John McKay
Client
John McKay is a UK-based Producer with a background in writing and directing, known for bringing powerful stories to the screen. In 2024, he was longlisted as a BIFA Breakthrough Producer for his work on Falling Into Place—the debut feature from writer-director Aylin Tezel, co-produced with Weydemann Bros (The Outrun), which received the FIPRESCI Critics Prize for Best Debut.
John’s recent credits also include The Primrose Railway Children (2024), a 90-minute feature drama for BBC1 and BYU Networks, nominated for a 2025 RTS Scotland Award, and The Beaker Girls (2022), a 3-part series for CBBC. He also produced My Mum Tracy Beaker (2021), a flagship 90-minute drama for BBC1 and CBBC, which was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Series.
His short film work includes A Glimpse (2022), directed by acclaimed writer-director Zinnie Harris, and 1745 (2018), written by Moyo and Morayo Akande and directed by Gordon Napier, which was nominated for both a BAFTA and BIFA for Best Short Film.
Earlier in his career, John directed feature films including Crush with Andie Macdowell and Imelda Stanton, Piccadilly Jim with Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney, and Not Another Happy Ending with Karen Gillan; leading TV direction includes Life on Mars, Shetland, We’ll Take Manhattan (2013) for BBC4, which went on to win the Prix Europa for Best Drama; and charming family single film Katy, which won the International Emmy 2020.
Originally a Perrier-nominated writer in theatre and comedy - his hit debut play Dead Dad Dog was recently revived in sell out runs at the Finborough London and the Traverse Edinburgh, together with its contemporary sequel, Sunny Boy.
For screen, John wrote the aforementioned Crush and We’ll Take Manhattan, and also Ghost Hunters for Warners UK and Break the Bank for StudioCanal; as well as TV series projects The Pros and State of Independence for BBC Scotland.