Duncan Cowles is a BAFTA Scotland winning non-fiction filmmaker and director living and working in Edinburgh, Scotland, whose left-field films are known for their heart and their humour.
The Guardian & The Times have called him “the Scottish Louis Theroux” … whilst audiences have described his work as “skew-whiff, deliciously deadpan and unexpectedly poignant”
Duncan often embeds both the filmmaking journey and himself as a filmmaker firmly within the narrative of his work. This self-aware style can lead to a playful and more honest approach to his documentaries. Duncan frequently films what and who he’s curious about.
His latest film SILENT MEN was released in UK cinemas in 2024 and listed on GQ’s ‘Best Documentaries to Watch’ list. It’s currently touring International film festivals and will be available to stream soon…
***tape rewind***
Duncan cut his documentary teeth studying filmmaking at Edinburgh College of Art 2011-2013, before working at the internationally renowned Scottish Documentary Institute 2013-2015 and then setting up as a freelancer and starting his own production company RELATIVE FILMS in 2016.
He’s made the following SHORT FILMS…
███████ (2025)
Neil Armstrong & the Langholmites (2025)
Outlets (2022)
Desire Lines (2022)
Sighscape (2022)
In the Company of Insects (2020)
Just Agree Then (2018)
Taking Stock (2017)
Alexithymia (2016)
Isabella (2016)
Directed by Tweedie (2015)
Radio Silence (2014)
The Lady with the Lamp (2012)
All of these shorts screened at FILM FESTIVALS across the UK and internationally, including many A-list festivals such as BFI London Film Fest and Edinburgh International Film Festival.
These short films have won Duncan a selection of AWARDS including a BAFTA Scotland Award. He’s also had some nominations like being three times shortlisted for a London Critics Circle Award for Best British Short Film in 2016, 2017 and 2024. (Check out a list of awards and festivals below.)
Duncan created a six episode TV docu-series SCARY ADULT THINGS for BBC Scotland in 2021…
His first theatrical feature doc SILENT MEN supported by Screen Scotland & The Whickers was released in UK cinemas in 2024, and is being distributed by Dutch-based sales agent Film Harbour.
Duncan has directed x22 DUNCAN & DUNCAN short films for the acclaimed BBC TV show A View from the Terrace…
TED once commissioned him to make a film to be shown at their annual conference called IT’S NOT AMAZING ENOUGH, and one year he was asked to make THE ULTIMATE XMAS ADVERT by Adobe and It’s Nice That. He’s also created two pieces of radio for Josie Long’s BBC Radio 4 podcast Short Cuts called GET PIERCED and THE AWKWARD GOODBYE.
Duncan likes a creative challenge. Whether that’s working with UK charities and brands such as MAGGIE’S to create impactful documentaries, or being commissioned by the likes of CHANNEL 4, BBC, STV, BBC RADIO 4, TED, ADOBE, RED BULL to direct his own unique brand of content.
Duncan welcomes collaboration, whether you are looking for a reliable self-shooter / editor for a project (see EDINBURGH FILMMAKER), want to develop or commission something unique, or have an idea you’d like to discuss…
Get in touch with him here:
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PS. He also teaches WORKSHOPS and mentors new filmmakers if you’re looking for that sort of thing…
PPS. Yes, despite being written in 3rd person to seem professional, this was indeed written by me… Duncan. The world is ridiculous, isn’t it?
Award Highlights
- Winner – BAFTA Scotland Award, Best Short Film 2016
- Winner – Royal Television Society Scotland Award 2018
- Winner – Scottish Short Film Award – Glasgow Short Film Festival 2016
- Winner – Scottish Short Film Award – Glasgow Short Film Festival 2015
- Winner – BFI Best UK Short Film & RAW Award 2016
- Winner – Audience Award Deframed Competition, Hamburg International Short Film Festival 2016
- Winner – Vienna Shorts Two Month Artist Residency 2017 with Q21 & MuseumsQuartier
- Winner – Best UK Short, Open City Documentary Festival 2017
- Winner – Audience Award, Kyiv International Short Film Festival 2018
- Winner – Audience Award, Szczecin European Film Festival
- Winner – Best Documentary Award, The Smalls Film Festival 2022
- Winner – Best Feature Documentary, Scottish Mental Health & Arts Festival 2024
- Winner – Audience Award, Flatpack Film Festival 2023
- Winner – Best Editing, Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2023
- Winner – Frēsh18 Carbon Award
- Honourable Mention – International First Features Competition – Sheffield Doc/Fest 2024
- Honourable Mention – Best International Short Film – Norwegian Short Film Festival 2019
- Nominated – London Critics Circle Award – Best British Short Film 2024
- Nominated – London Critics Circle Award – Best British Short Film 2017
- Nominated – London Critics Circle Award – Best British Short Film 2016
- Nominated – IPSE Freelance Project of the Year 2019
- Nominated – BAFTA Scotland New Talent 2014: Best Factual
- Nominated – Royal Television Society Scotland Student Best Factual 2013
- Nominated – Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show Audience Award 2013
- Nominated – Channel 4 Award for Innovation in Storytelling
- Nominated – Best UK Short, Open City Documentary Festival 2016
- Nominated – Best Documentary, LSFF 2016
- Nominated – Creative Edinburgh Award 2017 & 2020
- Nominated – Best Short Film, Loco Comedy Film Festival 2019 & 2021
- Nominated – Best Feature Doc, Cork International Film Festival
- Long-listed – BIFA Raindance Maverick Award & Breakthrough Debut Doc Director 2024
Festival Highlights
- BFI London Film Festival
- Tribeca Festival
- Sheffield Doc/Fest
- Edinburgh International Film Festival
- Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF)
- Cork International Film Festival
- Raindance Film Festival
- International Kurzfilmtage Winterthur
- Hot Springs Documentary Festival
- ZagrebDox
- One World Film Festival
- Hamburg International Short Film Festival
- São Paulo International Short Film Festival
- Encounters Short Film Festival
- Dresden International Short Film Festival
- Uppsala Short Film Festival
- IndieLisboa Film Festival
- Vienna Shorts
- Glasgow Short Film Festival
- Norwegian Short Film Festival
- Message to Man International Film Festival
- London Short Film Festival
- Aesthetica Short Film Festival
- Seville European Film Festival
- Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
- Open City Documentary Festival
- Interfilm Berlin International Short Film Festival
- GoShort International Short Film Festival Nijmegen
- Internationale Kurzfilmwoche Regensburg
- Brussels Short Film Festival
- Szczecin European Film Festival
- Cellu L’art Short Film Festival
- ZubrOFFka International Short Film Festival
- Norwegian International Short Film Festival
- DokumentArt European Film Festival
- BFI Future Film Festival
- Inverness Film Festival
- Cromarty Film Festival
- The Smalls Film Festival
- Kyiv International Short Film Festival
- Flatpack Film Festival
- East End Film Festival
- British Shorts Berlin
- Loco Comedy Film Festival
- IndieCork Film Festival
- Scottish Mental Health & Arts Film Festival
- Rome International Doc Fest
- Internationales Filmfest Emden-Norderney
- Kasseler Dok Fest