Thomas Otto Shankland (born 7 May 1968) is an English film and television director and screenwriter. He is known for directing the horror films WΔZ (2007) and The Children (2008), and television series such as The Fades (2011), Ripper Street (2012), and The Missing (2014); for the latter, he was nominated for the 2015 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special. He has also been nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Short Film twice, for Bait (1999) and Going Down (2000).

Background and education

Shankland's father taught at Durham University, establishing the Italian department. His mother is Scandinavian. The family watched Italian and Scandinavian film. He went to school at St Margaret’s Primary School and Framwellgate Moor Comprehensive. He first gained visibility with a short film for Channel 4 called Bait in 1999.

Filmography

Film

  • Bubbles (1998; short)
  • Bait (1999; short)
  • Going Down (2000; short)
  • WΔZ (2007)
  • The Children (2008)

Television

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2000BAFTA AwardsBest Short Film (shared with Soledad Gatti-Pascual and Jane Harris)BaitNominated
Newport International Film FestivalBest ShortWon
London Film FestivalTCM PrizeGoing Down2nd Place
2001BAFTA AwardsBest Short Film (shared with Soledad Gatti-Pascual and Jane Harris)Nominated
2007Sitges Film FestivalBest FilmWΔZNominated
2009Fantasia International Film FestivalSpecial MentionThe ChildrenWon
Sitges Film FestivalBest FilmNominated
Bucheon International Fantastic Film FestivalBest of BucheonNominated
Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film FestivalNarcisse Award for Best Feature a FilmNominated
2010Fangoria Chainsaw AwardsBest Screenplay (shared with Paul Andrew Williams)Nominated
2013BAFTA AwardsBest Drama Series (shared with Richard Warlow, Will Gould and Stephen Smallwood)Ripper StreetNominated
2015Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic SpecialThe MissingNominated

External links