Person

Franny Armstrong

Franny Armstrong is a director of the McLibel documentary and obsessive McSpotlight fan, on new media's battle with the burgers.

Franny Armstrong (born in 1972) is a British documentary film director  working for her own company, Spanner Films. She is primarily known for three films: The Age of Stupid, about climate change, McLibel, about the infamous McDonald's court case and Drowned Out, following the fight against the Narmada Dam Project. Her most recent project is the UK-wide campaign 10:10, which aims to cut 10% of the UK's emissions during 2010. Since 10:10's launch in September 2009, the UK's leading politicians have signed up to the campaign, along with many prominent companies, organisations and individuals.

Armstrong's first documentary, McLibel (1997, 2005), told the story of the McDonald's libel trial, the longest-running court action in English history. Filmed over ten years with no commission, no budget and a voluntary crew ? including Ken Loach, who directed the courtroom reconstructions ? it shot to notoriety when lawyers prevented its broadcast, first at BBC1 and then at Channel 4 in 1997. Eight years later - after the 'McLibel Two' had defeated the British government at the European Court of Human Rights ? it was finally broadcast on BBC2 at 10.30pm on a Sunday, to an estimated 1 million viewers. It was well received by critics, with Time Out crediting Armstrong with "gusto and wit" in telling a story that "will satisfy both head and heart". It was then broadcast on TV in 15 countries ? including Australia, Canada and the USA ? and released on DVD worldwide. McLibel was released in cinemas and DVD stores in the USA in summer 2005 and this was followed in the UK in 2006. McLibel was nominated for numerous awards, including the Grierson Documentary Award and the British Independent Film Awards. It was recently picked for the British Film Institute's prestigious series, "Ten Documentaries which Changed the World".

Armstrong's second feature documentary, Drowned Out (2002), follows an Indian family who chose to stay at home and drown rather than make way for the Narmada Dam. It also sold around the world, was nominated for Best Documentary at the British Independent Film Awards 2004 and was released theatrically in America and DVD worldwide in 2006.

She has been working full-time on The Age of Stupid (formerly known as Crude) since December 2004. It's a film that warns of the catastrophic effects of climate change using a mix of factual documentary and post-apocalyptic fictional styles. It was released in the UK on March 13 2009 and had its green-carpet global premiere on September 21 2009. During the Copenhagen climate change conference in December 2009 it was broadcast on BBC4 in the UK and on TV in seven other countries.

Filmography
    * McLibel
    * Drowned Out
    * Baked Alaska
    * The Age of Stupid