Amelia Hashemi on Keeping Raw Creative Energy Alive in the Face of AI

Amelia Hashemi is a London-based writer and director with a unique voice shaped by her half-Iranian, half-English heritage. Her award-winning short films, including 'Night Out' (Best Short Film at Leeds International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival premiere, BIFA longlist, and London Critics' Circle nomination) and 'Don’t Blame Us Cos We’re Famous!' (Best UK Short at East End Film Festival, London Short Film Festival premiere), have garnered widespread acclaim.

Amelia's distinct storytelling style and keen eye for character propelled her into the commercial world, where she directed three branded films for VW's Motability campaign, earning nominations at Campaign Big Awards and screenings at Cannes Lions.

Currently developing her debut feature with BBC Films and Parkville Pictures, Amelia brings a deep understanding of performance, honed through years working with industry luminaries. Her early career saw her collaborating with directors such as Anthony Minghella, Stephen Daldry, and Simon McBurney in various production roles, and working alongside renowned casting directors like Susie Figgis, Lucinda Syson, and Priscilla John.

With a background that spans film, theatre, and commercials, Amelia combines cinematic craft with emotional depth, making her an exciting voice in both commercial and narrative filmmaking.

Name: Amelia Hashemi 

Location: London

Repped by/in: UNIT9 / Curtis Brown 

Awards:

• Winner – Best Short Film (Don’t Blame Us Cos We’re Famous!) – East End Film Festival

• Winner – Best Short Film (Night Out) – Leeds Festival

• Winner – Best Short Film (Night Out) – London Calling Special Jury Award

• Nominated – London Critics’ Circle Award (Night Out)

• Longlisted – Best British Short Film (Night Out) – British Independent Film Awards (BIFA)

• Premiered – BFI London Film Festival (Night Out)

• Nominated – Campaign Big Awards – Volkswagen Motability

LBB> What are some upcoming projects that you're excited about? Tell us a bit about them? 

Amelia> I have a few projects ticking away, but I’m currently packaging a feature film that’s been developed with Parkville Pictures and BBC Films, and we’re aiming to go into production later this year. So that’s exciting. It’s an evolution of my short film 'Night Out', which is a teen coming-of-age drama.

There’s also a short documentary/drama about the way porn is shaping the teenage experience, which I’ve been working on for some time and feel very passionate about. It’s deeply important to me and was born out of the research I did while writing the feature film. The subject matter is incredibly challenging, which has made the process difficult, but that only makes me want to make it even more. It’s a conversation I believe is utterly essential, as teenage brains are literally being changed by pornography.

LBB> What excites you in the advertising industry right now, as a director? Any trends or changes that open new opportunities?  

Amelia> Connection, in all ways, is key, and I’m up for the challenge of keeping connection and raw creative energy alive in the face of AI.

Polarisation seems to be a thing currently, so it’s not altogether surprising that it’s happening in the creative world too. I think as AI grows, people will naturally begin to seek out more handcrafted, deeply personal creations.

Human beings are messy and unpredictable, so they’ll want that reflected in what they see and listen to.

Art has always been used to challenge ideas and reflect what’s going on in the world. I won’t let myself believe that that will ever die. People need creativity. I truly believe that, and I think the advertising industry has a responsibility to reflect that too. There’s something powerful in it.

LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?

Amelia> I’m always interested in what lies beneath a character’s surface. What is their relationship to the world around them and to the people in their lives?

I’m an emotional thinker, so I naturally gravitate toward work that communicates something meaningful. Even if it’s something small—like a teen wanting to make their mum’s day a little better by giving her some chocolate, just to show she’s being thought of.

Zooming in on everyday moments—watching a teen do something simple, but if you look closely, that seemingly insignificant moment might actually be the most important thing that has ever happened to them. The challenge is in figuring out how to capture that depth. I loved discovering the depth of the brother-sister relationship in the spots I did for VW.

I think a sense of history comes out from the way they interact with each other—their tone of voice, slight looks, small improvisations. The tiny nuances discovered with the actors inform so much. It was a lot of fun.

There’s always a bigger message under the smallest of things, and I like looking for those. 

LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?

Amelia> I spend a lot of time trying to get to the heart of what a project is really about—what are the creatives trying to say beyond the direct message? I want to understand the emotional core, get under the skin of a project, digest it, and fully grasp what the team is aiming for. What’s the pull? What’s the feeling the spot is trying to evoke?

The best way for me to ponder this is to move away from my computer and do something where my body is a bit active. I’m not very good at having ideas if I just sit in front of my laptop. They seem to come to me naturally, without forcing anything, if I listen to music that connects with the idea and my body is moving. I then just jot down whatever comes to mind.

I then get to my laptop and do a ‘word vomit.’ After that, it’s a lot of rewriting. I love sourcing images and researching what’s come before, which helps shape the vision further and takes me out of my safe space.

Often, I feel really proud of the treatments—there’s a lot of love that goes into them.

LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar with/don’t have a big affinity with or a market you're new to, how important is it for you to do research and understand that strategic and contextual side of the ad? If it’s important to you, how do you do it?

Amelia> It’s crucial for me to find a way into a brand or product’s objective—even if that’s just through the script and story they’re advocating. Contextual understanding is crucial.

Strategy, I believe, is best left to our agency partners on a need-to-know basis. If it can help me, great, but really, I’m there to nurture and champion the humanity of the piece to ensure the messaging lands.

LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?

Amelia> The creatives are, of course, very important. Ideally, this relationship should be collaborative, open, and aligned with the same vision. I’m very aware I’ve been hired for my taste and skills and how that can be utilised for their specific spot.

Then, it’s the producer for me, because I agonise over the details, the logic, and story worlds, and I like to chat it through with a willing ear.

LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about - is there a particular genre or subject matter or style you are most drawn to?

Amelia> My natural affinity is with drama. All human-related stuff. I’m drawn to work that asks questions, challenges perceptions, and reflects on the world and the minds of its characters. I’m not afraid of tackling serious subjects, but I also enjoy finding humour, lightness, and a sense of magic within those serious moments.

That said, I’ve always wanted to direct a music video. Outside of my work in ads, I like to experiment with magical realism, and I feel that music videos offer a space where you can take bold, imaginative risks while still staying grounded in reality. There’s something exciting about that balance. I haven’t made one yet, but maybe 2025 will be the year!

LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong? 

Amelia> Maybe it’s that I work mainly with children and that my focus is only social realism. I really enjoy working with kids and teens, and I have a deep appreciation for social realism as a genre. However, I’m eager to broaden my creative horizons.

While I’ll always be drawn to what feels natural and authentic, as I mentioned, I’m also captivated by magical realism and how we can play with perspective. I like to find the unexpected in stories—like, what happens if the character does the exact opposite of what’s on the page but with the same emotional intention? It might not always work, but it’s interesting to explore things (even if just as a process and for personal growth).

I have a strong passion for incorporating movement into visuals. I went through a phase of finding stills from films I loved and matching them with stills from contemporary dances I also loved. I spent hours doing this. I love dance, and I’m fascinated by performance through body language and movement—the way bodies and objects create shapes, rhythms, and visual repetitions. Even the tiniest of facial movements. The depth of information you can get from a micro-flinch or a barely visible snarl is incredible.

I’m also very into sound and how sound can physically move and change people. I want to explore both of these elements more in my work in the future.

That said, it would have to relate to the characters’ inner worlds somehow or the story world.

LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been?

Amelia> I haven’t had the opportunity to work directly with a cost consultant yet, but I can absolutely see their value in the process. As a director, it’s my job to think on as big a canvas as the story requires, but I fully appreciate that achieving that creative vision often comes down to balancing ambition with practical constraints.

LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?

Amelia> I ended up on a shoot in France where the script called for a scene with raining frogs (think Magnolia), but in our case, they were dead. At the time, I was still pretty new to directing and, naively, I just assumed we’d use CGI. It wasn’t until we were deep into production and fully committed to the scene that I realised CGI wasn’t an option.

To be fair, the production team followed all the local guidelines, but I hadn’t fully anticipated what using real dead frogs would actually mean. The old saying, “When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me,” really hit home at that moment. I found myself in an ethically uncomfortable position, but unfortunately, by that point, there wasn’t much I could do. It was definitely a culture shock—and a bit of a messy situation all around!

LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?

Amelia> Collaboration is absolutely essential, and it’s something I really enjoy. But at the end of the day, the agency and client know the brand better than anyone else in the room. They’ve brought me on because they believe my skillset and taste can help bring their long-developed idea to life.

So, it’s really about having ongoing, open, and honest conversations—and not being afraid to propose solutions that might be turned down. My role is to suggest what I believe will serve the project best. I can make a case for why I think something works creatively and from a storytelling perspective, and then the agency and client can assess how that fits with the brand.

It’s all about keeping an open mind, sharing ideas confidently, and understanding that not every suggestion will make it to the final cut—because, ultimately, it might not align with the brand. And being okay with that.

LBB> What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set? 

Amelia> Diversity in creativity is essential across all areas—and something I think relates to my point about AI.

I’m dyslexic, and it’s taken me years to embrace that in a professional setting.

When I started out, I didn’t tell anyone in the industry—even when I was running—I was very ashamed. I never thought anyone would be interested in my ideas, and I used to be afraid to write or read anything, let alone write a feature script and then have other people read it.

It definitely hindered me in getting started, but it’s something I now see as a strength that fuels my creativity as a director and the way I see the world. Creativity thrives on diversity.

I’m very open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set. It’s one of the most effective ways to learn, and I’m a big advocate for it. When I moved from casting to directing, I was very lucky to have the support of producers and directors I had previously worked with—and I still see them as mentors now.

I love working on other people’s sets. It’s so useful, and I think it should be encouraged. More openness, generally, can only be a good thing.

LBB> Your work is now presented in so many different formats - to what extent do you keep each in mind while you're working (and, equally, to what degree is it possible to do so)? 

Amelia>  It’s very important to keep format in mind, as it’s the canvas on which we’re painting, and usually, it’s something that’s discussed a lot upfront. So when you’re on set, everyone needs to be aware of which bits will be used where, especially if multiple formats are being shot simultaneously.

When it comes to the shooting of it, I often lean on my DoP and producers to keep framing front of mind, as I’m focused on what’s going on between the actors to ensure we capture the performances needed.

LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work (e.g. virtual production, interactive storytelling, AI/data-driven visuals etc)?

Amelia> My relationship with new technology is one of balance. If it serves the script and idea, then I can see huge strengths in AI, virtual production, and interactive storytelling, but for me, the idea has to come first.

It’s essential to stay current—but not for the sake of jumping on trends. I’ve always prioritised performances above everything else, so I’d start with that and then look at which technologies can help bring the idea to life in the best way.

LBB> Which pieces of your work do you feel show what you do best – and why?

Amelia> NSPCC (Ad)

I loved this one. It was a tricky brief with a lot to think about while getting across a very important message. It was an insanely quick turnaround and a lot for a young actress to take on (while wanting to protect her from what the ad was about and also not breaking any Santa dreams). But Mia, the actress, was fabulous to work with. It was her first job, but she was a true professional!

VW ‘Success’ (Ad)

I’ve always really loved this spot. It’s a simple yet powerful story between a mother and son, celebrating his first job. My first commercial gigs were the VW ads and I won them when I was heavily pregnant with my son, so it resonated. It’s mad to think of it now but I was awarded them when I was in bed on a very strict bedrest (I wasn’t allowed to sit up). I think I only got out of bed to either go for a check up or go to a VW meeting. 

The creative team were amazing in every respect - because I was on bedrest I couldn’t shoot the film before I had physically given birth. It was a huge opportunity that I thought was going to disappear. But, the client and creatives were happy to wait and I felt so blessed. My producer Harry Starkey-Midha was my rock during those shoots.

I hadn’t been out of my bed for five months so it all felt like a bit of a shock, but Harry was a hero making sure breast-pumpings were scheduled (when that definitely wasn’t a thing) and I could bring the baby to location scouts and was with me throughout post production. 

The mothering/filmmaker juggle is very difficult, and I’m not sure we’re fully there yet with supporting this balance, but this experience gave me hope that it is possible if you have the right support.

Night Out (short film)

The ‘Night Out’ experience was tough and brilliant. We had an amazing cast and crew and as with all shorts, it didn’t come without its challenges- lost locations seconds before our call time, experimenting with shooting through sunroofs to get a 360’ shot (that never made the edit), and not least, the Beast from the East arriving when our cast had committed to wearing no tights (their choice).

But, I’m immensely proud of what we achieved, and I think this production helped me expand as a filmmaker. It was a springboard for my feature, a personal story, leaning on some of my own experience coming from a mixed British/Muslim household and dealing with identity as a teen.

Don’t Blame Us Cos We’re Famous! (short film)

This was the first thing I ever shot (and finished) as a director, so it will always feel special. I used to work in casting and I’d just cast Parkville Pictures’ first feature film. It was the director and producer of that film that suggested I try directing (of course secretly it was something I’d always wanted to do, but didn’t really know how to start).

Jules Bishop gave me a short he’d written and I really resonated with the middle section of it, which ended up being this. It was a gorgeous first project to work on with a great team and it’s this film that got me started in commercials.