Duncan Staff is an English director and screenwriter best known for his work on such award-winning films as Billy Elliot, The Last King of Scotland, and The Greatest Game Ever Played. He began his career as a documentary filmmaker, making his first short film in the late 1980s. He quickly rose to prominence, with his 1992 feature-length documentary The People’s Account of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
After his success in documentaries, Duncan moved into the world of feature films. His first feature was the critically acclaimed drama Billy Elliot, starring Jamie Bell and Julie Walters. The film was a huge success, winning multiple awards, including a BAFTA for Best British Film and two Academy Awards. His next film was The Last King of Scotland, which starred Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy. The film was a commercial and critical success, earning six Academy Award nominations and winning the Oscar for Best Actor.
In 2008, Duncan released his third feature film, The Greatest Game Ever Played. Based on the true story of Francis Ouimet, the film recounts the inspiring story of Ouimet’s unlikely golf victory over the reigning British champion in the 1913 U.S. Open. The film earned positive reviews and was nominated for two Academy Awards.
In recent years, Duncan has been involved in a string of projects, including a feature film adaptation of the book “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” and a documentary series about the history of the British monarchy. He is currently working on a feature film adaptation of the novel “The Sense of an Ending”.
Throughout his career, Duncan has established himself as a filmmaker who is unafraid to take risks and tackle challenging material. His films have always pushed the boundaries of genre, exploring themes of identity, class, and race. He continues to be an influential voice in British filmmaking and is sure to have many more projects up his sleeve in the future.
