Harry Lighton

Harry Lighton
Lighton in 2025
Born (1992-10-20) 20 October 1992 (age 33)
Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK
Alma materUniversity of Oxford
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Years active2016–present

Harry Lighton (born 20 October 1992) is a British 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, UK, 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]

He was educated at Eton College, representing the school in the ISFA Cup Final in 2011.[5]

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,[6] and a British Independent Film Award nomination for Best British Short Film at the British Independent Film Awards 2017.[7]

His feature film debut, Pillion,[8] premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival,[9] where it won the award for Best Screenplay.[10] The film was also screened at the 2025 BFI London Film Festival.[11]

"50 Shades of BDSM, Wallace & Gromit" was how The Guardian headlined its review of the film.[12] The director commented in an interview with the German site "queer.de": "I’m thrilled—that’s the most beautiful comparison anyone has ever made. I grew up with Wallace & Gromit, and part of our humor in Pillion is definitely inspired by it. So, for me, that comparison feels very spot on."[13]

Personal life

Lighton describes his sexual orientation as gay.[14] He lives in London.[15]

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 [16][17]
UK Film Festival 26 November 2017 Best British Short Film Won [18]
British Independent Film Awards 10 December 2017 Best British Short Film Nominated [16][7][19]
Flickerfest International Short Film Festival 21 January 2018 Best International Short Film Nominated [16][17]
Sundance Film Festival 27 January 2018 Short Film Grand Jury Prize Nominated [16][17][19][20]
British Academy Film Awards 18 February 2018 Best Short Film Nominated [16][19][20][6]
Hong Kong International Film Festival 5 April 2018 Golden Firebird Award Nominated [16]
ÉCU European Independent Film Festival 6 May 2018 Best European Independent Dramatic Short Won [16][21]
Provincetown International Film Festival 17 June 2018 Best Narrative Short Won [16][22]
Fire!! Gay and Lesbian International Film Show [ca] 17 June 2018 Best Short Won [16]
Galway Film Fleadh 15 July 2018 Tiernan McBride Award for Best Fiction Short Won [16][23]
Show Me Shorts 7 October 2018 Best International Film Won [20][24][16]
Cannes Film Festival 23 May 2025 Un Certain Regard Award Pillion Nominated [25]
Un Certain Regard – Best Screenplay Won [26]
Caméra d'Or Nominated [25]
Queer Palm Nominated [27]
British Independent Film Awards 30 November 2025 Best British Independent Film Won [28]
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 [29]
Palm Springs International Film Festival 12 January 2026 Variety's 10 Directors to Watch Won [30]
London Film Critics Circle Awards 1 February 2026 Philip French Award for Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker of the Year Won [31]
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 [32]
British Academy of Film Awards 27 February 2026 Outstanding British Film Nominated [33]
Outstanding British Debut Nominated
Adapted Screenplay Nominated
Dorian Awards 3 March 2026 LGBTQ Film of the Year Won [34]
LGBTQ Screenplay of the Year Nominated

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. ^ "Boodles ISFA Cup Final". Eton College. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  6. ^ a b Fletcher, Rosie (18 February 2018). "BAFTA Film Awards 2018 winners list in full". Digital Spy. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  7. ^ a b Grater, Tom (1 November 2017). "'Lady Macbeth' leads 2017 BIFAs with 15 nominations"". Screen Daily. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ Barber, Nicholas. "Playing a motorbike-riding dominant in gay BDSM relationship drama 'Pillion', Alexander Skarsgard is enjoying the ride". Screen. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  12. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (18 May 2025). "Pillion review – 50 shades of BDSM Wallace and Gromit in brilliant Bromley biker romance". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  13. ^ Oßwald, Dieter. "Wie kommt der "Legend of Tarzan"-Held in Ihre schwule RomCom, Harry Lighton?". queer.de (in German). Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ "Harry Lighton | Sayle Screen". saylescreen.com. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Wren Boys, Directed by Harry Lighton". Try Hard Films. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  17. ^ a b c "Harry Lighton". South by Southwest. 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  18. ^ "2017 Awards". UK Film Festival. 13 April 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ "ÉCU 2018 Winners". ÉCU The European Independent Film Festival. April 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  22. ^ "Provincetown International Film Festival Announces 2018 Winners" (Press release). Provincetown International Film Festival. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  23. ^ "Previous Award Winners". Galway Film Fleadh. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  24. ^ "Winners Announced for Show Me Shorts Film Festival 2018". Scoop.co.nz. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  25. ^ a b "The films of the Official Selection 2025". Festival de Cannes. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ Queer Palm (9 May 2025). "Selection Queer Palm 2025 2/5". Instagram.
  28. ^ 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.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^ Ntim, Zac (15 December 2025). "One Battle After Another Leads London Critics' Circle Film Awards Nominations – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  32. ^ "78th Annual DGA Awards Nominees". Directors Guild of America Awards. 8 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  33. ^ "Longlists: 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards". Bafta. 9 January 2026. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  34. ^ Tapp, Tom (14 January 2026). "One Battle Leads 2026 Dorian Awards Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 25 January 2026.

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