Coldplay “Trouble In Town”

Aoife McArdle

Aoife McArdle is an award-winning writer and director whose original concepts, bold visual style and uncompromising dedication to craft have brought her acclaim across a variety of mediums, with success in film, television drama, music videos and commercials. 

After her studies in literature and film, Aoife began her journey directing short films and music videos, winning a UKMVA for her breakout “Open Eye Signal” for Jon Hopkins and a nomination for Best International Short Film for “Italy, Texas” at Raindance Film Festival. This led to opportunities collaborating with some of the world’s biggest musical acts, becoming a Vimeo Staff Pick Alumni and directing bold commercials which have promoted social equality and received awards at Cannes Lions, British Arrows, D&ADs and Clios. “Equal Love” for Absolut won the coveted Graphite Pencil for Best Direction at the D&AD Awards and Aoife has been repeatedly named in leading industry publications’ annual Best Director lists. 

Aoife’s wholly original and powerful debut feature Kissing Candice premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and emerged as a critics’ favourite. McArdle’s short film and full-scale immersive art installation All of This Unreal Time, starring Cillian Murphy, at the Manchester International Festival also received glowing reviews. The Guardian wrote, “Intense and all-encompassing, the piece never feels overdramatic or insincere. Its sense of despair is accompanied by a glorious, quiet celebration of the ordinary, the regular, the taken-for-granted”. 

Aoife expanded her directing work to television with the critically acclaimed original series, Severance, for Apple TV+ starring Patricia Arquette, Adam Scott, John Turturro, and Christopher Walken. The show premiered to universal praise, receiving 14 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, and earned Aoife a DGA nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement.  This past year, Aoife also swept awards season with her Squarespace Super Bowl commercial, “The Singularity.” Starring Adam Driver, the bold, cinematic and wry campaign received numerous ‘best of shows’, most notably the Grand Prix at CICLOPE, and awards from the ADC, AICP, and D&AD as well as a Cannes Lion for Film Craft and an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Commercial. Most recently, McArdle was honored with the BBC Studios Director Award for her directorial achievement on Severance at the WFTV awards.