Stockton-on-Tees born director Kat Wood has captured the attention of the Hollywood elite over the past year, culminating in her recent win at the Jameson First Shot competition in Los Angeles.

Wood’s first widespread acclaim came in 2009 when Mr. Bojagi, starring Brian Blessed, won the Best Short Film prize at the 2010 London Independent Film Festival. The filmmaker then wrote and performed in comedic short Becoming 8, directed by Alyson Connew. Her First Shot winning short, Home, starred Oscar nominated actress Maggie Gyllenhaal and showed the journey of a homeless woman living in a tent on the beach. Home is Wood’s solo directorial debut and was produced by Oscar Winning Actor Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti.