Molly Manning Walker was on a boat to Greece last May when she got a call to say she should probably turn around as soon as possible and get back to the Cannes Film Festival.
She’d already made a major splash in the south of France with her debut feature “How to Have Sex,” a cautionary tale following three British teenage girls on a wild and intoxicated summer holiday that takes a dark turn over the issue of sexual consent.
The film, which had been picked up by Mubi before Cannes, became one of the breakout hits of the 2023 event, enjoying critical acclaim, standing ovations, and earmarking Manning Walker as an exciting new cinematic voice. The festival had been, in no uncertain terms, a resounding success.
“It was such a magical experience, and what a place to have the birthing of the film,” she says, speaking from Sundance ahead of “How to Have Sex’s” U.S. premiere. “We had our cast and crew there, we had a really lovely party to celebrate the launch of the film, so I’d left in a very content manner.
Molly Manning Walker is a British cinematographer and director, based in London. Her debut feature film How to Have Sex won the Un Certain Regard award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and the Discovery Prize at the 36th European Film Awards.
Manning Walker attended Elthorne Park High School and St Augustine’s Priory. She was interested in photography in school and was invited to photograph an Occupy London event, which Manning Walker turned into a documentary.
She went on to study Cinematography at Arts University Bournemouth, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 2015, and the National Film and Television School, graduating with a Master of Arts (MA) in 2018.
“It’s amazing and very unexpected. I keep trying to enjoy the moment because it’s easy to get lost in it,” Manning Walker says from Park City.
