Aoife McArdle

Aoife McArdle is an Irish director, writer, and cinematographer working across film, television drama, music videos and commercials. She has received an IFTA Rising Star Award, a WFTV Best Director Award as well as Directors Guild of America and Primetime Emmy nominations for her work.

Early life
Aoife McArdle grew up in Omagh, Northern Ireland.

She studied English Literature at Trinity College, Dublin where, alongside creative writing, she developed an interest in photography and cinematography, shooting and editing films on Super 8 and Mini DV. She went on to complete a Masters in Film & TV production at Bournemouth film school. She began her film and music video career upon moving to London in 2005.

Career
From 2020 to 2022, she was a director and producer on the television series Severance which aired on Apple TV to universal acclaim. The show starred Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken and John Turturro.

In 2021, she directed the short film and immersive installation All of This Unreal Time featuring Cillian Murphy performing a monologue written by Max Porter with music composed by Jon Hopkins, Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner. The piece launched at Manchester International Festival.

Her debut feature-length film, Kissing Candice, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2017 and at Berlin International Film Festival in February 2018 to critical acclaim.

In 2015, she was approached by Jefferson Hack from Dazed magazine to write and direct a short film to accompany U2's track "Every Breaking Wave." The film received praise from Spike Jonze and Alejandro González Iñárritu and was nominated for four UK Music Video awards.

She has created music videos for Jon Hopkins and Bryan Ferry, television commercials for Honda, and Nike and Super Bowl commercials for Squarespace, Audi and Toyota. Her work in advertising has promoted social equality.

Her short-form work has won multiple awards including a UK Music Video Award, D&AD Pencils, Lions at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and Gold British Arrows, Clios and AICP awards.

Artistic style
Her narratives often centre around outsider characters and existential themes, moving between the authentic and the surreal.

McArdle's visual style is characterised by distinctive locations, long, choreographed tracking and crane shots and low-key lighting. She favours anamorphic lenses and shooting on 35mm film.

Feature films

 * Kissing Candice - Irish Film Board - 2018

Television

 * 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 nominations

 * 2023 Winner of BBC Studios Director Award WFTV
 * 2023 Winner of Rising Star award IFTA
 * 2023 Nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama Series by DGA for 'Severance'
 * 2022 Directed the Peabody Award winning show Severance
 * 2022 Primetime Emmy Nominated 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 In Book for Direction at D&AD Awards for 'Trouble in Town', Coldplay
 * 2018 Winner of Bronze Lion at Cannes for 'Good Odds', Toyota
 * 2018 Winner of Silver for Direction at Clio Awards for 'Good Odds' Toyota
 * 2018 Nominated for Crystal Bear, Best Film in Generation 14plus at the Berlin International Film Festival for Kissing Candice
 * 2018 Winner of Graphite Pencil for Direction at D&AD Awards for 'Equal Love', Absolut
 * 2018 Winner of Yellow Pencil for Cinematography at D&AD Awards for 'Equal Love', Absolut
 * 2018 Winner of two Golds, a Silver and a Bronze at British Arrow awards for 'Equal Love', Absolut
 * 2018 Nominated for the Glass Lion at Cannes for 'Daughter', Audi
 * 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' U2
 * 2015 Nominated for Best Music Video at UK Music Video Awards for 'Every Breaking Wave' U2
 * 2014 Nominated for Best Director at UK Music Video Awards
 * 2014 Nominated for Best Music Video at Camerimage 'Red Dust' James Vincent McMorrow
 * 2014 In Book for Cinematography at D&AD Awards for 'Open Eye Signal', Jon Hopkins
 * 2013 Nominated for Best International Short Film at Raindance for 'Italy, Texas: Wild Souls in the hot, blind, earth'
 * 2013 Winner of Best Cinematography at UK Music Video Awards for 'Open Eye Signal', Jon Hopkins
 * 2011 Winner of Best Music Video at Rushes Soho Shorts for 'Isles', Little Comets
 * 2009 Winner of Best Commercial at Art Director's Club Paris for 'L'homme Ideal', GQ Magazine
 * 2008 Winner of Bronze Lion at Cannes for 'L'homme Ideal', GQ Magazine