Lucy Forbes

Lucy Forbes is celebrated for her bold visual style, distinctive comedic sensibility and emotionally intelligent storytelling. Known for her richly layered and textured approach, she consistently delivers fearless, inventive narratives rooted in deep human insight.

Her “Never Just a Period” spot for Libresse highlights this approach, masterfully blending empathy with sharp humor to tackle the confusion and stigma surrounding feminine health.

Featuring an all-female chorus and classical paintings of distressed women, the film cleverly ties contemporary issues to historical context and builds on Libresse’s legacy of impactful short films, earning numerous awards at the British Arrows, D&AD, AICP, and CICLOPE. Additional notable commercial work includes Forbes’s “Sweet Suspicion” for Waitrose, a cinematic holiday whodunnit starring an all-star cast led by Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen and featuring some of prestige TV’s finest – Fleabag’s Sian Clifford, Afterlife’s Joe Wilkinson, Sex Education’s Rakhee Thakrar, and Slow Horses’s Dustin Demri-Burns. Both films earned spots in Campaign’s Top 10 Ads of the Year and secured Lucy the title of Director of the Year. Cementing her reputation as a standout talent, Lucy also earned the coveted Frank Budgen Director of the Year award at The British Arrows.

Lucy’s success in commercials runs parallel to an equally impressive body of work in television. Eric – her gripping thriller set in 1980s New York starring Benedict Cumberbatch and an animatronic puppet in the titular role – showcases her ability to craft layered, emotionally resonant narratives with striking period authenticity. The series quickly became a Netflix Top 10 hit upon release. Prior to Eric, she directed This Is Going To Hurt, based on Adam Kay’s acclaimed memoir, which premiered on BBC2 to critical and audience acclaim.

Lucy’s early career breakthroughs further solidify her pedigree as a go-to filmmaker. In My Skin, the darkly comedic coming-of-age story for BBC3, marked her as a formidable talent, earning three BAFTA Cymru awards for Best Director, Best Drama, and Best Actress. This success led to her helming the second season of Channel 4 and Netflix’s The End of the F**ing World, which won a BAFTA for Best Drama Series. 

With a growing body of singular, award-winning work, Lucy continues to push the boundaries of visual storytelling. Her rare ability to craft inventive narratives blending deadpan humor with raw vulnerability, stylized world-building and unflinching insight into the human psyche has positioned her as one of the most compelling directors working today.