Aoife McArdle facts for kids
Aoife McArdle (pronounced EE-fa) is a talented director, writer, and cinematographer from Ireland. She creates films, TV shows, music videos, and commercials. Aoife has won several important awards, like the IFTA Rising Star Award and a WFTV Best Director Award. She has also been nominated for big awards like the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and Primetime Emmy awards for her amazing work.
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Her Early Life
Aoife McArdle grew up in a town called Omagh in Northern Ireland.
She went to Trinity College, Dublin to study English Literature. There, she became very interested in photography and making films. She used older cameras like Super 8 and Mini DV to shoot and edit her own movies. After that, she earned a Masters degree in Film & TV production from Bournemouth film school. In 2005, she moved to London and started her career making films and music videos.
What She Does
From 2020 to 2022, Aoife worked as a director and producer on the TV series Severance. This show was shown on Apple TV and was loved by many people. Famous actors like Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken, and John Turturro starred in it.
In 2021, she directed a short film and art display called All of This Unreal Time. It featured actor Cillian Murphy performing a speech written by Max Porter. The music was created by Jon Hopkins, Aaron Dessner, and Bryce Dessner. This special project was first shown at the Manchester International Festival.
Her first full-length movie, Kissing Candice, was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017. It also premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2018 and received great reviews.
In 2015, Jefferson Hack from Dazed magazine asked her to make a short film for U2's song "Every Breaking Wave." This film was praised by famous directors like Spike Jonze and Alejandro González Iñárritu. It was also nominated for four UK Music Video awards.
Aoife has directed music videos for artists like Jon Hopkins and Bryan Ferry. She has also made TV commercials for big companies such as Honda and Nike. She even directed Super Bowl commercials for Squarespace, Audi, and Toyota. Her work in advertising often promotes important ideas like social equality.
Her shorter projects have won many awards. These include a UK Music Video Award, D&AD Pencils, and Lions at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. She has also won Gold British Arrows, Clios, and AICP awards.
Her Unique Style
Aoife McArdle's stories often focus on characters who feel like outsiders. She also explores big questions about life and existence. Her films often mix real-life situations with dream-like or unusual scenes.
Her visual style is easy to spot. She uses special locations, long camera movements, and often uses dim lighting. She likes to use anamorphic lenses, which give a wide, cinematic look. She also prefers shooting on 35mm film, which gives a classic, rich image.
Films and Shows She Directed
Feature Films
- Kissing Candice - Irish Film Board - 2018
Television Series
- Severance - Apple - 2022
- Brave New World - Peacock - 2020
Short Films
- All of this Unreal Time - Manchester International Festival - 2021
- Italy, Texas - Vice/55DSL - 2013
- Beyond the Fervent Heat - Design Forum - 2013
Music Videos
- Water (ft Clara La San) - Bicep - 2022
- Trouble in Town - Coldplay - 2020
- Every Breaking Wave - U2 - 2015
- Loop De Li - Bryan Ferry - 2014
- Half-Light - Wilkinson - 2014
- Open Eye Signal - Jon Hopkins - 2013
- Red Dust - James Vincent McMorrow - 2013
- Glacier - James Vincent McMorrow - 2013
- Cavalier - James Vincent McMorrow - 2013
- Lesson Number Seven - Clock Opera - 2012
- Seraphim - Simian Mobile Disco - 2012
- Desire - Anna Calvi - 2011
- Isles - Little Comets - 2011
- K Hole - Ali Love - 2006
- Martell - The Cribs - 2005
- What's your Damage - Test Icicles - 2005
- Circle, square, triangle - Test Icicles - 2005
- Helicopter (US) - Bloc Party - 2005
- Pioneers - Bloc Party - 2005
Commercials
- The Singularity - Squarespace - 2023 (Superbowl LVII)
- Live the Game - Playstation - 2019
- Dream with Us - Nike - 2019
- Good Odds - Toyota - 2018 (Superbowl LII)
- Runner - Toyota - 2018
- First Breath - Alzheimer's Research UK - 2018
- Equal Love - Absolut - 2017
- Daughter - Audi - 2017 (Superbowl LI)
- Prince with 1000 Enemies - Under Armour - 2016
- Numbers - Under Armour - 2016
- Raise - Secret - 2016
- Ignition - Honda - 2015
- Feel More - Samsung - 2015
- This is Major - Electric Ireland - 2014
- Wheels on the Car - Safer Scotland - 2013
- L'Homme Idéal - GQ Magazine - 2008
Awards and Recognition
- 2023: Won the BBC Studios Director Award at WFTV.
- 2023: Won the Rising Star award at IFTA.
- 2023: Nominated for a DGA award for directing the drama series 'Severance'.
- 2022: Directed the Peabody Award-winning show ' Severance'.
- 2022: Nominated for a Primetime Emmy for 'Outstanding Drama Series' for 'Severance'.
- 2022: Nominated for Best Directing in a Streaming Series, Drama by the Hollywood Critics Association for 'Severance'.
- 2022: Nominated for Best Narrative Short at Tribeca Film Festival for 'All of This Unreal Time'.
- 2020: Recognized in the D&AD Awards for her direction of 'Trouble in Town' by Coldplay.
- 2018: Won a Bronze Lion at Cannes for 'Good Odds' for Toyota.
- 2018: Won a Silver award for Direction at Clio Awards for 'Good Odds' for Toyota.
- 2018: Nominated for the Crystal Bear, Best Film in Generation 14plus at the Berlin International Film Festival for Kissing Candice.
- 2018: Won a Graphite Pencil for Direction at D&AD Awards for 'Equal Love' for Absolut.
- 2018: Won a Yellow Pencil for Cinematography at D&AD Awards for 'Equal Love' for Absolut.
- 2018: Won two Golds, a Silver, and a Bronze at British Arrow awards for 'Equal Love' for Absolut.
- 2017: Nominated for the Discovery award at Toronto International Film Festival for Kissing Candice.
- 2015: Nominated for Best Music Video at Camerimage for 'Every Breaking Wave' by U2.
- 2015: Nominated for Best Music Video at UK Music Video Awards for 'Every Breaking Wave' by U2.
- 2014: Nominated for Best Director at UK Music Video Awards.
- 2014: Nominated for Best Music Video at Camerimage for 'Red Dust' by James Vincent McMorrow.
- 2014: Recognized in the D&AD Awards for Cinematography for 'Open Eye Signal' by Jon Hopkins.
- 2013: Nominated for Best International Short Film at Raindance for 'Italy, Texas: Wild Souls in the hot, blind, earth'.
- 2013: Won Best Cinematography at UK Music Video Awards for 'Open Eye Signal' by Jon Hopkins.
- 2011: Won Best Music Video at Rushes Soho Shorts for 'Isles' by Little Comets.
- 2009: Won Best Commercial at Art Director's Club Paris for 'L'homme Ideal' for GQ Magazine.
- 2008: Won a Bronze Lion at Cannes for 'L'homme Ideal' for GQ Magazine.
