Runyararo Mapfumo
Film, TV & Theatre
Runyararo Mapfumo was nominated for the 2022 BAFTA emerging talent (fiction) award for her work on Sex Education, Season 3. She was named a 2022 'Star of Tomorrow' by Screen Daily and a 2022 BAFTA Breakthrough writer/director.
Runyararo is a UK based Writer/Director. She directed the second block of Netflix’s hit tv series, SEX EDUCATION S3 and is currently directing the second block of KAOS, an upcoming mythological dark-comedy television series created by Charlie Covell for Netflix.
Runyararo has made an array of shorts. Her documentary WHAT’S IN A NAME? was part of The Uncertain Kingdom, a short film initiative aiming to provide a portrait of contemporary UK. Prior to this, she wrote and directed a BBC & Google Arts commissioned short, SENSATIONAL SIMMY which was released and broadcast on BBC & BBC iPlayer.
Runyararo’s short film DAWN IN THE DARK was backed and funded by BFI & BBC Film. It debuted at the BFI London Film Festival, and has since picked up multiple selections and nominations for best director at the BAFTA qualifying festival, Underwire.
In addition, her short film, MASTERPIECE, also had a very successful festival run, having similarly premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in 2017. Runyararo is currently developing her debut feature film.
In Development
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
SONNY AND HER FLOWERS 2022 | Lammas Park Productions / DessyMak Productions | Feature Film |
DARKNESS DESCENDS | DessyMak Productions / Film4 | Feature Film |
Television
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
KAOS 2023 | Sister Pictures / Netflix | Director, Block 2 |
SEX EDUCATION S3 2021 | Eleven Film / Netflix | Director, Block 2 - Episodes 4, 6, 7 & 8 |
Short Films
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
WHAT'S IN A NAME? 2019 | The Uncertain Kingdom | Director / Distribution by Verve |
SENSATIONAL SIMMY! 2019 | BBC / Google Arts / DessyMak Productions | Writer, Director / Released on BBC Arts / Broadcast on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer |
DAWN IN THE DARK 2019 | BFI Network, BBC Films, DessyMak Productions | Writer, Director / Official Selection Berlin Film Festival, British Shorts (2020) / Official Selection BFI London Film Festival (2019) / Official Selection Underwire Festival (2019) / Nomination Directing Underwire Festival (2019) / Aesthetica Film Festival (2019) (as part of the Bounce Cinema showcase) / Bolton Film Festival (2020) / British Shorts 2020 / Norwich Film Festival 2020 / Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival (2020) / San Francisco Black Film Festival (2020) / Watershed New Voices Shorts Programme (2020) / The Shortest Nights (2020) / Pan African Film Festival (2021) / S.O.U.L Fest (2021) |
MASTERPIECE 2017 | DessyMak Productions | Writer, Director / Official Selection London Comedy Film Festival (2019) / Official Selection Kerry Film Festival (2018) / Official Selection Washington West Film Festival (2018) / Official Selection Exit 6 Film Festival (2018) / Official Selection Aesthetica Film Festival (2018) / Official Selection Gig Harbour Film Festival (2018) / Official Selection Soul Film UK (2018) / Official Selection For Films Sake Festival (2018) / Official Selection Twister Alley Film Festival (2018) / Official Selection Fast Net Film Festival (2018) / Official Selection WAMM Festival (2018) / Official Selection BFI Future Film Festival (2018) / Nomination Best Short Film Award - BFI Future Film Festival (2018) / Official Selection UKIFF Film Festival (2018) / Official Selection Berlin Film Festival, British Shorts (2018) / Official Selection London Short Film Festival (2017) / Official Selection Shuffle Festival (2017) / Official Selection Underwire Festival (2017) / Nomination Under 25 Award Directing - Underwire Festival (2017) / Official Selection Shuffle Festival (2017) / BFI Network - Pick of the Month |
THE TIME IS NOW 2015 | BFI / o2 Go Think Big | Director / Released by o2 Go Think Big |
REVELATION 2013 | DessyMak Productions | Writer, Director, Producer / Official Selection London Short Film Festival (2013) / Official Selection Underwire Festival (2013) |