BFI London Film Festival. [10]

Personal life

Lighton is gay. [11] He lives in London. [12]

Filmography

YearTitleNotes
2016Knitlab: XYShort film
Sunday Morning Coming Down
2017Look at Me
Wren Boys
2018Leash
2019Pompeii
2025 Pillion Feature film

Awards and nominations

Award / FestivalDate of ceremonyCategoryWorkResultRef.
BFI London Film Festival October 2017Best Short FilmWren BoysNominated [13] [14]
British Independent Film Awards 10 December 2017 Best British Short Film Nominated [13] [6] [15]
Flickerfest 21 January 2018Best International Short FilmNominated [13] [14]
Sundance Film Festival 27 January 2018Short Film Grand Jury PrizeNominated [13] [14] [15] [16]
British Academy Film Awards 18 February 2018 Best Short Film Nominated [13] [15] [16] [5]
Hong Kong International Film Festival March 2018Golden Firebird AwardNominated [13]
ÉCU The European Independent Film Festival 4–6 May 2018 Best European Independent Dramatic ShortWon [13] [17]
Provincetown International Film Festival 17 June 2018Best Narrative ShortWon [13] [18]
Fire!! Gay and Lesbian International Film Show  [ ca ]17 June 2018Best ShortWon [13]
Galway Film Fleadh 15 July 2018Tiernan McBride Award for Best Fiction ShortWon [13] [19]
Show Me Shorts 7 October 2018 Best International FilmWon [13] [16] [20]
Cannes Film Festival 23 May 2025 Un Certain Regard Award Pillion Nominated [21]
Un Certain Regard – Best ScreenplayWon [22]
Caméra d'Or Nominated [21]
Queer Palm Nominated [23]
British Independent Film Awards 30 November 2025 Best British Independent Film Won [24]
Best Director Nominated
Best Screenplay Nominated
Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director Nominated
Best Debut Screenwriter Won
Gotham Independent Film Awards 1 December 2025 Best Adapted Screenplay Won [25]
Palm Springs International Film Festival 12 January 2026 Variety's 10 Directors to WatchWon [26]
London Film Critics Circle Awards 1 February 2026 Philip French Award for Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker of the YearPending [27]
Attenborough Award for British/Irish Film of the Year Pending
Directors Guild of America Awards 7 February 2026 Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Feature Debut Pending [28]
Dorian Awards 3 March 2026LGBTQ Film of the YearPending [29]
LGBTQ Screenplay of the YearPending

References

  1. 1 2 3 Dalton, Ben (4 October 2018). "Stars of Tomorrow 2018: Harry Lighton (writer/director)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  2. ↑ Lighton, Harry [@hlighton]; (20 October 2022). "30 today. Evolution is a wonderful thing. Keep it up Jambo #growth #twinstagram" – via Instagram.
  3. 1 2 Gilbey, Ryan (21 November 2025). "'I think my mum's going to like it': Alexander Skarsgård on his gay biker 'dom-com' Pillion". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077.
  4. ↑ Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage: Clan Chiefs, Scottish Feudal Barons. Burke's Peerage. p. 2330. ISBN   0971196621.
  5. 1 2 Fletcher, Rosie (18 February 2018). "BAFTA Film Awards 2018 winners list in full". Digital Spy . Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  6. 1 2 Grater, Tom (1 November 2017). "'Lady Macbeth' leads 2017 BIFAs with 15 nominations"". Screen Daily. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  7. ↑ Gant, Charles (18 May 2025). "'Pillion' director Harry Lighton on finding the light in his transgressive queer drama: "I didn't want the sex to feel like empty provocation"". Screen Daily . Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  8. ↑ Debruge, Peter (18 May 2025). "'Pillion' Review: Edgy Queer Romance Stars Alexander Skarsgård as a Sexy Biker and Harry Melling as His Budding Submissive". Variety . Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  9. ↑ Parfitt, Orlando (23 May 2025). "Chile's 'The Mysterious Gaze Of The Flamingo' wins top Un Certain Regard award at 2025 Cannes Film Festival". Screen Daily. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  10. ↑ Barber, Nicholas. "Playing a motorbike-riding dominant in gay BDSM relationship drama 'Pillion', Alexander Skarsgard is enjoying the ride". Screen. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  11. ↑ Lighton, Harry [@hlighton]; (11 September 2025). "@telluridefilm you absolute smokeshow Thanks for giving Pillion the best North American premiere a gayboi with a penchant for films and hikes and casual dress codes could dream of. I was so giddy I forgot to sleep and now have tonsillitis but that is but a small price to pay: the pustules will fade, the memories will last forever!" – via Instagram.
  12. ↑ "Harry Lighton | Sayle Screen". saylescreen.com. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Wren Boys, Directed by Harry Lighton". Try Hard Films. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 "Harry Lighton". South by Southwest. 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 Souza, Guilherme (20 December 2018). "Wren Boys: Irish Tradition And Masculinity Violently Clash In Short Movie". Gay Community News . Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  16. 1 2 3 "Harry Lighton's BAFTA-nominated Wren Boys wins Oscar-qualifying award at Show Me Shorts in New Zealand". Just Celebrity. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  17. ↑ "ÉCU 2018 Winners". ÉCU The European Independent Film Festival. April 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  18. ↑ "Provincetown International Film Festival Announces 2018 Winners" (Press release). Provincetown International Film Festival. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  19. ↑ "Previous Award Winners". Galway Film Fleadh . Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  20. ↑ "Winners Announced for Show Me Shorts Film Festival 2018". Scoop.co.nz . 7 October 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  21. 1 2 "The films of the Official Selection 2025". Festival de Cannes. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  22. ↑ Ntim, Zac (23 May 2025). "Chilean Drama The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo Wins Top Un Certain Regard Prize — Cannes". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  23. ↑ Queer Palm (9 May 2025). "Selection Queer Palm 2025 2/5". Instagram .
  24. ↑ Ford, Lily; Szalai, Georg (3 November 2025). "British Independent Film Awards: My Father's Shadow and Pillion Lead Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  25. ↑ Goldsmith, Jill (28 October 2025). "Gotham Awards Film Nominations: One Battle After Another Leads Pack; Multiple Noms For If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, It Was Just An Accident, No Other Choice". Deadline . Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  26. ↑ Debruge, Peter (4 December 2025). "Variety's 10 Directors to Watch for 2026: Kristen Stewart, Harry Lighton and Dave Green Among Honorees". Variety . Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  27. ↑ Ntim, Zac (15 December 2025). "One Battle After Another Leads London Critics' Circle Film Awards Nominations – Full List". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  28. ↑ "78th Annual DGA Awards Nominees". Directors Guild of America Awards. 8 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  29. ↑ Tapp, Tom (14 January 2026). "One Battle Leads 2026 Dorian Awards Nominations". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 25 January 2026.
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