Francis wrote and directed the hugely successful debut feature film God’s Own Country. Francis’ second feature film, Ammonite, starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, funded by BBC Films and BFI, was selected in Official Competition at Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival and premiered at Toronto International Film Festival before its worldwide release to critical acclaim.
Francis Lee is a film maker.
Francis was brought up on a farm on the Pennine Hills in Yorkshire. After an acting career and unable to afford film school, Francis self financed three short films – The Farmer’s Wife, Bradford Halifax London, The Last Smallholder – which he wrote and directed. All three films went onto screen at international film festivals winning many awards.
Francis’ first feature film, God’s Own Country, was developed and funded by BFI and Creative England and premiered at Sundance Film Festival where he was awarded Best Director. God’s Own Country had its European premiere at Berlin International Film Festival with sell out screenings and winning Best Queer Film. God’s Own Country went on to theatrical distribution world wide winning countless international awards including Best Film, Best Debut Screenwriter, Best Actor British Independent Film Awards, Best Film, Best Actor Empire Magazine Awards, Best Film Evening Standard Film Awards, Michael Powell Award for Best British Film, Breakthrough British Filmmaker of the Year London Critics Circle Film Awards and a nomination for the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film. God’s Own Country was the most successful British debut film, both critically and box office, for 2017.
Following the huge critical and box office success of God’s Own Country, Francis’ second feature film, Ammonite, starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, funded by BBC Films and BFI, was selected in Official Competition at Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival and premiered at Toronto International Film Festival before its worldwide release in 2020/21. Ammonite garnered many international awards including a BAFTA nomination as well as being a huge critical success.
Francis is a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit, the Patron of Hyde Park Picture House, a Fellow of Rose Bruford College and was the inaugural recipient of the Queer Visionary Award.