Stuart rarely has time to make films for himself, but we are glad when he does.
His latest personal project is Cúl An Tí (gaelic for The Back Of The House, the title of Seán Ó Ríordáin’s haunting poem.)
A spare and deeply emotional story of grief, memory and mortality, the film tells of the homecoming of a daughter to visit her terminally ill, emotionally stunted mother. Shot on location in County Wicklow, Ireland, it evokes the spirit of changing Ireland, and beautifully and convincing depicts a family struggling to come to terms with its painful past.
“First Dance” by Liz Murphy
8 January 2019
Remember when you were young and in love? Oh to be so unjaded and full of novel hormones.
Liz Murphy’s latest for McDonalds evokes a set of feelings that most of us remember, whether fondly or cringingly – your first slow dance at the school disco.
The emotional intensity is captured though the knowing eyes of two dads on the taxi run, and is handled with Liz’s usual subtlety and charming sensitivity to the reality of everyday life’s little dramas.
As often recently, McDonalds manage to deftly integrate their offering convincingly and unobtrusively, with the minimum of fuss and zero sinister clowns.
Liz Murphy
Daddy's Little Girl · McDonalds
Liz Murphy
Daddy's Little Girl · McDonalds
It’s the little things. Family rituals, love them or hate them, play a huge part in our lives, especially at this time of year – small routines and gestures are loaded with the emotions of shared experience that are difficult to articulate.
Liz Murphy’s latest for McDonalds eloquently and effortlessly channels this idea. An apparently strained father daughter relationship is affected by the latest in a series of small gifts that signify some big emotions.
Liz’s sublime storytelling ability and obsessive eye for details are used to full effect in this gently emotive Christmas tale.
Lucy Bridger’s short, Mothering, wins UK Film Festival Top Honour
5 December 2018
We at Nice Shirt are very proud to announce that Lucy Bridger’s Mothering has won the top award for Best British Short Film at the 2018 UK Film Festival.
Lucy’s film tells the story of young girl, Mia, arriving at her new foster home. When her first period arrives in the early hours, help comes in the form of her foster parent’s elderly mother, Pauline.
Lucy joined Nice Shirt earlier this year and has directed commercials for Dove, Fairy and Persil. Her short films have garnered much critical praise and we are excited about Mothering doing so well. It has been shortlisted for several other festivals so watch this space.
Rewe by Liz Murphy
22 November 2018
Liz Murphy’s latest for Rewe, highlighting the store’s charitable endeavors this Christmas, is a beautifully told story about how children can do extraordinary things when they really want to.
As usual, Liz’s sensitivity to what makes children tick allows her to direct perfectly convincing performances, complemented by her meticulous styling and Kasper Wind’s beautiful photography.
Jesper Ericstam
Lonely This Christmas · Telia
Jesper Ericstam
Lonely This Christmas · Telia
Jesper Ericstam making a beautifully crafted Christmas ad has now become something of a festive tradition. This year it’s a film for Norwegian telecom company Telia – a simple story of how technology can make you feel connected to the ones you care about, no matter where you are.
There is nothing particularly ground-breaking or novel about the concept, but Jesper’s instinct for storytelling, and obsessive eye for detail – plus a wonderful cameo from a howly Dalmatian – make it a heart-warming winner.
United We Dream by New Talent signing Emilio Gamal Boutros
12 November 2018
We are all, at Nice Shirt, absolutely thrilled that, Emilio Gamal Boutros has very deservedly won an ADCAN award hot on the heels of him joining the Nice Shirt New Talent roster.
ADCAN is an international competition which invites up and coming filmmakers to create and submit a completed commercial for a live charity brief.
The film, for US charity United We Dream, highlights the unfair treatment of many undocumented immigrants under the Trump administration.
It’s a hard-hitting concept, and fabulously well realised, especially given the production restrictions of having to cast and shoot in the UK. Emilio came up with the idea, wrote and directed the film in the space of month, ably produced by Jack Cain (another member of the Nice Shirt team).
Emilio is a graduate of the prestigious Arts University of Bournemouth, and has been making short films and music videos since leaving the college, as well as working as a researcher at Nice Shirt.
Richard Martin, Nice Shirt’s EP, says: “We have high-hopes for Emilio. Beneath his self-effacing exterior he is one of the brightest, most creative and hardest working people I’ve ever met. His directorial work already shows a distinctive style and I’m sure there is much more to come. The ADCAN award is evidence of a considerable talent.”
The Royal British Legion by Tareq & Stuart Douglas
6 November 2018
We have a warm and fuzzy feeling at Nice Shirt towers after this year’s offering for The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal finally aired.
Co-directed by Tareq & Stuart Douglas, the campaign features some truly impressive individuals: British Paralympian Richard Whitehead MBE; war hero and Victoria Cross recipient Johnson Beharry; Mark Strong, Bear Grylls, Mumsnet’s Justine Roberts and a host of others.
The film explains what life-changingly significant contributions the WW1 generation made to our world, in a time of deep and dark conflict that puts the current Euro-shambles into perspective.
Humbling stuff with which we are very proud to have been involved.
