| David L. Williams | |
|---|---|
David L. Williams with Helen Baxendale at Beyond the Pole premiere |
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| Occupation | Film director, writer, and producer |
| Nationality | Dual national American and British |
| Genres | Drama, Comedy, Documentary |
| Partner(s) | Helen Baxendale |
David L Williams [1] is a dual national British and American film director, writer and producer living in London. An active film campaigner in Rwanda (Genocide)[2][3] and Liberia (Deforestation) his commercial work with UK production house Shooting Pictures[4] has led to collaborations with many of the UK's leading comedians including Dom Joly, Russell Brand, and Alistair McGowan. His debut cinema feature, the arctic comedy Beyond the Pole,[5] was his first attempt to fuse comedy with his campaigning work[6] and was supported by Friends of the Earth,[7] with the director of the organisation, Andy Atkins, making a guest appearance on the DVD extras. In November 2010 David collaborated with members of The Fast Show team to campaign for the Sustainable Livestock Bill, legislation designed to protect the Amazonian rainforest and support more local, planet friendly farming.[8]
David began his career as an actor, working regularly with theatre director Matthew Lloyd including acclaimed productions at the Almeida Theatre, Leicester Haymarket and Glasgow Citizens Theatre where he met his partner, Helen Baxendale. Television and film roles included playing opposite Michael Elphick, and Tom Hollander in the BBC's "Harry", and a lead for two series in Russell T Davies BAFTA winning, "The Ward".
Moving behind the camera David founded Shooting Pictures in 2000 with his partner Helen Baxendale, and has since led more than a 100 shoots across 5 continents. His television comedy, Flyfishing, starring Frances Barber and Kate Ashfield, has sold to over 30 countries and regularly plays in the UK on SKY.
In 2009 David directed, produced and co-wrote the multi-award winning arctic comedy, Beyond the Pole, for Shooting Pictures. Premiering in the Best of British strand at the Glasgow International Film Festival, Beyond the Pole went on to win 9 awards on the festival circuit in America and Europe,[9] before its UK cinema release. Its UK TV premiere made pick of the day in both The Times and The Guardian. Starring Stephen Mangan (Green Wing); Rhys Thomas (Bellamy's People); Mark Benton; Rosie Cavaliero; and Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood, Generation Kill) Beyond the Pole was shot on floating sea ice off the coast of Greenland and is the story of two friends who attempt to become the first Carbon Neutral, Vegetarian, Organic expedition to the North Pole. A comedy road movie,[10] the boys soon find themselves up against a pair of cocky gay (Olympic) Norwegians in a deadly race to the Pole.