Nicholas Connor’s film work has screened at over 50 film festivals globally where he has personally won 37 awards with 64 nominations.
At just 16 years of age, he wrote and directed the hour-long drama ‘Northern Lights’ (2016), which won multiple awards including ‘Film of the Year’ at UK Monthly Film Festival.
He was later awarded the Into Film ‘Ones to Watch’ Award (2017) Sponsored by EON Productions, presented by Charles Dance.
In 2017, he wrote & directed ‘Cotton Wool’ starring Leanne Best (Line of Duty, Star Wars Ep 7), Crissy Rock (Ken Loach’s Ladybird Ladybird), Kate Rutter (I, Daniel Blake, Peterloo) & Max Vento (The A Word). The film won the ‘Special Jury Prize’ at the London Film Awards and Nicholas went on to win ‘Best Director’ at the European Independent Film Awards.
Cotton Wool won 46 awards with 73 nominations and 28 official selections. Including ‘Best Picture’ at the ‘New York Film Awards’, ‘Best Picture at the ‘LA Film Awards’ and ‘Best Drama’ at the ‘Global Independent Film Awards’. The film also gained official selection to the ‘British Independent Film Festival’ and screened at the Empire Leicester Square. Cotton Wool featured on BBC News Nationwide and received the ‘Humanity Award for Film’ at the ‘New Renaissance Film Festival’.
ScreenCritix gave the film ★★★★★, calling Nicholas one of the ‘UK’s Hottest Prospects’. UK Film Review awarded the film the ‘Best Short Film of the Year’, stating it was ‘Utterly enrapturing’, ‘Affecting and heart-breaking’.
Nicholas has been working on various productions such as Star Wars Episode 9, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Hitman 2 and Alex Garland’s TV Series DEVS. In 2018, he was selected for Kay Mellor’s Writers Think-Tank, assisting Mrs Mellor (The Syndicate) and her company in developing and brainstorming ideas for a new TV Series.
In the same year, Nicholas was awarded a 'UK Inspirational Children and Young People's Award' for 'Contributions to Arts and Culture' as part of the 'Music in the Mind' event.
In 2018, Nicholas was 1 of 6 directors selected for the ‘National Film and Television School BFI Academy’, Nicholas premiered his film ’The Narrator’ at the British Film Institute. The film led to him being awarded the Rising Star Award at Carmarthen Bay Film Festival (BAFTA Qualifying).
Nicholas has also directed over 2 hours of animated short films as a freelancer and various Virtual Production short films on an LED Volume.
Previous talks, masterclasses and Q and A’s include BIMA (British Interactive Media Association), Kings College London, Scottish Mental Health Film Festival, Edge Hill University and more.
He is now attached to direct “Maurice’s Jubilee’ based on the play by Nichola McAuliffe. Starring Julian Glover, Susan Hampshire and Nichola McAuliffe.
Memberships / Programmes
BAFTA Connect Member
Directors UK Associate Member
BIFA Voting Member
BIFA U25 Advisor
The Writing Squad
Selected for BFI Network x BAFTA Crew (2021)
BAFTA Mentee