Reel Factory Welcomes Filmmaker Luke Shanahan

Known for his moody visuals, sharp storytelling and the cult psychological thriller Rabbit, Luke Shanahan brings a unique voice to the Reel Factory roster. Blending art-house edge with commercial polish, Luke’s repertoire spans film, television and advertising. Widely regarded as one of Australia’s most compelling writer-directors, Luke’s body of work encompasses both comedy and emotional drama.

“We’re stoked to have Luke join the roster. He’s got a real knack for storytelling - sharp, cinematic, with a bit of that dark humour we love. His work has a real edge, but it’s also got heart. We’re excited to see what kind of stories he’ll help bring to life” says Reel Factory company director Dan Watkins.

After graduating from film school and directing several award winning short films, Luke began his career under the mentorship of acclaimed producer Michelle Bennett (Chopper, Mr Inbetween) at Cherub Pictures, working alongside contemporaries Justin Kurzel, Nash Edgerton and Cate Shortland.

Luke is very well known to the New Zealand commercial scene having spent several years with Mark Foster at Robbers Dog then Nik Beachman at Thick As Thieves where he directed award winning work for Telecom/Spark, Holden, ASB, TAB and the Co-Op Bank while his globally awarded 'Little Fibs' spot for NZ Post through FCB took out Best Direction of a Commercial at the (ADG) Australian Directors Guild Awards.

“I loved the freedom that working within the NZ industry gives me and allows me to view every project as expansive and without a creative filter that often stifles a lot of great ideas in OZ. I feel my best work has come out of that place. More please” says Luke.

Recently, Luke’s debut feature, the psychological noir/thriller Rabbit, premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival and was hailed as a critics pick, achieving an impressive 83% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes (no easy feat).

But he does want people to recognise that he’s very funny too.