Erica Gornall
agent: Camilla Chiverton - camilla@sternwild.com
Erica is an award-winning and multi BAFTA-nominated director who has filmed and directed documentaries for both major UK and US broadcasters, including the BBC, Starz, Channel 4, ITV and HBO.
Her 2024 feature-length documentary ‘Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods’ for the BBC made international headlines for months, earning a nomination for the 2025 Broadcast awards and winning Scoop of the Year at the RTS Awards. Erica’s latest film is a feature-length documentary for the BBC about the British-Iranian hostage Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other hostages, revealing the dark, brutal world of hostage diplomacy. Renowned for her sharp journalistic instincts and strong visual flair, Erica transforms complex stories into impactful, headline-grabbing films.
Erica’s film ‘Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods’ rewrote the history of Mohamed Fayed, breaking decades of silence by giving many survivors a voice. Over 400 women came forward after the film was aired, the Metropolitan police reopened an investigation to examine new accusations and Harrods reportedly allocated £60million in compensation for Fayed’s victims. She also series-directed ‘Ghislaine Maxwell: Making of a Monster’ for Channel 4/Starz featuring powerful testimonies from multiple survivors as she uncovered how Ghislaine became so dangerously powerful.
Erica’s expertise in over a decade of making sensitive documentaries and filming those who have suffered serious trauma drives her work as a film-maker. She produced and filmed domestic abuse survivors in BBC2’s BAFTA-nominated Behind Closed Doors, hailed by The Guardian as ‘an unforgettable documentary’. For HBO, she gained unprecedented and rare access inside Saudi Arabia following women as they embraced legally driving for the first time for Saudi Women’s Driving School and exquisitely captured intimate, deeply moving moments with Tessa Jowell in the final weeks of her life as she battled brain cancer in Tessa Jowell:Her Last Campaign (BBC).
Erica is widely respected for her ethical approach to storytelling and strong emphasis on duty of care for contributors to her films. She has contributed to Broadcast and the wider media on best practice in supporting people to tell their stories. As well as making documentaries, Erica has appeared on the Today programme, BBC News, BBC Breakfast, The Media Show, industry panels, podcasts and the national press to discuss her films and approach to documentary filmmaking.
Now focused on directing high-impact singles, limited series, and executive producing, Erica brings a sharp editorial eye and strong leadership to every project.She self-shoots to a high standard to create the intimacy her films are known for, but also leads with bigger crews when filming A-list talent, such as the actress Keira Knightley in the acclaimed My Grandparent’s War (C4).
An accomplished producer as well as director, Erica has extensive experience in leading editorial teams both in the UK and internationally, often on legally contentious stories and is regularly the trusted point of contact with broadcasters.