Louisa Connolly-Burnham is an award-winning writer-director-actress from Birmingham and founder of Thimble Films. A bold new voice in British cinema, Louisa is known for her emotionally charged, darkly sensual, female-led storytelling and her compelling presence both behind and in front of the camera.

She wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the breakout short film Sister Wives, alongside BAFTA-winner Mia McKenna-Bruce (MUBI's How To Have Sex). The film was long-listed for the Oscars and BAFTAs, as well as the BIFAs, and was later acquired by Film4 and Channel 4.

Sister Wives went on to win over 50 awards at more than 100 international festivals, including 'Best Director' at The British Short Film Awards, HollyShorts, Sunrise Film Festival, The Shark Awards, One Fluid Night, and Brighton Rocks. It also took home Best British Short, Best Actress, and the Audience Award at The Iris Prize, sponsored by Pinewood Studios.

The film was featured in Letterboxd's Year in Review, ranking as the #3 Highest Rated Live Action Short Film globally.

A passionate advocate for underrepresented voices in film, Louisa is the founder of Kulty, a safe and inclusive space for women, non-binary, and gender-queer filmmakers. She is also an active member of Directors UK, Women in Film & TV (WFTV), and Cinesisters.

Her work has been featured in Variety, BBC News, Glamour, Collider, Deadline, Film Stories, British Cinematographer, Attitude, Diva, Pink News, Yahoo, Awards Daily, and more.

Awards & recognitions

    • Longlisted for The Oscars, BAFTA, and BIFA (prestigious recognition)

    • British Short Film Awards – Best Director

    • HollyShorts LA Film Festival – Best LGBTQIA+ Film (Oscar-qualifying)

    • HollyShorts London Film Festival – Best Director (Oscar-qualifying)

    • Iris Prize – Best British Film, Best Actress, Audience Award (BAFTA-qualifying)

    • Unrestricted View Film Festival – Best Costume (BIFA-qualifying)

    • London Breeze Film Festival – Best UK Short Fiction (BIFA-qualifying)

    • Brighton Rocks Film Festival – Best Director (BIFA-qualifying)

    • Sunrise Film Festival – Best British Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design (BIFA-qualifying)

    • North East International Film Festival – Best LGBTQ Film (BIFA-qualifying)

    • Oxford Shorts – Festival Choice

    • Discover Film Festival – Best Drama

    • This Is England Film Festival – Students Choice Award

    • Sunday Shorts Script Competition – Short Screenplay, Audience Award, Best Production

    • Imagine This Women’s Film Festival – Best International Film

    • Cindependent Film Festival – Best International Film

    • World Film Festival – Best Narrative Short

    • Stamped Film Festival – Audience Award

    • OutReels Cincinnati – Audience Award

    • Yellowstone International Film Festival – Best LGBTQIA+ Director

    • One Fluid Night LGBTQIA+ Film Festival – Best Director, Best Heartbeat

    • Women Without Borders Film Festival – Best Cinematography, Audience Award

    • World Indie Film Awards – Best Director, Best Actor, Best Acting Ensemble Award

    • Fleeting (2024) – Brighton Rocks Film Festival – Best Director (BIFA-qualifying)

    • Disappear Here Film Festival – Best Actor (IFTA-qualifying)

    • Sunday Shorts Film Festival – Best Film, Audience Award

    • ÉCU The European Independent Film Festival – Audience Award

    • Scene It Awards – Best Scene Award

    • World Indie Awards – Best Acting Ensemble Award

    • Out On Film Film Festival – Best Drama Short (Oscar-qualifying)

    • Unrestricted View Film Festival – Best Actress (BIFA-qualifying)

    • Brighton Rocks Film Festival – Best Drama (BIFA-qualifying)

    • Oxford Shorts – Best Film, Best Director, Best Production Design

    • Birmingham Film Festival – Best Film, Best Costume, Best Production Design, Audience Award

    • Underwire Film Festival – Best Producer (BAFTA-qualifying)

    • Foyle Film Festival – Best International Film (Oscar-qualifying)

    • Womxnchester International Film Festival – Best Film

    • Deadcenter Film Festival (Oscar-qualifying)

    • Cambridge Film Festival (BAFTA-qualifying)

    • Bolton Film Festival (BAFTA + BIFA-qualifying)

    • Spirit of Independence Film Festival (BIFA-qualifying)

    • Cardiff Mini Film Festival (BIFA-qualifying)

    • Crystal Palace International Film Festival (BIFA-qualifying)

    • Beeston Film Festival (BIFA-qualifying)

    • Bradford Queer Film Festival

    • The East London LGBTQ+ Film Festival

    • Hollywood Shortsfest

    • Big Fridge International Film Festival

    • Achill Island Film Festival

    • Queer Expression Film Festival

    • Full Bloom Film Festival

    • FilmPride Brighton & Hove Pride LGBTQIA+ Film Festival

    • The Her Vision International Film Festival

    • San Francisco Queer Film Festival

    • Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival

    • Florence Queer Film Festival

    • Immaginaria International Film Festival

    • British Shorts Berlin Festival

    • Mardi Gras Film Festival

    • Fugitive Sister Festival Cannes – Short to Feature Award

    • Carmarthen Bay Film Festival (BAFTA-qualifying)

    • Manchester Film Festival (BIFA-qualifying)

    • Durban International Film Festival (Oscar-qualifying)

    • British Urban Film Festival (BAFTA-qualifying)

    • London Independent Film Festival

    • Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival

    • London Lift-Off Film Festival

    • Aesthetica Film Festival (BAFTA-qualifying)

    • Underwire Film Festival (BAFTA-qualifying)

    • Foyle Film Festival (Oscar-qualifying)

    • London Lift-Off Film Festival

    • Catalyst Film Festival (IFTA-qualifying)

    • Waterford Film Festival (IFTA-qualifying)

    • 15th Underground Cinema Awards (IFTA-qualifying)

    • Kino Film Festival (Semi-Finalist + BIFA-qualifying)

    • Irish Film Festival London (BAFTA-qualifying)

    • Oxford Shorts Film Festival

    • Fastnet Film Festival

    • Achill Island Film Festival

    • Pot of Films Festival

    • Exit 6 Film Festival (BIFA-qualifying)

    • Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival

    • San Diego Short Film Festival

    • Cannes Indie Shorts Awards