Adrian J. McDowall
Encyclopedia
Adrian John McDowall is a BAFTA Award-Winning Filmmaker
, Scotland.
He studied at Edinburgh College of Art
from 1995-2001. He graduated with a MDES in Visual Communication
specializing in Film and Television. As part of his honour’s degree, he wrote and directed his first film Who’s My Favourite Girl?, which went on to win over 30 national and international accolades including the British BAFTA for Best Short Film. It was presented to him and his producers Joern Utkilen and Kara Johnston by actor Leslie Nielsen
.
In 2001 he formed the screenwriting company Imagine Pictures Limited with filmmaker Joern Utkilen.
Adrian has continued to write and direct numerous award winning short films including The Toon Fair, Headbangers, Wise Guys (written by Simon Stephenson), Myself Only More So (written by Nicole Taylor of Secret Diary of a Call Girl
), and One Track Mind. Slice, Ma Bar and Standing Start were co-directed and co-produced with Finlay Pretsell.
Standing Start premièred at the Edinburgh Film Festival and has since screened at numerous other international film festivals. It was also shortlisted for the Bloomberg Newcomer Award at the 2008 Grierson Documentary Awards.
Ma Bar premièred at the Edinburgh Film Festival and went on to screen in competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
. It was Awarded the BAFTA Scotland
Award for Best Short film in 2008.
In 2004 Adrian directed the music video “Summer Jets” for Ivor Novello award winning, singer/ songwriter Iain Archer (ex-Snow Patrol and Reindeer Section guitarist). This was nominated for XFM Music Video of the year 2004, alongside the artists Eminem, Franz Ferdinand, The Streets and The Killers.
In 2008, Adrian directed 2 episodes (#96 and #102) of the long running Scottish crime drama Taggart
for the ITV
network.
In 2009, Adrian was included in a pool of eight writer directors as part of the filmmakers collective Advance Party II - the successor to Sigma Films and Zentropa
’s Advance Party
which produced Andrea Arnorld’s Cannes
Jury Prize winning feature film Red Road, and Morag McKinnon’s Rounding Up Donkeys. The aim of the collective is to produce eight features films from first-time feature film directors.
Biography
Adrian John McDowall was born on the 20th of January 1978 in DumfriesDumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
, Scotland.
He studied at Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art is an art school in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing tertiary education in art and design disciplines for over two thousand students....
from 1995-2001. He graduated with a MDES in Visual Communication
Visual communication
Visual communication as the name suggests is communication through visual aid and is described as the conveyance of ideas and information in forms that can be read or looked upon...
specializing in Film and Television. As part of his honour’s degree, he wrote and directed his first film Who’s My Favourite Girl?, which went on to win over 30 national and international accolades including the British BAFTA for Best Short Film. It was presented to him and his producers Joern Utkilen and Kara Johnston by actor Leslie Nielsen
Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen, OC was a Canadian and naturalized American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 220 characters...
.
In 2001 he formed the screenwriting company Imagine Pictures Limited with filmmaker Joern Utkilen.
Adrian has continued to write and direct numerous award winning short films including The Toon Fair, Headbangers, Wise Guys (written by Simon Stephenson), Myself Only More So (written by Nicole Taylor of Secret Diary of a Call Girl
Secret Diary of a Call Girl
Secret Diary of a Call Girl is a British television drama broadcast on ITV2 from 2007-2011 based on the blog and books by the pseudonymous "Belle de Jour," starring Billie Piper as Belle, a high-class London call girl. The series was written by Lucy Prebble, who is also known as the author of The...
), and One Track Mind. Slice, Ma Bar and Standing Start were co-directed and co-produced with Finlay Pretsell.
Standing Start premièred at the Edinburgh Film Festival and has since screened at numerous other international film festivals. It was also shortlisted for the Bloomberg Newcomer Award at the 2008 Grierson Documentary Awards.
Ma Bar premièred at the Edinburgh Film Festival and went on to screen in competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. It was Awarded the BAFTA Scotland
BAFTA Scotland
BAFTA in Scotland is the Scottish branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Formed in 1997, the branch holds an annual awards ceremony, the British Academy Scotland Awards , to recognise achievement by performers and production staff in Scottish film, television and video games...
Award for Best Short film in 2008.
In 2004 Adrian directed the music video “Summer Jets” for Ivor Novello award winning, singer/ songwriter Iain Archer (ex-Snow Patrol and Reindeer Section guitarist). This was nominated for XFM Music Video of the year 2004, alongside the artists Eminem, Franz Ferdinand, The Streets and The Killers.
In 2008, Adrian directed 2 episodes (#96 and #102) of the long running Scottish crime drama Taggart
Taggart
Taggart is a Scottish detective television programme, created by Glenn Chandler, who has written many of the episodes, and made by STV Productions for the ITV network...
for the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network.
In 2009, Adrian was included in a pool of eight writer directors as part of the filmmakers collective Advance Party II - the successor to Sigma Films and Zentropa
Zentropa
Europa is a film directed by Lars von Trier. Released in 1991, it is von Trier's third theatrical feature film and is the final film in the Europa trilogy....
’s Advance Party
Advance Party (film series)
Advance Party is the name given to a concept of three films which are all to follow a set of rules proposed by executive producers Gillian Berrie, Lone Scherfig and Anders Thomas Jensen. The concept came out of discussion between Lars von Trier, Berrie, Scherfig and Jensen. Each film is to be...
which produced Andrea Arnorld’s Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
Jury Prize winning feature film Red Road, and Morag McKinnon’s Rounding Up Donkeys. The aim of the collective is to produce eight features films from first-time feature film directors.