Harry Lighton (born 20 October 1992) is a British filmmaker. His feature directorial debut, Pillion, premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and won two British Independent Film Awards and a Gotham Independent Film Awards.
Early life and education Lighton was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK, on 20 October 1992. He is the son of Sir Thomas Hamilton Lighton of the Lighton baronetcy. Lighton has a twin brother.
He was educated at Eton College, representing the school in the ISFA Cup Final in 2011.
Lighton has an English literature degree from the University of Oxford.
Career Lighton began making short films whilst studying English literature at the University of Oxford. His most noted short film, Wren Boys (2017), received a British Academy Film Award nomination for Best Short Film at the 71st British Academy Film Awards, and a British Independent Film Award nomination for Best British Short Film at the British Independent Film Awards 2017.
His feature film debut, Pillion, premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Screenplay. The film was also screened at the 2025 BFI London Film Festival.
"50 Shades of BDSM, Wallace & Gromit" was how The Guardian headlined its review of the film. The director commented in an interview with the German site "queer.de": "I’m thrilled—that’s the most beautiful comparison anyone has ever made. I grew up with Wallace & Gromit, and part of our humor in Pillion is definitely inspired by it. So, for me, that comparison feels very spot on."
Personal life Lighton describes his sexual orientation as gay. He lives in London.
Filmography Year Title Notes2016 Knitlab: XY Short film Sunday Morning Coming Down2017 Look at Me Wren Boys 2018 Leash 2019Pompeii 2025Pillion Feature film
Awards and nominations Award / Festival Date of ceremony Category Work Result BFI London Film Festival 15 October 2017 Best Short Film Wren Boys UK Film Festival26 November 2017Best British Short Film British Independent Film Awards 10 December 2017 Best British Short Film Flickerfest International Short Film Festival 21 January 2018 Best International Short Film Sundance Film Festival 27 January 2018 Short Film Grand Jury Prize British Academy Film Awards 18 February 2018 Best Short Film Hong Kong International Film Festival 5 April 2018 Golden Firebird Award ÉCU European Independent Film Festival 6 May 2018 Best European Independent Dramatic Short Provincetown International Film Festival 17 June 2018 Best Narrative Short 17 June 2018 Best Short Galway Film Fleadh 15 July 2018 Tiernan McBride Award for Best Fiction Short Show Me Shorts 7 October 2018 Best International Film Cannes Film Festival 23 May 2025 Award Pillion – Best Screenplay Queer Palm British Independent Film Awards 30 November 2025 Best British Independent Film Best Director Best Screenplay Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director Best Debut Screenwriter Gotham Independent Film Awards 1 December 2025 Best Adapted Screenplay Palm Springs International Film Festival 12 January 2026 Variety 10 Directors to Watch London Film Critics Circle Awards 1 February 2026 Philip French Award for Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker of the Year Attenborough Award for British/Irish Film of the Year Directors Guild of America Awards 7 February 2026 Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Feature Debut British Academy of Film Awards27 February 2026Outstanding British Film Outstanding British DebutAdapted Screenplay Dorian Awards 3 March 2026 LGBTQ Film of the Year LGBTQ Screenplay of the Year
See also List of British film directors
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