Bio

 

Neasa is a BAFTA-winning Director and Writer for film and television

drama. Born in Dublin, she began her career with a Double First from the

National College of Art and Design Ireland, winning a scholarship for her

Master¹s at the Universität der Künste Berlin.

 

Neasa returned to Ireland to make award-winning documentaries with RTÉ,

while completing a second Master¹s degree in Politics and Aesthetics as

well as designing the national broadcaster¹s rebranding. Neasa moved into

drama as the youngest ever director of RTÉ serial drama Fair City. This

led to writing and directing for the theatre in her native Dublin. The

quality of her work led to commissions with Channel Four and the BBC,

where Neasa carved her reputation in making world-class drama.

 

Neasa has just been awarded her second BAFTA, this time for the gritty

murder drama Happy Valley (BBC / Netflix). After making Happy Valley, she

teamed with Killer Films and Amazon to direct the 1920s story of Zelda

Sayre and her troubling life with    F. Scott Fitzgerald, Z: The

Beginning of Everything, starring Christina Ricci. Her earlier works

include the two-hour story finale for BAFTA-nominated homicide thriller

Scott & Bailey and acclaimed BBC six-part drama In The Club.

 

As a screenwriter, Neasa¹s work circles around themes of outsiders and

connection, identity and alterity. Her three feature screenplays have won

awards from Creative Europe, the London Film Awards and the Irish Film

Board. Neasa¹s short films have screened in competition at A-list

festivals across the world including the Berlinale, IFFRotterdam and Palm

Springs. Her award-winning art film This Is Going To Take More Than One

Night is in the permanent collection of the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

Filmography

 

Marvel's Inhumans

(2017) 2 x 1 hr. A ruling family of inhumans is ousted

from their questionable reign and forced to take refuge among suspicious

humans. Written by Scott Buck, produced by Jean Higgins for Marvel, IMax

and ABC.

 

Z: The Beginning of Everything

(2017) 2 x episodes. Biographical drama

tracing the life of Zelda Sayre, wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1920s

socialite, writer and artist whose frustration descended into madness.

Written by Nicole Yorkin & Dawn Prestwich, produced by Pam Koffler.

Killer Films for Amazon.

 

Happy Valley  

(2016) 2 x 1hr. Gritty murder drama. Written by Sally

Wainwright, produced by Juliet Charlesworth and Nicola Shindler. Red

Productions for BBC One, BBC Worldwide, Netflix.

 

Scott & Bailey

(2014) 2 x 1hr. Season finale of the BAFTA-nominated gritty homicide drama. Written by Amelia Bullmore, produced by Juliet Charlesworth. Red Productions for ITV.

 

In The Club

(2014) 2 x 1hr. Ensemble Drama charting the lives of six pregnant women in crisis. Written by Kay Mellor, produced by Yvonne Francas. Rollem Productions for BBC One Television.

 

Casualty: Between The Cracks

(2013) 2 x 1hr. Two-part drama following a suicidal young woman and a runaway teen entangled in prostitution and murder. Written by Sally Abbott and Emma Goodwin. Produced by Nikki Wilson for BBC One Television.

 

Holby City

(2012 – 13) 4 x 1hr episodes. Ensemble drama charting the struggles of specialists and general surgeons at an NHS hospital. Produced by Oliver Kent for BBC One Television.

 

Tracy Beaker’s Return

(2009 – 11) 3 x drama series. BAFTA-winning children’s ensemble drama following the lives and struggles of children in a care home. Written by Jacqueline Wilson, produced by Gina Cronk for BBC Television.

 

School Run

(2008) 75min film. Ensemble comedy set in a precariously financed Dublin school trying to save the Irish language. Written by Anna McPartlin, produced by Grand Pictures for TV3.

 

This is Going to Take More Than One Night

(2010). Award-winning art film exploring the eternal struggle to communicate. Produced & directed by Neasa Hardiman. Arts Council of Ireland. Official Collection, Irish Museum of Modern Art.

 

Beyond Redemption

(2007) 45min documentary film. Portrait of radical activist Peter McVerry, who has worked with drug-addicted criminal teenagers for thirty years. Written, produced & directed by Neasa Hardiman for RTÉ Television.

 

Home

(2007) 6 x 30min documentary series. A social and political history of domestic life in Ireland from 1960 to the present. Written, produced & directed by Neasa Hardiman for RTÉ Television.

 

The Naked Extremist / An Gaeilgeoir Nocht

(2006) 58min film. Award-winning black comedy about a cultural extremist in mid-life crisis. written by Marina Ní Dhubháin, produced by Brendan McCarthy for Language & Telegael. TG4 Television.

 

Totally Frank

(2005) 7 x 30min drama series. Four young women form a band, move into a squat in the East End of London and struggle to become rock stars. Written by Heather Tyrell. Initial for Channel Four.

 

Away Home

(2005) 20min film. Drama about escaping the limits of your community, devised through improvisation with actors from Loyalist paramilitary enclave Shankill Road, Belfast. Written by Mark O’Halloran, produced by Calipo Theatre and Film Company.

 

Olive

(2004) 10min film. A young girl has a brief, electrifying affair that changes her life. Written, produced & directed by Neasa Hardiman for Language. Released by Columbia Tristar.

 

Imagining Ulysses

(2004) (with Dearbhla Walsh) 90min creative documentary. Divided into chapters matching the structure of James Joyce’s Ulysses, the documentary takes a theme from each chapter of the book as a starting point for a short audio-visual essay. Written & directed by Neasa Hardiman, produced by David Blake Knox. Blueprint Films for RTÉ Television.

 

Ireland’s Teenage Criminals

(2003) 1 x 58min investigative documentary. An intimate exploration of the lives of homeless, often drug-addicted young people who roam the streets of Dublin, Cork and Limerick. Nominee, Best Documentary, Irish Film and Television Awards 2004. Produced & directed by Neasa Hardiman for RTÉ Television.

 

Treasure

(2002) 10min film. Dream-reality story of a woman forced to choose between a mesmeric object and her family. Written, produced & directed by Neasa Hardiman. Language. Released by Columbia Tristar Pictures. 

 

Pluck

(2002) 10min film. A stay-at-home father descends into madness when he becomes obsessed with a hair on his wife’s chin. Written by Emma Donoghue, produced & directed by Neasa Hardiman. Language. Irish Film Board Short Cuts 2001

 

Fair City

(1998 – 2001) serial television drama. Directed by Neasa Hardiman. Written by Carmel Callon, Claire Dowling, Ted Gannon, Thomas McLoughlin, Produced by Niall Matthews for RTÉ Television.

 

TX

(1996 – 1998) 26 x 2 hour weekly youth entertainment show including documentary, surreal comedy, visual art, music. Devised by Neasa Hardiman, written by Hardiman, Alan Robinson & Peter Vamos. Executive produced & directed by Neasa Hardiman for RTÉ Television.

 

The Eurovision Song Contest

(1997) EBU Europewide broadcast. 25 x 1’  abstracted sequences on the theme of communication. Written & directed by Neasa Hardiman, produced by Noel Curran for RTÉ Television.

 

Prime Time

(1996) 6 x 40min political/social documentaries covering diverse subjects including the future of broadcasting, criminal justice, prostitution, drug culture. written by Cathy Moore / Donagh Diamond / Neasa Hardiman, produced & directed by Neasa Hardiman for RTÉ Television.

 

Black Box

(1995) 13 x 40min arts documentaries on Jennifer Johnston, Patrick Heron, Neil Gaiman and others. Written by Neasa Hardiman & Keelin Shanley. Produced & directed by Neasa Hardiman for RTÉ Television.

Awards

 

2017 BAFTA for Best Drama Series

 

2017 Nominee, Best Director, Irish Film & Television Awards

 

2016 Best Director, Irish Film & Television Awards

 

2012 BAFTA Nominee, Best Children’s Drama

2012 Best First Feature Screenplay Prize, London Film Awards

2012 Certificate of Merit, Chicago International Film Festival

2011 Certificate of Merit, Chicago International Film Festival

2011 Platinum Award, Best Direction - Short Film, WorldFest Huston

2010 BAFTA Best Children’s Drama

2009 Nominee, Best Drama, Irish Film & Television Awards

2009 Nominee, Best Drama, Irish TV Now Awards

2008 Arts Council of Ireland Projects Award

2007 Nominee, Best Drama, Irish Film & Television Awards

2005 Best Short Film, Newport Beach Film Festival

2005 Princess Award for Best Documentary, Celtic Film Festival

2004 Gold Hugo for Best Documentary, Chicago International Film Festival

2004 Nominee, Best Investigative Documentary, Irish Film & Television Awards

2004 Nominee, Best Creative Documentary, Irish Film & Television Awards

2003 Arts Council of Ireland Projects Award

2003 Commendation, Fantastic Film Festival Sweden

2002 European Film Academy Michael Radford Director’s Masterclass

2001 European Film Academy Slawomir Idziak Director’s Masterclass

2002 IDI Award for Stage, Film and Television

2001 Arts Council of Ireland Projects Award