Karen Cunningham

Narrative / Performance / Dialogue / Visual Storytelling / Emotive / Dramatic / Real People / Kids

Karen has (literally) won a tonne of awards, but if there were a special category for ‘best director for making you fail to remember you’re watching a commercial and for touching your heart’ she’d probably win it. And it’s not surprising given her background in both acting and producing, that with everything she makes, you can feel her vision, care, and touch go into it. Renowned for the extraordinary naturalistic performances she gleans from real people and kids, Karen is particularly passionate about casting, determined to find authentic characters with genuine depth, warmth, and charm. 

Her cinematic eye is poetic and minimal – she pairs smart, unexpected lenses with efficient framing that draws the eye right to the story in every beat. With a stripped back, searingly honest visual style and an indisputable skill for zeroing in on the absolute truth in every performance, Karen is an undeniably capable storyteller who makes work that is earnest, kind, and unassuming in a way that is completely devoid of ego, and supercharged with heart.

Nivea x Liverpool FC / Never Walk Alone

Combat Stress / The Battle

Always / That Look

Barbie / Imagine the Possibilities

Kellogg's / Better Days

Unicef / World Upside Down

Barbie / Close the Dream Gap

Karen Cunningham
Karen Cunningham