Hello, my name is Wilma Smith. I'm a writer/director. I'm also a cinematographer and an editor.

I made my first film at 13, making basic stop frame animation. As a teenager I went to evening classes at Coatbridge College and did black & white photography. When I was about to leave school in 1995, I had my interview with the Careers Officer who told me that being a filmmaker was totally unrealistic and that I should become a nurse. So, I got a job as a full time care assistant because I didn't know how to specialise in animation. I was accepted, studied and graduated in Fine Art from Glasgow School of Art in 2000, then from Screen Academy Scotland in MA Screenwriting in 2007. I have co-written and co-directed 5 feature films under Fin Scotland Films, and then going solo in 2008 with another 4 films, under the new name of zero budget filmmaking, Mine Horse Pictures, a name inspired from the mining and iron works town that I come from, Coatbridge.

I've worked in arts community engagement for over 20 years and I was a part time lecturer in film and media for over 12 years. In 2007, I edited and sound dubbed the viral campaign for Mark Millar's graphic novel 'Kickass' which went on to the successful Hollywood movie of the same name. In 2010, I was shortlisted for the Youtube crowd sourced documentary 'Life in a Day', directed by Kevin Mcdonald and produced by Ridley Scott. I directed a short documentary ‘The Review’ commissioned through Scottish Documentary Institute and Creative Scotland, which premiered at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2016. I have also developed projects with STV and SDI. I was one of the screenwriters in residence with Edinburgh International Film Festival and the Wellcome Trust 'Ideas Lab' 2019.

I’m a working mother (Short Film Project Manager at GMAC Film) and I continue to write, film and produce my own zero budget creative projects. I'm just about to start a 3 month course in Stop Motion Animation with Aardman and will have completed the course by August 2021. It's never too late to learn!

Filmography:

• 2021 Me and ma Gal A Short Film based on the book of the same name by Des Dillon Writer Des Dillon, Director W.Smith
• 2020 SLiME A Short Film Writer/Director W.Smith
• 2019 Gilded Dreams A Super Short Writer/Director W.Smith
• Johnnie Walker ‘Walk With Us’ Anthology
  Edinburgh International Film Festival 2019
• The Retrograde Movement A trilogy of shorts Writer/Director W.Smith ‘Pater’ ‘Dawning’ and ‘Beatitude’
• 2018 Pater A Super Short Writer/Director W.Smith
  Supported by CultureNL, Summerlee Museum of Industrial Life and Summerlee Photomedia screened as part of the exhibition ‘Lanarkshire’s War’ Sept-Nov ’18 Screened at HB Film Festival, Glasgow, Oct 2019
• 2016 The Review Documentary Short Director W.Smith, Producer F.Cosquer
  Commissioned film funded by Creative Scotland and Scottish Documentary Institute Premiered at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2016, Lost Film Found: Scotland in Focus, Docudays, Ukraine, May 2020
• 2015 Magpie Documentary Feature Writer/Director/Producer W.Smith
  World Premiere at Cherie-Cheris Film Festival, Paris, France 2015
• We Are Albion Documentary Feature Writer/Director/Producer W.Smith
  Blackbird Film Festival, New York, USA 2015
• 2013 Behold Me Standing WW1 Feature Writer/Director/Producer W.Smith
  Screened at Screenplay Shetland and Deep Fried Film Festival 2013
• 2010 Life in a Day Director Kevin Macdonald, Produced by Ridley Scott
  A Youtube Documentary Crowd Film. Short Listed down to the Last 100 Hours.
• 2009 Cola Dan Black Comedy Feature Writer/Director/Producer W.Smith
  Award Of Excellence at Indie Fest Film festival, La Jolla, California, 2010 Screened at deep fried Film festival, Lanarkshire, 2010
• 2007 My Life As A Bus Stop Feature Writers/Directors W.Smith & D.Finnigan
  Nominated for the Michael Powell Award at the 60th EIFF 2007
• 2005 Big Nose & Twinkle Toes Feature Writers/Directors W.Smith & D. Finnigan
  Honourable Mention At The Bronx Independent Film Festival, NY, 2005. Jury Prize Winner At Sopot International Film Festival, Poland, 2005 The Leeds International Film Festival, 2005
• 2003 Four Eyes Comedy Feature Writer/Director D. Finnigan Co-Director W.Smith
  Nominated for the Michael Powell Award at the EIFF, UK, 2003. Screened at the Leeds International Film Festival, 2003; The Bergen International Film Festival, Norway, 2003; The Ealing Film Festival of Comedy, 2004; Britspotting Berlin, 2004; The Turkish Comedy Film Festival, 2004; Voted 7th Best Scottish Film in The List, 2003
• 2002 Black Coffee Feature Writer/Director W.Smith Co-Director D.Finnigan
  Winner of the Audience Award at Ausfest Digital Film Festival, 2002; Nominated for the Best UK Feature at Raindance Film Festival, UK, 2002 Received a commendation at Britspotting Berlin, 2003; Winner of Best Screenplay at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival, 2003; Screened at the Digital Talkies Film Festival, New Delhi 2003; The Rhode Island International Film Festival, USA, 2003; The European Film Festival, Stuttgart, 2003; The Madrid Comedy Film Festival, 2004; The Turkish Comedy Film Festival, 2004