Sean Durkin
Durkin at the2011 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	Timothy Sean Durkin (1981-12-09)December 9, 1981 (age 43) Canada
Other names	T. Sean Durkin
Occupation(s)	Film director, screenwriter, film producer

Timothy Sean Durkin (born December 9, 1981) is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter, and producer.^[1] Durkin is known for directing the critically acclaimed independent filmsMartha Marcy May Marlene (2011),The Nest (2020), andThe Iron Claw (2023). He is also known for directing episodes of theChannel 4 seriesSouthcliffe (2013) and theAmazon Prime Video miniseriesDead Ringers (2023).

Durkin was born in Canada and moved to England soon thereafter; he was raised inNorth London and inSurrey until his family moved toManhattan when he was 12.^[2] Durkin graduated fromKent School inKent, Connecticut in 2000,^[3] then attended thefilm school atNew York University, where he graduated in 2005 and delivered his thesis film in 2006. He moved toWilliamsburg, Brooklyn in 2008.^[2]

In an interview withRobert K. Elder for the bookThe Best Film You've Never Seen, Durkin said, “When I make a film, I think about things that scare me. My exploration of those things is to try and wrap my head around them and confront them.”^[4] Durkin is a founding member of Borderline Films with fellow directorsAntonio Campos andJosh Mond.^[5][6] Durkin started his career directing several short films starting withDoris in 2006. His short film,Mary Last Seen won the award for best short film at the 2010Cannes Film FestivalDirectors' Fortnight.^[7] Durkin adapted the short into his first feature length film, the psychological-thrillerMartha Marcy May Marlene (2011) which was starredElizabeth Olsen,John Hawkes, andSarah Paulson. The film revolves around a woman suffering fromparanoia after returning to her family from an abusivecult in theCatskill Mountains. The film premiered at the2011 Sundance Film Festival where he won the Dramatic Directing Award.^[8] The film received positive reviews withChristy Lemire of theAssociated Press naming it the best film of 2011.^[9]

In 2013, Durkin directed theChannel 4 drama seriesSouthcliffe, starringSean Harris andRory Kinnear.^[10] His second film, another psychological drama,The Nest (2020) starredCarrie Coon andJude Law. The film revolves a couple whose marriage dissolves once they move from New York to London. Film criticRichard Lawson ofVanity Fair declared the film the best film of the year. The film received sixBritish Independent Film Award nominations including three awards Durkin forBest Director,Best Screenplay andBest British Independent Film. Durkin then directed his third film theA24 dramaThe Iron Claw (2023), starringZac Efron,Jeremy Allen White,Harris Dickinson, andLily James. The film is a biography based on theVon Erich family of wrestlers.^[11][12]

Durkin participated in the2012Sight & Sound critics' poll, where he listed his ten favorite films as follows:^[13]

Executive producer

Producer

• "Air Traffic Control" byLouis XIV (2008)^[14]
• "Your Love Is Killing Me" bySharon Van Etten (2014)

• Sean Durkin atIMDb

• 1981 births
• Film producers from New York (state)
• Kent School alumni
• Living people
• People from Williamsburg, Brooklyn
• Film directors from New York City
• Film directors from Ontario
• 21st-century Canadian screenwriters
• Sundance Film Festival award winners

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles with hCards