Darren
Hercher studied documentary photography at Newport School of Art in Wales and
graduated in 1999. He worked as a freelance cameraman in London for several
years before directing his own films. His first film ‘Send Me Somewhere
Special’ won Best Newcomer 2005 at the Grierson Awards and Best Documentary at
Britspotting 2006. His next film ‘The
Downhill Racer’ went on to win the Best Documentary Feature at the Celtic Media
Awards 2007. In 2008 he moved to Glasgow
to make ‘Sighthill Stories’, which won the Scottish Bafta for Best Factual
Programme in 2009. In 2010, 'The Winner Loser' was broadcast winning Best Personal Narrative at the Scottish Mental Health Awards. 'Keys to the Castle' was broadcast on BBC 2 Scotland in February 2014 and BBC 4 in June 2015, winning the Scottish Bafta for Best Single Documentary 2014 and RTS Award for Best Specialist Factual 2015. 'Sighthill' was screened on 10th January 2017, winning RTS Scotland Best Documentary & Best Editing 2018 and was nominated for Best Single Factual & Best Director at Bafta Scotland 2017. The most recent film 'Dooman' screened on the BBC Scotland Channel on March 31st 2020.
He continues to live and work in Glasgow, producing and directing his own films but also working as a freelance cameraman worldwide.