Luke Purdye is an award-winning documentary director, cinematographer, editor and photographer telling stories at the intersection of people, place, ecology and economy. He is based between London and Hay-on-Wye and works internationally across branded and factual.

Luke Purdye is an award-winning documentary director and photographer telling stories at the intersection of people, place, ecology and economy. He is based between London and Hay-on-Wye and works internationally across branded and factual.

His debut film ‘MAIL ORDER QUEENS’ narrated by Anna Savva (The Durrells) earned recognition from the Student Academy Awards in Los Angeles (Finalist - Documentary), the Grierson Awards (Shortlist - Best Student Documentary), Sunchild (Winner - Best Short Film/Documentary) and other nominations and selections internationally (GreenScreen, GIFF.Docu, Nottingham, Ménigoute, and IWCFF).

Recent work includes ‘THE WHEAT PROJECT’ series for GAIL’s Bakery (Shiny Awards List, 2025) reimagining the grain chain via soil-positive farming and heritage grains, alongside clients such as Ffern Perfumes and Runway AI.

Recent work includes ‘THE WHEAT PROJECT’ series for GAIL’s Bakery (Shiny Awards List 2025) reimagining the grain chain via soil-positive farming and heritage grains, alongside clients such as Ffern Perfumes and Runway AI.

Luke trained at the National Film and Television School (MA, Directing and Producing Science and Natural History) and was recipient of a full BBC Scholarship. An academic background in life sciences at University of Bristol (BSc, Zoology and Psychology) and almost a decade working in environment, food and human rights roles before coming to film continue to shape his work.

Awards & Festivals

2025 | Sunchild International Film Festival - Winner 'Best Short FIlm/Documentary'

2025 | Sunchild International Film Festival - Winner 'Best Short FIlm'

2025 | GIFF.Docu - Longlist 'Documentary Short'

2025 | Nottingham Film Festival - Official Selection

2025 | Mansfield Town Film Festival - Documentary Short

2025 | Sheffield DocFest Amplify: Production Talent programme

2024 | Student Academy Awards Finalist - Documentary

2024 | Grierson British Documentary Awards - Shortlist 'Best Student Documentary'

2024 | Ménigoute International Ornithological Film Festival - Official Selection

2024 | Green Screen International Wildilfe Film Festival - 'Best Newcomer' Nominee

2020 | British Journal Of Photography 1854 - Winner 'Portrait of Britain'

Features

2017 | Perdiz Magazine

2018 | Men's Running Magazine