John Hughes
Directing
Biography
John M. Hughes is a 23 year old film director / writer and photographer from Baltinglass, County Wicklow. He has two feature films in his filmography as well as several shorts, a lot of which focus on community, atmosphere and mental health narratives. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, he first gained local attention for his photographic work, capturing empty streets and familiar landscapes with a haunting, cinematic element that would later inform his filmmaking style.
Known For
A series of interrelated stories that bring Nena, Sean and Alan together. Alan, gentle and insecure, yearns for acceptance and connection. Vibrant yet guilt-ridden, Nena embarks on a quest for redemption and self-discovery as she battles with her inner demons while bereaved Sean lingers and struggles to conquer his depression.
The Fuel of Youth
It's July 2016, a mild summers day. Two friends Jerry and Rig embark on a hike up a local mountain only to be tormented by a friend group of older guys. One being Jerry's brother, Tommy. Throughout the hike the hassle from Tommy's friends becomes worse and worse, until it is revealed that there is another presence among them. Jerry must put his ego aside and escape.
Eerie
A delusional man follows a young girl around her college campus.
The Stalker
After a cannabis induced psychotic experience, Adam begins suffering long term Derealization disorder which takes a severe toll on his mental health. When searching for help he discovers some of his friends are not what they represent to be.
Depersonalized
Suspense Short
The Tin
An overburdend teenager trying to overcome his anxiety with experimental pills is forced to work with the local drug dealer, who makes matters worse when the teen becomes an accomplice to a murder involving a rival drug dealer.
Compulsion: The Art Of Pill Popping
A young man goes through a psychotic experience when withdrawing from medication
PILLS
Margot Moore is an aspiring performer from the quirky little Irish town of Bríomhar. She has always dreamed of leaving her hometown and pursuing her ambitions. On her last day in Bríomhar, her story crosses with Jack Anderson, a boxer with a short temper, his younger half- brother, Luke, and his friends. Meanwhile, a darkness looms in the form of a mysterious man who is on a path of violence.