Background & Career

Colin O’Toole is a UK-based filmmaker who works as both writer and director.

His breakout short film was Cowboy Dave (2017) – a project he wrote and directed.

He won a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award in 2018 for Best British Short Film for “Cowboy Dave”.

Prior to narrative fiction, he directed music videos, commercials and documentaries (including being nominated for a Grierson Documentary Award for Best Newcomer).

More recently, he directed the short film Cul‑de‑sac (2025) – a comedy-drama about a couple in the 1980s, exploring tension, identity and relational dynamics.

Notable Works

“Cowboy Dave” (2017) – BAFTA-winning short.

“The 10 AM” (2015) – earlier short film.

“Cul-de-sac” (2025) – latest short film described in depth in an interview.

Current/Upcoming Projects

He is developing a feature film co-written with Luke Bainbridge, supported by the British Film Institute (BFI)

He also runs a production company called Full Beam (with actor Sam Spruell and Mortensen) to develop new features and shorts.