Lisa Gifford

Lisa is a writer of television, film, digital and stage. She is one of the Edinburgh TV Festival’s Ones To Watch 2018, and the winner of the US Indie Series Award for Best Drama Writing for her digital series, 3SOME. She is currently a regular writer on EASTENDERS for BBC Studios with many credits under her belt and more great scripts to come which are in production. She has previously developed original projects with Jed Mercurio and Hat Trick, and Channel X, plus worked on a new development projects for Nevision, Templeheart Films and Rollem Productions.

Lisa was selected as a delegate in 2023’s Edinburgh TV Festival’s ReConnect initiative and was recently awarded a Bold Voice Award by The Writers Lab for her original thriller SMOKE AND MIRRORS.

Before becoming a writer, Lisa worked as a brickie, barista, NHS manager and wrestling ring announcer, and is passionate about bringing her working-class roots to her writing. She is is currently part of the TV Foundation’s Impact Unit class and social equality working group.

 

Website

Credits

TELEVISION
Production
Company
Notes
Production
EASTENDERS (2023-26)
Company
BBC Studios
Notes
17 x 30' script commissions
Production
UNTITLED (2023)
Company
Rollem Production
Notes
Part of development writersroom for new drama series
Production
UNTITLED (2020)
Company
Nevision
Notes
Developing a drama series based on an existing concept
Production
THE FOREST (2019-20)
Company
Channel X
Notes
Original crime drama under option and in development
Production
WORKING CLASS VOICES (2018-19)
Company
Jed Mercurio/Hat Trick Productions
Notes
A series of monologues, starring some of the UK’s best known working class actors, dealing with life in modern Britain from a working class perspective. Lisa created the Working Class Voices project as a response to the limitation of working class writers and actors in the UK industry. In development.
Production
EASTENDERS (2017-18)
Company
BBC
Notes
Writer on long running series.
FILM
Production
Company
Notes
Production
COVETOUS (2018)
Company
Notes
Commissioned to co-write this thriller feature film with director, Melanie Light. In development.
Production
QUAIL HOLLOW (2017)
Company
Templeheart Films
Notes
Screenplay rewrite of this horror feature.
SHORT FILM
Production
Company
Notes
Production
A LARK (2017)
Company
Capital City Entertainment
Notes
Writer/Director/Producer
4’ sci-fi horror short
*2017 Stormy Weather Horror Fest
(Nominated – Outstanding Female Filmmaker, Winner – Best Editing)
*2017 Changing Face Film Festival (Nominated – Best Sci Fi Short Film)
Production
SUPERMUM (2015)
Company
Capital City Entertainment
Notes
Writer/Director/Producer
3’ comedy short
*2015 Funny Women Awards Finalist
*2015 Raindance Film Festival Gala Film
*2015 Homochrom Film Festival
*2015 Hamilton Comedy Film Festival
*2015 Southampton Film Week
*2017 Pilot Light Festival, Manchester
Production
THE BEAR (2014)
Company
GoryTime Productions
Notes
Commissioned to direct the pilot episode of this series of short films.
Production
LILY GETS A TAN (2014)
Company
GoryTime Productions
Notes
Commissioned to write one episode of this series of short films.
Production
SWEETHEART (2012)
Company
Capital City Entertainment
Notes
10' drama/thriller short
*2012 Raindance Film Festival
*2012 BragaCine Film Festival
*2012 Fort Lauderdale Film Festival
*2013 Cacica Film Festival
*2013 West Chester International Film Festival
ONLINE
Production
Company
Notes
Production
PERSONA (2014)
Company
AppMedia Network
Notes
Webseries - Commissioned to storyline and write five 25 minute episodes of series 8.
Production
3SOME (2013)
Company
Capital City Entertainment
Notes
Writer/Director/Producer of webseries.
7 x 7' drama series. Broadcast on television in the UK, USA, Europe and Africa, and distributed across multiple online platforms to more than 3.5m views worldwide. Nominated for over twenty international awards, and selected for more than ten international festivals.
*2014 Indie Series Awards – Best Drama Writing, Best Actor
*2014 LA Webfest – Outstanding Actress in a Drama
*2014 Miami Webfest – Best Romantic Series
*2014 Snobby Robot Awards – Best Actor
THEATRE
Production
Company
Notes
Production
3SOME (2012)
Company
Notes
Published by PlayDead Press in 2013 and had two sell out runs at the Etcetera Theatre, London.
*2012 Everything Theatre Audience Pick of Camden Fringe
DOCUMENTARY
Production
Company
Notes
Production
UNTITLED WRESTLING DOCUMENTARY (2018)
Company
HUSTLE Wrestling
Notes
Writer/Director
A short documentary focussing on the build-up to the first professional match of female HUSTLE trainee, Mariah. In production.
TELEVISION
Production Company Notes
EASTENDERS (2023-26) BBC Studios 17 x 30' script commissions
UNTITLED (2023) Rollem Production Part of development writersroom for new drama series
UNTITLED (2020) Nevision Developing a drama series based on an existing concept
THE FOREST (2019-20) Channel X Original crime drama under option and in development
WORKING CLASS VOICES (2018-19) Jed Mercurio/Hat Trick Productions A series of monologues, starring some of the UK’s best known working class actors, dealing with life in modern Britain from a working class perspective. Lisa created the Working Class Voices project as a response to the limitation of working class writers and actors in the UK industry. In development.
EASTENDERS (2017-18) BBC Writer on long running series.
FILM
Production Company Notes
COVETOUS (2018) Commissioned to co-write this thriller feature film with director, Melanie Light. In development.
QUAIL HOLLOW (2017) Templeheart Films Screenplay rewrite of this horror feature.
SHORT FILM
Production Company Notes
A LARK (2017) Capital City Entertainment Writer/Director/Producer
4’ sci-fi horror short
*2017 Stormy Weather Horror Fest
(Nominated – Outstanding Female Filmmaker, Winner – Best Editing)
*2017 Changing Face Film Festival (Nominated – Best Sci Fi Short Film)
SUPERMUM (2015) Capital City Entertainment Writer/Director/Producer
3’ comedy short
*2015 Funny Women Awards Finalist
*2015 Raindance Film Festival Gala Film
*2015 Homochrom Film Festival
*2015 Hamilton Comedy Film Festival
*2015 Southampton Film Week
*2017 Pilot Light Festival, Manchester
THE BEAR (2014) GoryTime Productions Commissioned to direct the pilot episode of this series of short films.
LILY GETS A TAN (2014) GoryTime Productions Commissioned to write one episode of this series of short films.
SWEETHEART (2012) Capital City Entertainment 10' drama/thriller short
*2012 Raindance Film Festival
*2012 BragaCine Film Festival
*2012 Fort Lauderdale Film Festival
*2013 Cacica Film Festival
*2013 West Chester International Film Festival
ONLINE
Production Company Notes
PERSONA (2014) AppMedia Network Webseries - Commissioned to storyline and write five 25 minute episodes of series 8.
3SOME (2013) Capital City Entertainment Writer/Director/Producer of webseries.
7 x 7' drama series. Broadcast on television in the UK, USA, Europe and Africa, and distributed across multiple online platforms to more than 3.5m views worldwide. Nominated for over twenty international awards, and selected for more than ten international festivals.
*2014 Indie Series Awards – Best Drama Writing, Best Actor
*2014 LA Webfest – Outstanding Actress in a Drama
*2014 Miami Webfest – Best Romantic Series
*2014 Snobby Robot Awards – Best Actor
THEATRE
Production Company Notes
3SOME (2012) Published by PlayDead Press in 2013 and had two sell out runs at the Etcetera Theatre, London.
*2012 Everything Theatre Audience Pick of Camden Fringe
DOCUMENTARY
Production Company Notes
UNTITLED WRESTLING DOCUMENTARY (2018) HUSTLE Wrestling Writer/Director
A short documentary focussing on the build-up to the first professional match of female HUSTLE trainee, Mariah. In production.