01
Surviving HomelessAward winner
Paul Suggitt spent six weeks living on the streets of Middlesbrough and Hartlepool during the pandemic to film what homelessness is really like.
Documentary director / Whitby, Teesside and worldwide Paul Suggitt
Paul Suggitt is an award-winning British documentary director and producer. True crime, social justice and adventure films on Prime Video, Apple TV, Tubi and Plex, plus commercials and brand films for clients like LNER and Middlesbrough FC.
Who I am
I make documentaries about the people cameras usually walk past. For Surviving Homeless I spent six weeks sleeping rough in Middlesbrough and Hartlepool. It won Best Documentary Feature and Best Director.
I came to filmmaking as an extreme adventurer and have made more than 100 productions since 2010. My documentaries have gone from Teesside's criminal underworld to life after Big Brother and down into Yorkshire's caves, and they stream on Prime Video, Apple TV, Tubi and Plex.
Alongside them I direct commercials, brand films, music videos and TV for brands and production companies. I run 7VEN Productions, and C7 Studios with Jamie Bulman, working from Whitby and Teesside and filming wherever the story is.
- 100+
- Productions since 2010
- 3
- Festival awards
- 5
- Platforms streaming my films
- Global
- Miami, Portugal, San Francisco and home
WinnerOutstanding AchievementTees Valley Int. Film Festival 2023
WinnerBest Documentary FeatureAccord Cine Fest 2021
WinnerBest DirectorAccord Cine Fest 2021
Global gala screeningSurviving HomelessTees Valley Int. Film Festival
Selected films
Real people.
Told straight.
A selection of my documentaries from more than 100 productions. Hover for a still, play the trailers here, or open a film for where to watch it.
02
Lee Duffy
The life and death of Lee Duffy, Teesside's most feared hard man, told by the people who knew him.
03
Surviving Reality
Three Big Brother stars on what happened after the cameras stopped rolling and the public stopped watching.
04
Eddy: My Universe
Five-time Mr Universe and four-time England's Strongest Man Eddy Ellwood, on the titles, the door work and what came after.
05
3 Peaks, 3 Pots
Iraq and Afghanistan veteran John Beamson climbs three of Britain's toughest mountains and goes down three of its hardest caves.
06
This is PeteIn production
Big Brother 7 winner Pete Bennett on fame, Tourette's, addiction and starting again.
Surviving Homeless, 2021
Six weeks on the streets.
WinnerBest Documentary FeatureAccord Cine Fest 2021
WinnerBest DirectorAccord Cine Fest 2021
Accord Cine Fest 2021
Lockdown had emptied the town centres of Middlesbrough and Hartlepool, so I gave up my bed and lived on the streets to film what that meant. The film won Best Documentary Feature and Best Director. It's free to watch on YouTube, Tubi and Plex.
Global gala screeningSurviving HomelessTees Valley Int. Film Festival
Global gala screening
Surviving Homeless had a global gala screening at Tees Valley International Film Festival. Everyone who appears in the film was given support to find accommodation away from the cameras.
Where I work
Home is the North East coast, between Whitby and Teesside. The work goes wherever the story is, from Miami and Portugal to San Francisco.
Home
WhitbyNorth Yorkshire coast
WhitbyNorth Yorkshire coastHome
TeessideMiddlesbrough, Hartlepool, Saltburn
TeessideMiddlesbrough, Hartlepool, Saltburn
MiamiFlorida, USA
PortugalLisbon and beyond
San FranciscoCalifornia, USAMy work includes projects for LNER, South Western Railway, Transport for Wales, Middlesbrough FC, documentaries for Amazon Prime Video and many more.
The companies
Two studios.
One standard.
7VEN Productions is my film and production company. C7 Studios, with Jamie Bulman, makes commercials, social content and drone films.
7VENHartlepool, 2020
7VEN Productions
Founder / Director
I founded 7VEN in October 2020 to make documentaries about subjects that matter: true crime, social awareness, sport and people. "Stories that move. Films that matter."
C7With Jamie BulmanC7 Studios
Founder / Director
A video production studio in Teesside, run with fellow founder Jamie Bulman of Castle Productions. Commercials, social media content, brand films and CAA licensed drone filming.
What I direct
Documentaries for broadcasters and streamers, and commercials and brand films with real people in them. Shot anywhere, from a Teesside back street to the bottom of a cave.
- Documentary
- True crime
- TV
- Commercials
- Brand films
- Music video
- Expedition
- Aerial
- Consultancy
How a project works
From first call to final cut.
- 01
Discover
A straight conversation about the story, the audience and where it will be watched.
- 02
Access
Time with the people and places before a camera comes out. It's what makes the film.
- 03
Shoot
A crew sized to the story, from a full unit to one camera on a street at 3am.
- 04
Deliver
Edited, graded and mixed, with versions for broadcast, streaming, festivals and social.
Questions about Paul
Good questions.
The things people usually ask about my films and working together. Anything else, just ask.
Who is Paul Suggitt?
Paul Suggitt is a multi award-winning British documentary director, producer, screenwriter and broadcaster from the North East of England. He has made over 100 productions since 2010, mostly true crime, social justice and adventure documentaries, and owns the production company 7VEN Productions.
What awards has Paul Suggitt won?
Surviving Homeless won Best Documentary Feature and Best Director at Accord Cine Fest in May 2021 and had a global gala screening at Tees Valley International Film Festival. In 2023 Paul was given the festival's award for Outstanding Achievement in the Film Industry, presented by Robson Green.
What documentaries has Paul Suggitt made?
His films include Lee Duffy: Too Far, Too Soon (2020), Surviving Homeless (2021), Eddy: My Universe (2023), Surviving Reality: Beyond the TV Dream (2024) and 3 Peaks, 3 Pots (2025). This is Pete is in production.
Where can I watch Paul Suggitt's films?
Surviving Homeless is free on YouTube, Tubi and Plex, and on Prime Video and Apple TV. Lee Duffy: Too Far, Too Soon, Eddy: My Universe and Surviving Reality are on Amazon Prime Video.
Where is Paul Suggitt based?
Paul works out of Whitby and Teesside in the North East of England, and films worldwide, including Miami, Portugal and San Francisco.
Can I hire Paul Suggitt?
Yes. Paul directs documentaries for broadcasters and streaming platforms, as well as commercials, branded films and music videos. Use the contact form with a few lines about the story, the audience and your timing. There's also an email link on that page.
Which brands has Paul Suggitt worked with?
Clients include LNER, South Western Railway, Transport for Wales and Middlesbrough FC, along with agencies and production companies across the UK.
What is 7VEN Productions?
7VEN Productions is Paul Suggitt's film and documentary production company, founded in October 2020 in Hartlepool. It makes documentaries about true crime, social issues, sport and people.
Contact
Got a project in mind?
Tell me a little about what you're making and I'll come back to you personally. Broadcasters, platforms, agencies, brands and producers are all welcome.
Not a project yet? Questions, collaborations and casting enquiries are welcome too. Just use the same form.
Prefer email? Email Paul