Harry Lighton

Harry Lighton
Lighton in 2025
Born (1992-10-20) 20 October 1992
Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Alma materUniversity of Oxford
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Years active2016–present

Harry Lighton (born 20 October 1992) is an English filmmaker. 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.

Early life and education

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 it won the award for Best Screenplay.[9] The film also screened at the 2025 BFI London Film Festival.[10]

Personal life

Lighton identifies as gay.[11] He lives in London.[12]

Filmography

Year Title Notes
2016 Knitlab: XY Short film
Sunday Morning Coming Down
2017 Look at Me
Wren Boys
2018 Leash
2019 Pompeii
2025 Pillion Feature film

Awards and nominations

Award / Festival Date of ceremony Category Work Result Ref.
BFI London Film Festival 15 October 2017 Best Short Film Wren Boys Nominated [13][14]
UK Film Festival 26 November 2017 Best British Short Film Won [15]
British Independent Film Awards 10 December 2017 Best British Short Film Nominated [13][6][16]
Flickerfest International Short Film Festival 21 January 2018 Best International Short Film Nominated [13][14]
Sundance Film Festival 27 January 2018 Short Film Grand Jury Prize Nominated [13][14][16][17]
British Academy Film Awards 18 February 2018 Best Short Film Nominated [13][16][17][5]
Hong Kong International Film Festival 5 April 2018 Golden Firebird Award Nominated [13]
ÉCU European Independent Film Festival 6 May 2018 Best European Independent Dramatic Short Won [13][18]
Provincetown International Film Festival 17 June 2018 Best Narrative Short Won [13][19]
Fire!! Gay and Lesbian International Film Show 17 June 2018 Best Short Won [13]
Galway Film Fleadh 15 July 2018 Tiernan McBride Award for Best Fiction Short Won [13][20]
Show Me Shorts 7 October 2018 Best International Film Won [17][21][13]
Cannes Film Festival 23 May 2025 Un Certain Regard Award Pillion Nominated [22]
Un Certain Regard – Best Screenplay Won [23]
Caméra d'Or Nominated [22]
Queer Palm Nominated [24]
British Independent Film Awards 30 November 2025 Best British Independent Film Won [25]
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 [26]
Palm Springs International Film Festival 12 January 2026 Variety's 10 Directors to Watch Won [27]
London Film Critics Circle Awards 1 February 2026 Philip French Award for Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker of the Year Won [28]
Attenborough Award for British/Irish Film of the Year Won
Directors Guild of America Awards 7 February 2026 Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Feature Debut Nominated [29]
British Academy of Film Awards 27 February 2026 Outstanding British Film Pending [30]
Outstanding British Debut Pending
Adapted Screenplay Pending
Dorian Awards 3 March 2026 LGBTQ Film of the Year Pending [31]
LGBTQ Screenplay of the Year Pending

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Fletcher, Rosie (18 February 2018). "BAFTA Film Awards 2018 winners list in full". Digital Spy. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  6. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Wren Boys, Directed by Harry Lighton". Try Hard Films. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  14. ^ a b c "Harry Lighton". South by Southwest. 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  15. ^ "2017 Awards". UK Film Festival. 13 April 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  16. ^ a b c Souza, Guilherme (20 December 2018). "Wren Boys: Irish Tradition And Masculinity Violently Clash In Short Movie". Gay Community News. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  17. ^ a b c "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.
  18. ^ "ÉCU 2018 Winners". ÉCU The European Independent Film Festival. April 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  19. ^ "Provincetown International Film Festival Announces 2018 Winners" (Press release). Provincetown International Film Festival. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  20. ^ "Previous Award Winners". Galway Film Fleadh. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  21. ^ "Winners Announced for Show Me Shorts Film Festival 2018". Scoop.co.nz. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  22. ^ a b "The films of the Official Selection 2025". Festival de Cannes. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ Queer Palm (9 May 2025). "Selection Queer Palm 2025 2/5". Instagram.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ 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.
  28. ^ Ntim, Zac (15 December 2025). "One Battle After Another Leads London Critics' Circle Film Awards Nominations – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  29. ^ "78th Annual DGA Awards Nominees". Directors Guild of America Awards. 8 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  30. ^ "Longlists: 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards". Bafta. 9 January 2026. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  31. ^ Tapp, Tom (14 January 2026). "One Battle Leads 2026 Dorian Awards Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
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