Kirsty Cunningham

Kirsty Cunningham is an award winning filmmaker who specialises in complex access documentaries. She is currently Creative Director, The Documentary Unit, BBC Studios overseeing the documentary output. Kirsty has worked as staff at BBC Studios for the past two years, and for over 20 years before that as freelance filmmaker and executive producer.

Kirsty has explored many challenging subjects including the healthcare, social care and criminal justice systems, childhood bereavement through murder and manslaughter, teenage mental health, violence against women and girls and drug abuse. She has a particular interest in finding ways to engage children and young people in the process of film making and give a voice to those who may have never had that opportunity before in a supported and protected manner. 

Whether working on popular primetime series such as ‘Ambulance’ or ’24 Hours in A&E’ or singles including ‘Grenfell: The Untold Story’, ‘Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story’ or ‘A Killing in My Family’ she is committed to finding ways to support the team and crew to be trauma informed in their approach to both the editorial and in their engagement with contributors as well as thinking about their footprint as film makers. A key part of this involves collaborating with trauma professionals. She believes that working closely with contributors over long periods of time ensures a different type of engagement with the process, and often facilitates a cathartic experience for her subjects

The films she has been involved with have won Grierson, BAFTA, Mind Media Award, RTS, New York Film Festival and been nominated for the Broadcast Press Guild, National Television Awards