Misha Manson-Smith

Misha Manson-Smith is a British director, writer and producer in film, television and commercials. From Showtime's improvised real-world satire La La Land (2010), to Netflix/Channel 4 VR drama Kiss Me First (2018), to directing Michael Sheen in cult short film Barbados (2017), his provocative, genre-bending work uniquely combines drama and comedy, fiction and non-fiction, with a meticulous eye for craft in cinematography, art direction and VFX. Known for his ability to extract brilliant performances from Oscar nominees to non-actors, his instinct for discovering new talent has provided early breaks for rising stars including Daniel Kaluuya, Holliday Grainger, Olly Alexander and Jessica Barden. Misha most recently re-teamed with his long-time collaborator Marc Wootton and Sacha Baron Cohen's Four By Two Films to co-create, write, direct and executive produce the pilot Gooseberry (2020). A many time BAFTA-loser, he failed to win the BAFTA Breakthrough Talent Craft Award for Directing, the BAFTA Craft Award for Editing and the BAFTA Scotland Award for Comedy Program. His occasional award wins include the Rose D'Or for Comedy Series, the Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Non-Fiction Filmmaking and the British Comedy Award for Best New Comedy, as well as a load of commercials awards that you've never heard of.