Simon Blake is a writer and director working in film.  His first feature film STILL opened in the UK in 2015. STILL won BEST INTERNATIONAL FIRST FEATURE at the Galway Film Fleadh in 2014 and Simon also won BEST DIRECTOR at The London Independent Film Festival 2015.  STILL was also nominated for The Roger Ebert Award for Outstanding debut at the Chicago International Film Festival 2014, The Heinrich award for New Directors at The Braunschweig Film Festival 2015 and The Regle Du Jeu Heartbeat Award at The Dinard Film Festival in 2015. 

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The film received a cinema distribution in the U.K and Ireland and was screened at festivals in Europe and the U.S.  STILL received a positive critical response on release – "One of the most surprising, gritty and impressive British films I've seen in a long time." Backseat Mafia; “STILL is one of the most assured pieces of filmmaking I’ve seen in quite some time......Keep an eye on this film maker as STILL promises great things ahead” The Chicagoist; “An impressively accomplished first feature, intensely controlled and notable for it’s fine performances Blake draws from his cast. Blake has three projects currently in preparation on the strength of STILL, something to look forward to.” Sight & Sound; “It nails the uncertain atmosphere of a city in flux…Gillen is superb.”  The Times; “Phenomenal directing….gripping performances…..Compelling” We’ve Got This Covered; “Intelligent, complex and hugely bleak debut from one to watch writer, director Simon Blake” Total Film; "An impressively powerful piece of work, uncomfortable but utterly riveting." Talking Pictures; “Blake expertly mixes psycho drama with social realism” The Irish Post; “A terrific British Indie Film, shocking, clever and wrong foots you at every turn” Jason Solomons, Movie Talk. And those who thought differently “A film desperate to make a grand statement about the awful toll of isolation, but falls short of its ambition” Time Out, “The effect is one of cheeking puffing frustration and emotional disconnect” Empire.

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Simon has just completed his second feature BLACK NOISE (as announced by Digital Spy), shot in Suffolk & London.  Starring Kate Phillips and Aidan Gillen.

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He currently has a slate of films he is developing with his producer Colette Delaney-Smith and their production company Blunt Stuff. 

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Simon started out in theatre and was co-founder and Artistic Director of Changeinspeak, performing at venues such as The Young Vic and BAC. Described by Time Out as having “A deserved reputation for developing a unique style of theatre, a dynamic fusion of music, narrative and the visual” and his work as “Brave and Remarkable” by The Independent.  He has directed and produced music promos in both the UK and the U.S. He has also made a number of short films including AWAYDAY which won BEST SHORT and BEST SCREENPLAY at The Valencia Film Festival. Chosen by The British Council in its Best of British tour, Awayday was screened at more than 50 film festivals worldwide. He has also written and co-produced the feature film Heaven’s Only Daughter for the independent film maker Philip Harder.

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