Darren’s debut short film, Blueberry Smoothie, earned global acclaim on the festival circuit, winning 17 awards including the New York Screenwriting Award for Best Short Screenplay LGBTQIA and Best Performance – LGBTQ+ at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival. The film also premiered at the London Independent Film Festival.
Building on this success, his short film Simmer is currently making waves on the festival circuit, while the ambitious dark comedy Glitched, co-written with Sharon Burrell, is in post-production. He is also developing a recurring high-end TV show with broad appeal alongside Burrell, supported by Hag Films, who specialise in climate-aware storytelling.
His feature film slate includes several projects at various stages of development: Happy Camper, a German/Scottish co-production awaits pre-production; Earth, a sci-fi fantasy thriller co-written with Caleb Packham has completed development and is ready for production; and the spy thriller DEMONIC, currently in script development. Additional feature scripts in his portfolio include The Seam, A Perfect Viewing and Joan, alongside three short films ready for production: Shift, Land of Make Believe, and The Upcycled Bond.
In 2014, Darren founded Making Productions to champion bold, inclusive storytelling. The company has produced 27 plays, musicals, and operas, including 10 collaborations with the King’s Head Theatre and the Olivier-nominated La bohème (Best New Opera Production, 2018). The company remains committed to fostering underrepresented voices, particularly supporting women, Global Majority, and Queer creatives, while facilitating collaboration between emerging and established artists.
Recently, Darren graduated from the National Film and Television School (NFTS) with a postgraduate diploma in Intimacy Coordination. This specialised training enhances his ability to create safe, respectful environments for actors, ensuring authentic and empowered performances in intimate scenes.
With a focus on innovative storytelling and meaningful collaboration, Darren continues to push creative boundaries as a writer, director, and intimacy coordinator, bringing stories to life with depth, authenticity, and impact.
