Chanya is a film, television and theatre director and writer. She is currently developing original series’ as Writer & Director with Priyanka Chopra’s Company Purple Pebble, and Nicola Shindler’s company Quay Street Productions. Chanya has most recently joined the Doctor Who60th Anniversary Special as Director, working with Russell T Davies, Bad Wolf and the BBC. Her other recent directing work for TV includes the World War II drama World on Fire with Lesley Manville, Helen Hunt, Sean Bean and Jonah Hauer King (BBC/Mammoth Screen/PBS), and The Spanish Princess (New Pictures/Amazon Prime/ STARZ) which Chanya joined as Lead Director.

Her critically acclaimed second feature film Vita & Virginia starring Gemma Arterton, Elizabeth Debicki and Isabella Rossellini, received its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2018. It then went on to be the Opening Night Gala Film for the BFI Flare Film Festival in 2019, and was nominated at the BIFA Awards in 2019. Chanya’s debut feature film Burn Burn Burn starring Chloe Pirrie and Laura Carmichael, was nominated for the Discovery Award at the BIFA Awards for an outstanding debut feature, in 2016. Burn Burn Burn premiered at BFI London Film Festival and was later acquired on by Netflix alongside receiving a global theatrical release.

Chanya went onto win the BFI LOCO Film Festival’s Discover Award for Burn Burn Burn, as an outstanding debut feature in 2016. Burn Burn Burn received its US Premiere at the Seattle Film Festival. It won the Grand Prix at the Odessa Film Festival, and the Audience Award at the Umbria Film Festival. It was also in competition at the Toronto In/Out LGBTQ Festival and at Eden Norderney and Brussels Film Festivals. Chanya is an alumni of the Royal Court Young Writers Programme. She received an MA from RADA in Theatre Directing, and studied English Literature at Oxford University.