timothy despina marshall
award-winning queer writer/director
& script consultant/mentor
Featured Work
About
TDM.
I carry the name and legacy of my grandmother (yia yia) Despina - a strong Egyptian-born Greek woman, who encouraged me endlessly, and always led with kindness.
I'm a proud queer filmmaker with a strong passion for championing stories from the LGBTQIA+ community and am committed to sharing my knowledge and supporting the next generation of creatives making their way into the industry (with a focus on queer creatives).
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Bio.
In 2013, Timothy's short film Gorilla won the Iris Prize in the UK, the world's largest LGBTQIA+ short film prize, awarding him £25K to make his next short film. The outcome of this, Followers, had its world premiere in competition at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival followed by a screening in competition at SXSW 2015, and as part of the Accelerator program at the 2015 Melbourne International Film Festival.
Timothy's first feature film as writer/director/producer, queer horror In The Room Where He Waits released in 2024 to critical acclaim including a 5-star review in ScreenHub. The film also earned Timothy a nomination for Best Director (Film Budget under $1.5M) at the Australian Director's Guild Awards. The film stars award-winning queer actor Daniel Monks, and is produced by award-winning QLD producer Bec Dakin, with executive producers Dan Lake and Kurt Royan from Orange Entertainment Co (ABC's White Fever, Retrograde).
Timothy also has an exciting slate of feature films and TV shows currently in development. In 2017, Timothy won the WeScreeplay TV Pilot Script contest judged by Comedy Central, and placed as a semi-finalist in the Academy Nicholl Fellowship in 2014.
As a screenwriter, Timothy has learned from the very best - having developed his scripts with the assistance of script consultants including Andrew Ellard (writer, IT Crowd, Red Dwarf), Lynne Vincent McCarthy (script editor, The Babadook, The Nightingale), and Ruth Atkinson (Sundance Screenwriting Lab script consultant).
In 2014, Timothy created online series, TORSO, as a way to break down stereotypes and celebrate diverse bodies within the online queer community. TORSO was featured in the Huffington Post and has been presented as an interactive installation with a custom-built app at both Outfest LGBTQIA+ Film Festival Los Angeles and the Reykjavik International Film Festival.
Timothy was selected for Screen Australia's Talent USA program in 2017, and the 2018 Film Independent Directing Lab in Los Angeles, which included mentorship from Nicole Holofcener, Barry Jenkins, and Chloe Zhao.
Despina + mini TDM
Script Consulting (AKA making your script the best it can be)
I consult on feature film, television, short film, and web series projects in various stages of development. It's important to me that as a consultant I feel I'm the best fit for your story, and your creative team, so I take projects on selectively based on an initial brief consult.
All my consultation sessions focus on face-to-face (online) development discussions, with written notes included.
Email me tdm@tdmfilm.com for enquiries.
Testimonials
Follow
I respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country on which we live and work, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
(C) copyright 2023, Timothy Despina Marshall