Amelia O'Loughlin

Amelia O’Loughlin is British-Irish screenwriter, director and actor, currently working across three feature screenplays with UK, Irish and U.S. production teams including globally-acclaimed producers Lee Magiday and Rory Gilmartin at Sleeper Films (The Favourite, The Lobster, Brooklyn), and Andy Paterson and Olivia Hetreed (Girl with the Pearl Earring, Wuthering Heights) at Virtual Circle.

Shooting this summer, Amelia’s directing SPARROW - an unfeigned portrait on autonomy vs. loneliness - and the heartaches, hedons, and perils of gun violence in a messy, flamboyant, Lynchian Los Angeles landscape. Produced by new indie Paris/LA company One Thousand & One Nights Productions and Amanda Kiely from Tall Brit Productions (Call Jane).

In 2020 Amelia established Freida Films - an indie space for filmmaking - making her multi-award-winning debut short that same year, I’M STILL ETHAN, directed by BIFA-nominated Raff Degruttola, lyrics by East-London legend Kae Tempest and starring Geordie actor BAFTA-nominated Dave Johns (I, DANIEL BLAKE). In production at Freida, Amelia’s developing and directing factual feature, IF THE WALLS COULD SPEAK, tracing the past, present and future of the largest female prison in Europe, Islington’s Holloway Prison, in co-production with award-winning documentary house Whalebone Films and BBC Studios.

Amelia’s drawn to dynamics and perspectives which explore diverse socio-economic backgrounds in relation to psychology and behaviour, with particular focus on childhood memories made manifest by adult motivations. From thrillers to comedies, timely political and social conversations spark inspiration and find their way into her voice through satirical, dramatic, dark and comic narratives. Having previously hosted and curated music and film nights across London she’s passionate about multimedia art, and in her short films and theatre work she’s keenly embellished script with music, spoken-word and poetry.

Her screenplay TO BUTCHER A BIRD came runner-up in Cold Smoke Productions Development Award (2021) by producers Valencia Haynes and Harriet Rees, she’s since refined the script for TV - retitled as THINGS YOU DO TO MAKE PEOPLE LOVE YOU - alongside developing multiple original ideas for TV.

She was shortlisted for Forbes 30 Under 30 (2024) and holds a 1st class degree from University of Leeds. Since graduating she's been recognised as notable in her field; "a world-leading graduate making waves around the globe”. In stage work, Amelia wrote, directed and toured her first play, THESE FOUR WALLS, in association with Clean Break Theatre Company - where she had previously taught performance skills to female ex-detainees. In acting, Amelia studied closely with legendary practitioner Susan Batson in New York City. Her screen credits include Irvine Welsh’s CREATION STORIES (opposite Ewen Bremner and directed by Nick Moran) and Netflix’s EVERYTHING NOW (opposite Vivienne Acheampong and directed by Dionne Edwards). Amelia got through to the final round of auditions for the Universal-backed Madonna biopic, playing the title role.