STEPHANIE ZARI // Film & TV Director // 1st Assistand Director // UK & US Nationality
BAFTA | Directors UK | RTSwww.stephaniezari.com
IMDBI'm an award-winning, BAFTA long-listed filmmaker who recently directed a block of episodes (1 x 60’ and 2 x 30’) for ITV’s award-winning, world-renowned continuing drama Emmerdale, which broadcast in July 2024. Prior to Emmerdale, I directed a block of 4 x 30’ episodes on BBC’s BAFTA and RTS-winning children’s drama series The Dumping Ground in 2023.
With over 15 years of industry experience, I began my career as an actor before transitioning to a successful Promo Producer and First Assistant Director, eventually focusing on directing and producing my own projects. I have worked with top-tier talent, broadcasters, and production companies, including Netflix, Westbrook, Nutopia, 72 Films, BBC, BFI, ITV, Channel 5, and Sky, and I am currently in development on several film and TV projects. I am a member of BAFTA, RTS, WGGB, and Directors UK and hold dual UK/US citizenship.
My feature directorial debut, Zebra Girl, is a psychological thriller that I also co-produced and developed the screen story for, adapting it from the critically acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe one-woman show Catherine & Anita. Starring Tom Cullen (Weekend, The Gold, Insomnia), Jade Anouka (Dune: Prophecy, His Dark Materials, Fool Me Once), and Sarah Roy (Glue), the film had a UK theatrical release in 2021 and was nominated for a 2022 National Film Award for Best Thriller. Zebra Girl is now streaming globally on all major VOD platforms.
I'm the creator, director, and executive producer of the comedy-horror House Hack, a live-action, vertical interactive feature film boasting 16 different endings that was commissioned by Whatifi, the social story-hacking platform for original interactive films. Produced under my banner Forge Films, it stars Amar Chadha-Patel (Willow, The Creator), Jenny Funnell (Everything I Know About Love, As Time Goes By), and Ann Akinjirin (I May Destroy You, Moon Knight). The film launched in 2021 to great success and was voted a Top Game App of 2021 by Google Play.
My second feature film, In Our Blood, is a modern gothic supernatural thriller currently in development, which received a BFI Development Award and further support through the Birds Eye View/BFI Filmonomics programme, headed by Mia Bays, as well as the EIFF Talent Lab and Galway Film Market. I was also awarded the prestigious John Brabourne Award to support script completion.
My short films have achieved festival, critical, online, and broadcast success, screening at OSCAR, BAFTA, and BIFA-qualifying festivals worldwide. Being Keegan, starring Stephen Graham, was broadcast on My5, Marigolds was broadcast on BBC HD Shorts and won Best Director at Underwire Film Festival and Dawn was BAFTA long-listed.
I was selected for the 2018 BAFTA x Crew Talent Development Programme for directing and have also mentored for the BAFTA/BFI Film Academy Alumni Programme.
SELECT AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS:2022 NATIONAL FILM AWARDS, UK - (NOMINATION) BEST THRILLER (ZEBRA GIRL)
2022 MOONWALKER FEATURE (NOMINATION), NÒT FILM FEST, Italy (ZEBRA GIRL)
2022 WINNER - BEST CULT FILM, PORTLAND FILM FESTIVAL, USA (ZEBRA GIRL)
2022 BEYOND THE CURVE, Paris, France - WINNER: Best Women's Film, Best Actress (Jade Anouka) NOMINATION: Best Feature, Best Director (ZEBRA GIRL)
2022 WINNER – MIDNIGHT MOVIE - PORTLAND FILM FESTIVAL, PORTLAND, OREGON, USA (ZEBRA GIRL)
2022 A NIGHT OF HORROR FILM FESTIVAL, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 2022 - CLOSING NIGHT FILM (ZEBRA GIRL)
2022 SHOCKFEST FILM FESTIVAL, USA 2022 - BEST CULT FILM (NOMINATION) (ZEBRA GIRL)
2021 BEING KEEGAN – CHANNEL 5/MY 5
2018/19 BAFTA x CREW Talent Development Programme (DIRECTOR)
2018 JOHN BRABOURNE AWARD (IN OUR BLOOD)
2018 BEST DIRECTOR (Nomination), UNDERWIRE FILM FEST (BEING KEEGAN)
2018 WINNER - BEST SHORT DRAMA + BEST ACTOR, INT’L FILM FESTIVAL WALES (BEING KEEGAN)
2018 WINNER - BEST SHORT DRAMA, SMHAF (BEING KEEGAN)
2017/18 CREATIVE ENGLAND/BFI TALENT DEVELOPMENT FUND + EIFF + GALWAY FILM MARKET (IN OUR BLOOD)
2017 BEV/BFI FILMONOMICS PROGRAMME (IN OUR BLOOD)
2017 PIA PRESSURE NEW VOICES AWARD (BEING KEEGAN)
2016 SHORE SCRIPTS SEMI-FINALIST (IN OUR BLOOD)
2014 BAFTA LONG LIST, (DAWN)
2012 BBC BROADCAST (MARIGOLDS)
2010 WINNER - BEST DIRECTOR, UNDERWIRE, BEST SCREENPLAY NOMINATION (MARIGOLDS)
2010 BRANCHAGE DIRECTOR’S LAB with mentors Kate Leys, Rebecca Mark Lawson and Paul Welsh
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