Lucy Forbes

Lucy Forbes is known for her bold visual style, distinctive comedic sensibility and emotionally intelligent storytelling. With a 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 singular approach, blending empathy and sharp humour 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, extending Libresse’s legacy of impactful short films and sweeping the international awards circuit with top honours at the British Arrows, D&AD, AICP and CICLOPE. Other notable commercial work includes “Sweet Suspicion” for Waitrose, a cinematic holiday whodunnit with an all-star cast led by Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen and featuring some of prestige TV’s finest, including 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 Forbes the title of Director of the Year. She also received the Frank Budgen Director of the Year award at the British Arrows, cementing her reputation as a standout talent.

Forbes’s success in commercials runs parallel to an equally accomplished body of work in television. Her breakout series In My Skin for BBC3 earned three BAFTA Cymru awards for its darkly comedic take on coming-of-age. The End of the F**ing World season two for Channel 4 and Netflix, garnered a BAFTA for Best Drama Series, while This Is Going to Hurt, based on Adam Kay’s acclaimed memoir, premiered on BBC2 to widespread acclaim. Eric, a gripping thriller set in 1980s New York and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, further showcased her ability to craft layered, emotionally resonant narratives with striking period authenticity, becoming a Netflix Top 10 hit upon its release. She is currently directing the Harry Potter series for HBO, a major franchise revival within one of the most globally recognised IPs in entertainment. 

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