Amelia Hashemi is a London-based writer and director with a unique voice shaped by her half-Iranian, half-English heritage. Her award-winning short films, including 'Night Out' (Best Short Film at Leeds International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival premiere, BIFA longlist, and London Critics' Circle nomination) and 'Don鈥檛 Blame Us Cos We鈥檙e Famous!' (Best UK Short at East End Film Festival, London Short Film Festival premiere), have garnered widespread acclaim.
Amelia's distinct storytelling style and keen eye for character propelled her into the commercial world, where she directed three branded films for VW's Motability campaign, earning nominations at Campaign Big Awards and screenings at Cannes Lions.
Currently developing her debut feature with BBC Films and Parkville Pictures, Amelia brings a deep understanding of performance, honed through years working with industry luminaries. Her early career saw her collaborating with directors such as Anthony Minghella, Stephen Daldry, and Simon McBurney in various production roles, and working alongside renowned casting directors like Susie Figgis, Lucinda Syson, and Priscilla John.
With a background that spans film, theatre, and commercials, Amelia combines cinematic craft with emotional depth, making her an exciting voice in both commercial and narrative filmmaking.
Name: Amelia Hashemi
Location: London
Repped by/in: UNIT9 / Curtis Brown
Awards:
鈥 Winner 鈥 Best Short Film (Don鈥檛 Blame Us Cos We鈥檙e Famous!) 鈥 East End Film Festival
鈥 Winner 鈥 Best Short Film (Night Out) 鈥 Leeds Festival
鈥 Winner 鈥 Best Short Film (Night Out) 鈥 London Calling Special Jury Award
鈥 Nominated 鈥 London Critics鈥 Circle Award (Night Out)
鈥 Longlisted 鈥 Best British Short Film (Night Out) 鈥 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA)
鈥 Premiered 鈥 BFI London Film Festival (Night Out)
鈥 Nominated 鈥 Campaign Big Awards 鈥 Volkswagen Motability
Amelia> I have a few projects ticking away, but I鈥檓 currently packaging a feature film that鈥檚 been developed with Parkville Pictures and BBC Films, and we鈥檙e aiming to go into production later this year. So that鈥檚 exciting. It鈥檚 an evolution of my short film 'Night Out', which is a teen coming-of-age drama.
There鈥檚 also a short documentary/drama about the way porn is shaping the teenage experience, which I鈥檝e been working on for some time and feel very passionate about. It鈥檚 deeply important to me and was born out of the research I did while writing the feature film. The subject matter is incredibly challenging, which has made the process difficult, but that only makes me want to make it even more. It鈥檚 a conversation I believe is utterly essential, as teenage brains are literally being changed by pornography.
Amelia> Connection, in all ways, is key, and I鈥檓 up for the challenge of keeping connection and raw creative energy alive in the face of AI.
Polarisation seems to be a thing currently, so it鈥檚 not altogether surprising that it鈥檚 happening in the creative world too. I think as AI grows, people will naturally begin to seek out more handcrafted, deeply personal creations.
Human beings are messy and unpredictable, so they鈥檒l want that reflected in what they see and listen to.
Art has always been used to challenge ideas and reflect what鈥檚 going on in the world. I won鈥檛 let myself believe that that will ever die. People need creativity. I truly believe that, and I think the advertising industry has a responsibility to reflect that too. There鈥檚 something powerful in it.
Amelia> I鈥檓 always interested in what lies beneath a character鈥檚 surface. What is their relationship to the world around them and to the people in their lives?
I鈥檓 an emotional thinker, so I naturally gravitate toward work that communicates something meaningful. Even if it鈥檚 something small鈥攍ike a teen wanting to make their mum鈥檚 day a little better by giving her some chocolate, just to show she鈥檚 being thought of.
Zooming in on everyday moments鈥攚atching a teen do something simple, but if you look closely, that seemingly insignificant moment might actually be the most important thing that has ever happened to them. The challenge is in figuring out how to capture that depth. I loved discovering the depth of the brother-sister relationship in the spots I did for VW.
I think a sense of history comes out from the way they interact with each other鈥攖heir tone of voice, slight looks, small improvisations. The tiny nuances discovered with the actors inform so much. It was a lot of fun.
There鈥檚 always a bigger message under the smallest of things, and I like looking for those.
Amelia> I spend a lot of time trying to get to the heart of what a project is really about鈥攚hat are the creatives trying to say beyond the direct message? I want to understand the emotional core, get under the skin of a project, digest it, and fully grasp what the team is aiming for. What鈥檚 the pull? What鈥檚 the feeling the spot is trying to evoke?
The best way for me to ponder this is to move away from my computer and do something where my body is a bit active. I鈥檓 not very good at having ideas if I just sit in front of my laptop. They seem to come to me naturally, without forcing anything, if I listen to music that connects with the idea and my body is moving. I then just jot down whatever comes to mind.
I then get to my laptop and do a 鈥榳ord vomit.鈥 After that, it鈥檚 a lot of rewriting. I love sourcing images and researching what鈥檚 come before, which helps shape the vision further and takes me out of my safe space.
Often, I feel really proud of the treatments鈥攖here鈥檚 a lot of love that goes into them.
Amelia> It鈥檚 crucial for me to find a way into a brand or product鈥檚 objective鈥攅ven if that鈥檚 just through the script and story they鈥檙e advocating. Contextual understanding is crucial.
Strategy, I believe, is best left to our agency partners on a need-to-know basis. If it can help me, great, but really, I鈥檓 there to nurture and champion the humanity of the piece to ensure the messaging lands.
Amelia> The creatives are, of course, very important. Ideally, this relationship should be collaborative, open, and aligned with the same vision. I鈥檓 very aware I鈥檝e been hired for my taste and skills and how that can be utilised for their specific spot.
Then, it鈥檚 the producer for me, because I agonise over the details, the logic, and story worlds, and I like to chat it through with a willing ear.
Amelia> My natural affinity is with drama. All human-related stuff. I鈥檓 drawn to work that asks questions, challenges perceptions, and reflects on the world and the minds of its characters. I鈥檓 not afraid of tackling serious subjects, but I also enjoy finding humour, lightness, and a sense of magic within those serious moments.
That said, I鈥檝e always wanted to direct a music video. Outside of my work in ads, I like to experiment with magical realism, and I feel that music videos offer a space where you can take bold, imaginative risks while still staying grounded in reality. There鈥檚 something exciting about that balance. I haven鈥檛 made one yet, but maybe 2025 will be the year!
Amelia> Maybe it鈥檚 that I work mainly with children and that my focus is only social realism. I really enjoy working with kids and teens, and I have a deep appreciation for social realism as a genre. However, I鈥檓 eager to broaden my creative horizons.
While I鈥檒l always be drawn to what feels natural and authentic, as I mentioned, I鈥檓 also captivated by magical realism and how we can play with perspective. I like to find the unexpected in stories鈥攍ike, what happens if the character does the exact opposite of what鈥檚 on the page but with the same emotional intention? It might not always work, but it鈥檚 interesting to explore things (even if just as a process and for personal growth).
I have a strong passion for incorporating movement into visuals. I went through a phase of finding stills from films I loved and matching them with stills from contemporary dances I also loved. I spent hours doing this. I love dance, and I鈥檓 fascinated by performance through body language and movement鈥攖he way bodies and objects create shapes, rhythms, and visual repetitions. Even the tiniest of facial movements. The depth of information you can get from a micro-flinch or a barely visible snarl is incredible.
I鈥檓 also very into sound and how sound can physically move and change people. I want to explore both of these elements more in my work in the future.
That said, it would have to relate to the characters鈥 inner worlds somehow or the story world.
Amelia> I haven鈥檛 had the opportunity to work directly with a cost consultant yet, but I can absolutely see their value in the process. As a director, it鈥檚 my job to think on as big a canvas as the story requires, but I fully appreciate that achieving that creative vision often comes down to balancing ambition with practical constraints.
Amelia> I ended up on a shoot in France where the script called for a scene with raining frogs (think Magnolia), but in our case, they were dead. At the time, I was still pretty new to directing and, naively, I just assumed we鈥檇 use CGI. It wasn鈥檛 until we were deep into production and fully committed to the scene that I realised CGI wasn鈥檛 an option.
To be fair, the production team followed all the local guidelines, but I hadn鈥檛 fully anticipated what using real dead frogs would actually mean. The old saying, 鈥淲hen you assume, you make an ass out of you and me,鈥 really hit home at that moment. I found myself in an ethically uncomfortable position, but unfortunately, by that point, there wasn鈥檛 much I could do. It was definitely a culture shock鈥攁nd a bit of a messy situation all around!
Amelia> Collaboration is absolutely essential, and it鈥檚 something I really enjoy. But at the end of the day, the agency and client know the brand better than anyone else in the room. They鈥檝e brought me on because they believe my skillset and taste can help bring their long-developed idea to life.
So, it鈥檚 really about having ongoing, open, and honest conversations鈥攁nd not being afraid to propose solutions that might be turned down. My role is to suggest what I believe will serve the project best. I can make a case for why I think something works creatively and from a storytelling perspective, and then the agency and client can assess how that fits with the brand.
It鈥檚 all about keeping an open mind, sharing ideas confidently, and understanding that not every suggestion will make it to the final cut鈥攂ecause, ultimately, it might not align with the brand. And being okay with that.
Amelia> Diversity in creativity is essential across all areas鈥攁nd something I think relates to my point about AI.
I鈥檓 dyslexic, and it鈥檚 taken me years to embrace that in a professional setting.
When I started out, I didn鈥檛 tell anyone in the industry鈥攅ven when I was running鈥擨 was very ashamed. I never thought anyone would be interested in my ideas, and I used to be afraid to write or read anything, let alone write a feature script and then have other people read it.
It definitely hindered me in getting started, but it鈥檚 something I now see as a strength that fuels my creativity as a director and the way I see the world. Creativity thrives on diversity.
I鈥檓 very open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set. It鈥檚 one of the most effective ways to learn, and I鈥檓 a big advocate for it. When I moved from casting to directing, I was very lucky to have the support of producers and directors I had previously worked with鈥攁nd I still see them as mentors now.
I love working on other people鈥檚 sets. It鈥檚 so useful, and I think it should be encouraged. More openness, generally, can only be a good thing.
Amelia> It鈥檚 very important to keep format in mind, as it鈥檚 the canvas on which we鈥檙e painting, and usually, it鈥檚 something that鈥檚 discussed a lot upfront. So when you鈥檙e on set, everyone needs to be aware of which bits will be used where, especially if multiple formats are being shot simultaneously.
When it comes to the shooting of it, I often lean on my DoP and producers to keep framing front of mind, as I鈥檓 focused on what鈥檚 going on between the actors to ensure we capture the performances needed.
Amelia> My relationship with new technology is one of balance. If it serves the script and idea, then I can see huge strengths in AI, virtual production, and interactive storytelling, but for me, the idea has to come first.
It鈥檚 essential to stay current鈥攂ut not for the sake of jumping on trends. I鈥檝e always prioritised performances above everything else, so I鈥檇 start with that and then look at which technologies can help bring the idea to life in the best way.
Amelia> NSPCC (Ad)
I loved this one. It was a tricky brief with a lot to think about while getting across a very important message. It was an insanely quick turnaround and a lot for a young actress to take on (while wanting to protect her from what the ad was about and also not breaking any Santa dreams). But Mia, the actress, was fabulous to work with. It was her first job, but she was a true professional!
VW 鈥楽uccess鈥 (Ad)
I鈥檝e always really loved this spot. It鈥檚 a simple yet powerful story between a mother and son, celebrating his first job. My first commercial gigs were the VW ads and I won them when I was heavily pregnant with my son, so it resonated. It鈥檚 mad to think of it now but I was awarded them when I was in bed on a very strict bedrest (I wasn鈥檛 allowed to sit up). I think I only got out of bed to either go for a check up or go to a VW meeting.
The creative team were amazing in every respect - because I was on bedrest I couldn鈥檛 shoot the film before I had physically given birth. It was a huge opportunity that I thought was going to disappear. But, the client and creatives were happy to wait and I felt so blessed. My producer Harry Starkey-Midha was my rock during those shoots.
I hadn鈥檛 been out of my bed for five months so it all felt like a bit of a shock, but Harry was a hero making sure breast-pumpings were scheduled (when that definitely wasn鈥檛 a thing) and I could bring the baby to location scouts and was with me throughout post production.
The mothering/filmmaker juggle is very difficult, and I鈥檓 not sure we鈥檙e fully there yet with supporting this balance, but this experience gave me hope that it is possible if you have the right support.
Night Out (short film)
The 鈥楴ight Out鈥 experience was tough and brilliant. We had an amazing cast and crew and as with all shorts, it didn鈥檛 come without its challenges- lost locations seconds before our call time, experimenting with shooting through sunroofs to get a 360鈥 shot (that never made the edit), and not least, the Beast from the East arriving when our cast had committed to wearing no tights (their choice).
But, I鈥檓 immensely proud of what we achieved, and I think this production helped me expand as a filmmaker. It was a springboard for my feature, a personal story, leaning on some of my own experience coming from a mixed British/Muslim household and dealing with identity as a teen.
Don鈥檛 Blame Us Cos We鈥檙e Famous! (short film)
This was the first thing I ever shot (and finished) as a director, so it will always feel special. I used to work in casting and I鈥檇 just cast Parkville Pictures鈥 first feature film. It was the director and producer of that film that suggested I try directing (of course secretly it was something I鈥檇 always wanted to do, but didn鈥檛 really know how to start).
Jules Bishop gave me a short he鈥檇 written and I really resonated with the middle section of it, which ended up being this. It was a gorgeous first project to work on with a great team and it鈥檚 this film that got me started in commercials.