Interview with Barney Cokeliss

Barney Cokeliss grew up in London and was shooting record covers and book jackets as a photographer before he left school.  He studied English Literature at Oxford and spent a year at Princeton in the Film and Creative Writing departments before winning a place on the prestigious BBC TV training scheme. 

His directing career began with "Tea," a short commissioned by MTV Europe, which went on to be the shortest film selected at Sundance.  Barney then wrote and directed 'Queen's Park Story' for BBC 2's 10x10 strand.  The Observer called it "the best British drama on television this year." It was in the official selection at the Venice Film Festival and won Best Director at Toronto.

Barney is represented by Ridley Scott Associates for commercials, and by United Agents for film and television.  He has directed commercials for clients such as Volkswagen, Lexus, Typhoo, Toyota, and BMI Airlines.  His films for the National Health Service have won advertising awards year on year and his safe-sex film "Spoiled" was voted Scotland's Favourite Ad.

Last year, Taschen America published Barney's photographic nudes alongside Jan Saudek's and Terry Richardson's.  His portrait subjects have included Gil Scott-Heron, Ravi Shankar, John le Carré, Ray Liotta and Jacques Derrida among many others.  A monograph of his nudes is in preparation.  

Barney is currently finishing a new short film for Hill Holiday in New York, sponsored by Liberty Mutual, and has two feature films in development; one original and one based on a short story by the celebrated British author J.G. Ballard.

More of his work:

barneycokeliss.com