Looking back at this short, is there any scene you wish you’d shot differently?

 

I don’t think so. If anything, the tougher choices came later in post-production, deciding what to keep and what to drop. Our first edit was around 25 minutes, so we ended up cutting about 10 minutes of footage to make it easier to programme for festivals. Most of what we lost was conversational. A bit more background on Mary, a few extra beats,  a bit more dancing. But overall, I think we kept what was needed to really honour the story and the characters. Maybe one day we’ll do a director’s cut.

 

What is the message you wanted to say with The Mediator and do you think you achieved that?

 

I wanted to show that even when people start off distant or hostile, real human connection is possible if we’re open to it. Working with Joel as a consultant helped make those moments feel authentic. From the audience reactions so far, I think we’ve managed to capture that, and make something relatable.

 

When working on a short film like The Mediator how essential is the creative collaboration between you as writer/director, your actors, and your wider creative team?

 

I think every part of the production process is inherently collaborative. When I finish writing, there are usually just a handful of people I trust to give honest feedback. Once the script is signed off, it goes to the actors, who shape it even further. Their input often opens up possibilities I hadn’t considered. I usually have an idea of who I want to work with and how I want to shoot it, but that can change once we’re on set. With The Mediator, it was the first time I worked with most of the crew, and I loved the collaborative process, it felt really creative and energising, particularly the dance scene. I can only hope my feature in development is as smooth!

 

Where did your passion for filmmaking come from?

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It came from a combination of things. I grew up an avid reader.  Reading books by R.L. Stine was a big part of my childhood. And I had a childminder in Lewisham, where I grew up, who introduced me to lots of classic films, or maybe just wanted to keep me quiet! She showed me movies like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Back to the Future, and West Side Story, which remain some of my early favourites. I still get nostalgic whenever I watch them now.

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It wasn’t until college that I started formally studying film, and that’s when I became a fan of Alfred Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard. I must have watched Rear Window, Breathless, and Le Mépris hundreds of times. I’ve always been drawn to stories, but also to the idea of telling them visually.

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What have been the most significant changes to your style and approach to your films since your debut short?

My first short was actually a comedy, partly, I think, to spite a course leader, who said you should never write a comedy unless you’re a comedian! I liked the challenge. Over time, I found my feet writing character-driven dramas, often focused on dysfunctional family dynamics.

There’s also been a huge change in the kit I work with, from whatever I could get my hands on for my first film to modern cinema cameras and experienced cast and crew now. It feels like a natural progression, and it’s allowed me to focus more on the story and performances rather than just the technical side.

Falling from that as a filmmaker, what have you learnt about yourself and the stories you want to tell whilst on your filmmaking journey?

 

I’ve been lucky to have some amazing mentors. One of them, Marc Boothe, told me that the best stories often come from a filmmaker’s personal experiences. Even if my films aren’t strictly autobiographical, I do draw inspiration from my own life. For example, Class 15 came from a difficult parents’ evening, and The Mediator was inspired by feelings of isolation and the search for connection during lockdown.

 

I’m also inspired by films like Past Lives and Roma, which show how drawing from personal experiences can make stories feel intimate, yet universal. Through filmmaking, I’ve learned that I’m drawn to stories about human relationships, family and quiet, personal moments, and I try to tell the stories I feel most connected to.

 

When you made your short Jasper, which gained several nominations when it was released, did you know you’d want to expand this into a feature?

 

When I made Jasper, I don’t think I realised straight away that it could become a feature, but it’s one of those stories that stayed with me. To be honest, every short I’ve made since, including The Mediator has had the potential to grow into something bigger. With The Mediator, for example, there’s a lot of Mary’s backstory that didn’t make it into the short, which could easily be explored in a feature or even a series.

 

But Jasper always stood out because I really loved that character. I did some early-stage development on it with the BFI Network, and it’s still a project that’s developing, so we’ll see where it goes.

 

What themes are you hoping to explore with future films?

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In terms of themes, I’m still very interested in exploring human relationships, dysfunctional family and connection. How people interact, the tensions, the misunderstandings, and the moments of real intimacy that emerge. Features take time to develop, so there might still be room for another short; I actually have a proof-of-concept script ready and an idea for another connection-focused story. In my mind, it could form a sort of trilogy with Class 15 and The Mediator. But I’ve been working in short form for a while now, and I feel ready to focus on features.

"Just get the ball rolling, and often, you’ll be surprised at the doors that open, the people that are open to getting involved, and the miracles that start to happen."

s there any advice you wish you had been given before you started out?

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My advice would be: don’t wait. Seriously, don’t wait. If you don’t get the production grant or opportunity you were hoping for, find another way to make it happen. Just get the ball rolling, and often, you’ll be surprised at the doors that open, the people that are open to getting involved, and the miracles that start to happen.

Do you have a favourite filmmaker quote?

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One of my favourite filmmaker quotes is from Alfred Hitchcock, who said, ‘To make a great film you need three things — the script, the script, and the script.’ I think that’s true. You can have amazing visuals and performances, but if the story doesn’t connect, the audience won’t either. For me, it always begins and ends with the writing.

And finally, if your audiences could take away one message from The Mediator what would you like that message to be?

That human connection is possible even in the most unexpected or difficult circumstances. The film is about how we can move past hostility, misunderstanding, or isolation to really see and understand one another, and I hope it leaves people thinking about the ways they connect with those around them.