John Lee Taggart
- Director
- Producer
- Writer
John Lee Taggart is a writer, director, and actor from the North East of England, who first came into prominence with his debut short film Invisible Manners (2021) with Billy Boyd, Isy Suttie and Weruche Opia, which was an official selection at the BIFA qualifying North East International Film Festival 2022 and received an "Honourable Mention" at the Montreal International Animation Film Festival 2022.
In 2023 John was selected for BAFTA Connect membership as a Writer/Director and went on to release A Rare Find, a comedic awareness piece featuring Robert Webb and Jack Robertson, which won Gold at the Smiley Charity Film Awards - the "Oscars of the third sector" and biggest cause-based film event in the world. That same year he also directed the music video Executive Outcome (Remix) for Badger and extnddntwrk (Andrew Fearn of Sleaford Mods), which screened at the BIFA qualifying Sunderland Shorts Film Festival 2023.
In 2024 John collaborated with DOP Craig Crouchman on the dark comedy The North Beasts, which premiered at the Tees Valley International Film Festival 2024 (ultimately winning "Best Comedy"), and Hadid and I, a dramedy concept short which premiered at Sunderland Shorts Film Festival 2025, where it took home the "Audience Choice Award" and received widespread promotion on BBC News.
In 2023 John was selected for BAFTA Connect membership as a Writer/Director and went on to release A Rare Find, a comedic awareness piece featuring Robert Webb and Jack Robertson, which won Gold at the Smiley Charity Film Awards - the "Oscars of the third sector" and biggest cause-based film event in the world. That same year he also directed the music video Executive Outcome (Remix) for Badger and extnddntwrk (Andrew Fearn of Sleaford Mods), which screened at the BIFA qualifying Sunderland Shorts Film Festival 2023.
In 2024 John collaborated with DOP Craig Crouchman on the dark comedy The North Beasts, which premiered at the Tees Valley International Film Festival 2024 (ultimately winning "Best Comedy"), and Hadid and I, a dramedy concept short which premiered at Sunderland Shorts Film Festival 2025, where it took home the "Audience Choice Award" and received widespread promotion on BBC News.
