DEBS PATERSON

BIO


Debs is a narrative director & screenwriter in film & TV.

She recently lead the critically celebrated HALO s2 (101/102) for Amblin/Showtime/Paramount+ after episodes of LucasFilm and Disney's WILLOW series (103/104) and the finale block of Netflix and Imaginarium's HALF BAD: THE BASTARD SON & THE DEVIL HIMSELF (107/108).

Her directing work ranges from family-friendly theatrical feature AFRICA UNITED (Pathé/BBC Films) to the action-heavy SKY/CINEMAX HBO headliner STRIKE BACK - where she was the first female director in 6 seasons.

Her work has played to festival acclaim globally, and in 2018 she was invited by JJ Abrams and Kathy Kennedy to document the making of STAR WARS EPISODE IX. The resulting feature doc THE SKYWALKER LEGACY released to lovely lockdown reports in March 2020 - including an honorary mention alongside TENET, MANK and PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN on Slash Film's best of 2020 list.

Debs' first dramatic feature AFRICA UNITED had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and European premiere as a red carpet London Film Festival gala, receiving standing ovations at both before releasing theatrically worldwide.

AFRICA UNITED earned Debs a best debut director BIFA nomination and recognition as a BAFTA ‘Brit to Watch’. Debs collaborated with BAFTA to create ELEVATE - an initiative to facilitate diversity hiring in high end TV in the UK, which is now in its fifth cohort. Her commercial work includes brand launch music videos for NIKE's The Girl Effect in Rwanda and Malawi, and for COCA COLA in Indonesia. She has served on juries for the BAFTA Awards, Royal Television Society, Women In Film & TV and the DGA. Debs holds a Masters in Literature from Cambridge University and a diploma in Meisner technique from the Cuba Film & Television School.

Debs is a member of BAFTA, the DGA and Directors UK. She is represented by Ellen Jones & Wilhelmina Ross at CAA and her manager is Geoff Shaevitz at Entertainment 360.