I'm an Irish Shooting Director based in London. I have an MA in Documentary Directing from the National Film and Television School (NFTS) and an MA in Visual Anthropology.
I’m a self-shooting PD with a range of experience working on observational documentaries, series and current affairs. Recent credits include working as a Shooting PD on BBC 1's 'Ambulance', which follows the work of paramedics across London. I also worked as a Shooting PD on Channel 4's 'Night Coppers' (S2) and C4's 'Emergency'. I was a Shooting Producer on 'Ellie Simmonds: Finding My Secret Family' which won a BAFTA for the Best Single Documentary in 2024; it is also one of the nominees for a 2024 Grierson award.
In June 2023 I won the Channel 4 First Cut pitch to direct my first one-hour doc for broadcast - my film follows an ant-natalist who challenges people about why they want to procreate - only thing is, he has three children of his own.
I also make independent documentaries - my first feature doc Faith and Branko premiered at Sheffield Doc Fest 2020 and Hot Docs 2021 among other festivals. It's an intimate and candid observational documentary which charts the marriage and creative relationship between musicians Faith and Branko. The film won Best Documentary at SEE Fest LA and was nominated for awards at Dok Leipzig, Al Jazeera Balkans Docs and Millenium Docs Against Gravity. It was acquired for broadcast by Al Jazeera (2022) and VOD platforms Filmin and Guide Doc.
In 2017 I shot/directed a short documentary for BBC4/the BFI - Accents Speak Louder than Words - which was housed by Wingspan Productions. This film follows the experience of a Polish woman in Kent who decides to take elocution lessons to fit in.
My NFTS grad film Professional Foreigner is about white foreigners in Mumbai and the work available to them because of their skin colour. This doc is centred on a Russian family who move to India for a better life. It premiered at Sheffield Doc Fest '17.
I was selected as a member of BFI X BAFTA Crew 2019, in the upcoming directors category.
Ihave a lot of international experience - I spent almost 2 years in total working in India. I also spent many months in Serbia and Belgium. These experiences have helped and shaped my filmmaking and the way I see the world. Overall, I like to tell the stories of people who face misconceptions. I'm interested in diverging perspectives, cross-cultural themes, and humanising misunderstood people in general. I like to make intimate documentaries (whether observational or interview led) and provide windows to unknown worlds.
Talent Manager profile: https://www.thetalentmanager.com/talent/25516/catherine-harte
Camera experience: FX6, FX9, FS7, C300, A7S, XF305 among others. I have a C300 if needed.