Sean McAllister | Filmmaker | UK

Sean McAllister, a 1993 graduate of the National Film and Television School, is an acclaimed documentary filmmaker known for his candid, immersive storytelling. His films for BBC and Channel 4 capture the resilience of ordinary people navigating political and personal struggles.

Far from a passive observer, McAllister embraces a vérité approach, actively engaging with his subjects to provoke raw, unexpected insights. His work includes the Sundance Jury Prize-winning The Liberace of Baghdad (2004), Japan: A Story of Love and Hate (2008), the Sheffield Jury Prize-winning The Reluctant Revolutionary, and the BAFTA-nominated A Syrian Love Story (2015). His latest, A Northern Soul (2018), continues to captivate audiences.

Beyond filmmaking, McAllister directed the opening ceremony of Hull’s 2017 City of Culture, drawing record-breaking crowds.