Erin Macpherson
Director | Cinematographer | Editor
Erin Macpherson (they/them) is an award-winning filmmaker currently based in Cape Town, South Africa. Their work has screened and won awards at numerous festivals internationally, including IDFA, SFFILM, OutFest, DIFF, Les Nuits en Or, and the Emmys.
Their film, The Water Dancers, won a SAFTA (South African Film and Television Award) for its spotlight on the importance of dragonflies in combatting climate disaster. Following their Masters graduation in Documentary Film Directing from the prestigious Doc Nomads, their film Não é Fado, é Fado Bicha had its world premiere at DocLisboa and was nominated for Best Portuguese Film for its portrayal of queer liberation through reinventing traditional Fado music. Branching into docu-fiction cinema, their film I Did Not Wake Up Dead Today received numerous awards and festival nominations, such as the Golden Eagle Award and DokuBaku’s Best Documentary Audience Award, for its comedic personification of depression through the puppetry of their childhood teddy bear. They have also worked and collaborated on films, such as ¿Es el Enemigo? and Scenes from a Dry City, which have won numerous awards and critical acclaim. Erin is currently in post-production for The Pursuit of Grief, a love letter to parental loss; and in development for a documentary feature, Countdown for a Nation, that explores the parallels between the journey of an ultra marathon with the journey of a country 30 years post-apartheid.
With the belief that cinema is the universal language of empathy, they often infuse humour in their work to unpack heavy themes of trauma and marginalisation as a recognition that healing cannot exist without laughter.
Alongside their film career, Erin has experience in crafting online video content (including graphics and animation), ranging from trailers, interviews, sizzle reels, promotional marketing videos, educational short courses, and UGC for a variety of organisations and companies.
Film Showreel
Online Showreel