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AJ Sykes is a visionary writer-director with a distinctive voice in grounded science fiction and emotionally resonant storytelling. She holds a Master's in Directing & Screenwriting and an MFA in Advanced Film Practice, with a portfolio of award-winning short films ranging from 2 to 35 minutes. Her work has been showcased at over 50 international festivals, earning more than 30 nominations and 15 awards.
Her recent short The Biscuit Tin continues its successful festival run, winning five awards to date, including Best Director at the Monza Film Festival in Italy. As well as Down Came The Rain, a poetic meditation on trauma and control, which was awarded Best Crime/Violence Film and Echoes of Yesterday - a haunting dual narrative of war and loss - has already received two Honourable Mentions and a win for Best War/Action Film.
AJ is developing Untethered: The Watched, a bold new vertical drama set for release on TikTok in autumn 2025. Set during the early days of lock-down, this psychological sci-fi thriller explores identity, surveillance, and the limits of connection - and forms part of the larger Untethered cinematic universe.
Her directing style is grounded in a wide range of experience: from SLRs to Arri Alexas, and even 8mm film. She previously directed the award-winning Regrets (Akram Films), and the music video Heard for Travelled Music's world-first augmented reality album.
AJ's creative roots span theatre, photography, and performance. She holds a DSMS in Stage Management and Television Production from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and is an award-winning actress who earned a Fringe First for her performance in the play Dreamstate. Her medium format photography has been exhibited across the UK, and she produced the album cover for Red Light Means Go by A Band Called Quinn.
She has shadowed directors on Good Omens, Shetland, and STV News, and was recently supported by Screen Scotland's Professional Development Fund to shadow on Channel 4's Summerwaters. She is a member of the 2023/24 BAFTA Connect cohort and a selected participant of the 2025/26 Directors UK Inspire mentorship program, and a trustee of the Directors Charitable Foundation..
AJ's work continues to explore the liminal spaces between realities - always driven by cinematic precision, emotional truth, and a deep curiosity about what it means to be human.
