Directors

Andrea Arnold

Arnold was born in Dartford, Kent, England, the eldest of four children. She was born when her mother was only 16 years old and her father was 17, and they separated when she was very young. Her mother had to bring up all four children alone, which is reminiscent of Arnold's own directorial debut short, Wasp. Arnold left high school when she was 16, when she was drawn to becoming an actress. When Arnold was 18 years old she began working as a host and actress for a children's TV show called No. 73. She worked in TV for the next 10 years, while continually writing on the side. Arnold realized she could turn her stories into films, so she studied at the American Film Institute of Los Angeles where she gained experience in the film industry. After finishing school and returning to Britain she had her daughter, Coral and began making short films for TV.


After her first three shorts, Milk, Dog, and, Wasp, she went on to direct her first feature Red Road in 2006 which premiered at Cannes Film Festival, and competed for the Palme D’or, and ended up winning the Jury Prize. After that she directed Fish Tank in 2009, which also premiered at Cannes Film Festival, also competing for the Palme D’or and also ended up winning the Jury Prize. Her next film Wuthering Heights, based on Emily Brontë’s 1947 novel, premiered in 2011 at the Venice Film Festival. Her most recent film, American Honey premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, once again competing for the Palme D’or, and earning her her third Jury Prize.


Most recently, she just finished directing all seven episodes of the second season of the HBO Big Little Lies.