Seven Emerging Directors
7 Amazing Films: The Novice, His House, Pleasure +
It’s officially a new year, and we couldn’t be more excited to see what film projects come our way. Every year, with that in mind, brings emerging talent who establish themselves as people to watch. While times are hard, given the current state, creatives are still doing what they do best, being creative. And we have a whole litany of exciting new projects from established and emerging talent. So now, let’s take a look at six up-and-coming directors who had major breakout pictures over the last year.
Emma Seligman
This Canadian director and screenwriter impressed critics and audiences alike with her debut feature Shiva Baby. The anxiety-comedy, which premiered at SXSW, follows a young, bisexual Jewish woman forced to confront her sugar daddy, his wife, and her ex-girlfriend while at a shiva. Seligman has not announced any new projects yet, but we can’t wait for whatever she does next.
Remi Weekes
Weekes made his feature film directorial debut with the Netflix horror movie His House. It follows a refugee couple from South Sudan who finds evil lurking in their new home in England. For His House, Weekes won the BAFTA award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer. Like Seligman, Weekes does not currently have another project lined up, but we’re sure whatever he does will be unique.
Natalie Erika James
After directing several short films, James made her feature film directorial debut with the horror film Relic, which followed three generations of women in one family haunted by the physical manifestations of the grandmother’s dementia. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and garnered rave reviews. James is now slated to direct the psychological thriller Apartment 7A for Paramount Players.
Rose Glass
Like James, Glass started making many short films before she made her feature film directorial debut with the horror movie Saint Maud. The film follows hospice nurse, and religious zealot Maud, who becomes obsessed with one of her patients, and is convinced she must save the other woman’s soul. Saint Maud premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was distributed by A24. No word on what’s next for Glass.
Ninja Thyberg
This Swedish director made her feature film directorial debut with the pornography drama Pleasure. It follows a young Swedish woman who moves to Los Angeles to become the next big porn star. The film premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and played at Cannes. Like Saint Maud, it was distributed by A24. Thyberg has now been tapped to direct a remake of 1987’s The Witches of Eastwick for Warner Bros.
Sian Heder
Heder made her feature film directorial debut back in 2016 with the Elliot Page, Alison Janney drama Tallulah. Still, it’s her sophomore feature, CODA, that has placed her on the map. CODA premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was bought by Apple TV+ for a whopping 25 million dollars. The film follows the hearing daughter of deaf parents who must decide between staying home or following her dreams.
Lauren Hadaway
Hadaway has spent years working in the sound department on film sets, but she just made her feature film directorial debut this past year with the dramatic thriller The Novice. The film follows a college freshman who joins her college rowing team and begins to obsessively push herself to extremes to outperform her teammates. The Novice premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival where it won the Best U.S. Narrative Feature Film.
