About
Peter Young is a Northern Irish writer/director with a particular focus on thriller, horror, and comedy. His directorial work has been featured in several prominent BAFTA and Academy affiliated festivals such as Foyle Film Festival, Belfast Film Festival, and Galway Film Fleadh. He has spent the last five years directing shorts of steadily-increasing scale, and is quickly approaching his first feature film.
His creative voice is defined by character-centred stories that delivers 'genre' film with a social-drama flair. He hails from a working-class background and this perspective shines through his writing, with much of his work being inspired by his upbringing and centering themes of fraternity, maternity, and paternity. Ultimately his films are exciting and fantastical, but come from an authentic place.
Peter’s debut short film Safe Inside (2020) was commissioned by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland in 2020 and since then, he has amassed a range of shorts funded by prominent arts organisations, such as the BFI and Screen Ireland. Peter’s most recent short film Pub House (2024) was funded by NI Screen and the BFI Network, and is set to enter the festival circuit this year.
Peter is currently in development on his debut feature Our House with Belfast-based production company Village Films Ltd, with slate funding from NI Screen. It aims for a late-2024 production. In the meantime, he is taking part in NI Screen’s Director Shadow Scheme, shadowing acclaimed director Brad Anderson (The Machinist, The Call) on a large scale feature filming in the first half of 2024.
Outside of his own creative projects, Peter is an actor represented by Wolf Talent, and also works as a freelance videographer, editor, and colourist under his business Red Sail Video.
Education
- MA Film Studies: Queen’s University Belfast - Graduated with Distinction 2021
- BA Film Studies: Queen’s University Belfast - Graduated with 1st Class Hons 2019
Peter Young - Photographer Caleb J. Roberts 2023