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Orla Smith headshot square.jpg

Hi.

I'm Orla, a filmmaker and writer based in London

 

I direct, write, edit, and produce films. I struggle to articulate what kinds of films I'm interested in making, other than that I want to get deep into character psychology. That can takes many forms, including fiction, documentary, and a hybrid of the two (which most films are, anyway).

I was the Executive Editor of film journal Seventh Row for five years, and I still occasionally write about film. I've written for The Film Stage, Little White Lies, Roger Ebert, Cinema Year Zero, Girls on Tops, The Spool, and more. I've co-edited several books about film, including studies on the work of Kelly Reichardt and Céline Sciamma; and collections on creative nonfiction and "feminist horror".

Career highlights include giving a talk about female monsters at the 2020 Final Girls Berlin Film Festival (it was in February so I actually got to be there in flesh and blood!) and moderating a Q&A with Mike Leigh.

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