Author: Adam Nelson

Hailing from Portsmouth, Adam is a self-taught filmmaker who came to the profession whilst working in education. Adam had to quickly learn filmmaking skills so he could teach a practical film course; this experience provided him with a crash-course, DIY approach to filmmaking. After making his first short film and setting up his company, Apple Park Films, Adam began development of his first feature film, Little Pieces, which was completed in early 2015. Little Pieces garnered critical acclaim, including being nominated for best drama at the UK National Film Awards, alongside films such as Macbeth (the Fassbender one) and The Danish Girl. He followed Little Pieces with Emotional Motor Unit, which hit the festival circuit in 2016 and garnered exceptionally positive reviews online. Adam went on to write and direct a segment for the Portsmouth-based horror anthology I Am An Addict, produced by Pastel Wasteland X. His second feature film, The Mire, premiered in February 2023 and went on to release on international streaming platforms. He then collaborated with old friends from Little Pieces on the short horror-comedy Frankie Gets Bit, the anti-zombie zombie film. Being a self-taught filmmaker has given Adam an outside-the-box perspective on filmmaking and has made him a very collaborative filmmaker who works closely with creative teams to craft a vision. He works closely with actors to draw strong, focused performances from them on screen, with an approach described as similar to that of a theatre director. As a filmmaker, Adam is very proud of his Portsmouth heritage. He looks to originate and develop projects that are set in or feature Portsmouth and the wider Solent area, as he believes it’s a place where films can and should be made.