Claire Oakley
{{Short description|British film director and screenwriter (born 1985)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name =
| image = Make Up - IFFR 2020 (2).jpg
| birth_place = London, England
| nationality = British
| alma_mater = University of Edinburgh
| occupation = Film Director, Screenwriter
| years_active = 2011–present
| website = {{URL|www.claireoakley.com}}
}}
Claire Oakley (born 1985){{cite web|access-date=2022-11-19|title=Claire Oakley|url=https://dafilmfestival.com/en/director/claire-oakley/|website=D'A}} is a British film director and screenwriter. She began her career directing multiple short films, including Tracks (2014) and Physics (2012) before writing and directing her first feature film Make Up (2019).{{Cite news |last=Bradshaw |first=Peter |date=2020-07-30 |title=Make Up review – wintry chills in a spooky seaside thriller |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jul/30/make-up-review-claire-oakley-molly-windsor |access-date=2023-11-18 |issn=0261-3077}}
Early life and education
Oakley was raised in Hammersmith, West London and later studied English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, where she first developed an interest in film.{{Cite news|title=New film-maker Claire Oakley on desire and storytelling|url=https://www.ft.com/content/2b89f591-6337-42c5-80d0-ea1f586b6532|access-date=2021-06-01|newspaper=Financial Times|date=17 July 2020|last1=Jacobs|first1=Emma}}
Career
Her career began as a script reader working at various companies, including BBC Films and the BFI, before writing and directing her first short film Beautiful Enough (2010).{{Cite web|date=2015-11-17|title=Catching Up with Underwire Alumni: Claire Oakley|url=http://www.underwirefestival.com/catching-up-with-underwire-alumni-claire-oakley/|access-date=2021-06-01|website=Underwire Festival|language=en-US}} She subsequently directed four more short films.
Her first feature film Make Up was released in 2020{{Cite news |last=Bugbee |first=Teo |date=2020-11-12 |title='Make Up' Review: Self-Discovery, an Adolescent Horror |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/movies/make-up-review.html |access-date=2023-11-18 |issn=0362-4331}} to critical acclaim; on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 43 critics gave the film a positive review, with Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph writing "as poetically teasing as it is psychologically precise, Make Up signals the arrival of an exciting new talent".{{Citation|title=Make Up (2019)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/make_up_2019|language=en|access-date=2021-06-01|website=Rotten Tomatoes}}{{Cite news|last=Collin|first=Robbie|date=2020-07-30|title=Make Up review: this sexy, eerie Cornish creeper is the best British film of 2020 so far|language=en-GB|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/make-review-sexy-eerie-cornish-creeper-british-film-2020-far/|access-date=2021-06-01|issn=0307-1235}}
In 2023, she made her small-screen directorial debut with three episodes of the Disney+ heist crime thriller Culprits, starring Gemma Arterton and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett.{{Cite web |last=McArdell |first=Ian |date=2023-10-26 |title=Culprits - trailer lands for the slick Disney+ post-heist thriller |url=https://cultbox.co.uk/news/culprits-first-look-images-from-disney-new-thriller-series |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=CultBox |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Phelan |first=Zehra |date=2023-10-24 |title="What are you not telling me?" Trailer drops for series 'Culprits' |url=https://www.heyuguys.com/culprits-trailer/ |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=HeyUGuys |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Paz |first=Maggie Dela |date=2023-10-23 |title=Culprits Trailer: Gemma Arterton Stars in Hulu's Crime Dark Comedy Series |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/trailers/1375622-culprits-trailer-gemma-arterton-hulu |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More |language=en-US}}
Oakley is currently working on a second feature film, adapted from the novel English Animals.
She also founded Cinesisters, an "inclusive collective of female directors" with over 175 members, aiming to support and provide resources to female filmmakers.
Personal life
Oakley lives in East London with her wife.{{Cite web|date=2020-07-16|title=Make Up director Claire Oakley: 'I was worried people might think we were making a porno'|url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jul/16/make-up-director-claire-oakley-i-was-worried-people-might-think-we-were-making-a-porno|access-date=2021-10-03|website=The Guardian|language=en}}
Filmography
Feature films
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Title ! width=65 |Director ! width=65 |Writer ! width=65 |Producer |
| 2019
|{{yes|Yes}} |{{yes|Yes}} |{{no|No}} |
Short films
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Title ! width=65 |Director ! width=65 |Writer ! width=65 |Producer |
| 2010
|Beautiful Enough |{{yes|Yes}} |{{yes|Yes}} |{{yes|Yes}} |
| 2012
|Physics |{{yes|Yes}} |{{yes|Yes}} |{{no|No}} |
| 2014
|James |{{yes|Yes}} |{{no|No}} |{{no|No}} |
| 2014
|Tracks |{{yes|Yes}} |{{yes|Yes}} |{{no|No}} |
| 2016
|Waterfall |{{no|No}} |{{no|No}} |{{yes|Yes}} |
| 2016
|Pumeza: Tuning In |{{yes|Yes}} |{{yes|Yes}} |{{no|No}} |
= Television =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title ! width=65 |Director ! width=65 |Writer ! width=65 |Producer !Notes |
| 2023
|{{yes|Yes}} |{{no|No}} |{{no|No}} |Episodes 5–7 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|www.claireoakley.com}}
- {{IMDb name|nm2819449}}
{{Authority control (arts)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oakley, Claire}}
Category:British film directors
Category:British women film directors
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh