jay mcneil (Dir + dop)
AYUPI am a writer, director, and cinematographer based between London and the ol’ West Midlands. My films explore social, class, and ethical commentary, often rooted in my lived experience growing up in a working-class environment.I've screened at BAFTA, BIFA, and OSCAR qualifying festivals. My latest short film, The Flat Below, is a social commentary on the neglect and bureaucratic failure surrounding our ageing working class.Alongside directing and writing, I work actively within the camera department, using cinematography as a driving force behind my storytelling. I’m drawn to the imperfections of the image, letting the camera feel integrated into the world of the film, almost becoming a character in itself.
JAY MCNEIL (DIR + DOP)
THE FLAT BELOW | 10m 29s
The Flat Below is an intimate and unsettling portrait of an isolated elderly man whose growing paranoia begins when the sounds from the flat below start to echo his every move. Beneath its haunting surface, the film explores how society abandons those it once relied upon, capturing the quiet, systemic struggles of the aging working class.
WRITER + DIRECTOR: JAY MCNEIL
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURENCE MASON-GUETTA
PRODUCER(S): JAY MCNEIL + SAAR ZUTSHI
SLEEP | 9m 39s
In this sharp, surreal dark comedy short, Antonio Aakeel (Eaten by Lions, Slow Horses) plays Chris, a burnt-out cleaner one worktime nap away from losing his job. Determined to stay employed, Chris tries everything to fight off fatigue. But fatigue won’t quit. Just when all hope seems lost, a strange encounter in a corner shop offers an unexpected fix. It works. Maybe a little too well…
WRITER(S), DIRECTOR(S): JAY MCNEIL + COS MANDIS
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JAY MCNEIL
PRODUCER: MALAK CHRAIM
AWARDS
Best Screenplay – Drama International Short Film Festival
Best Student Film – Soho London Independent Film Festival
Official Selection, Lo-Budget Mayhem – London Short Film Festival
Screened - Thessaloniki International Film Festival
FROM FERGUSLIE | 3m 25s
A short documentary exploring a blacksmith’s life decades after leaving his hometown and the therapy he has since found in his craft.
A FILM BY JAY MCNEIL
AWARDS
Official Selection – Cinemagic Young Filmmaker of the Year 2025
THE PAINTING | 13m 35s
Rejected by the art world, a struggling painter steals his protégé’s work, risking everything in a desperate bid for recognition.
WRITER + DIRECTOR: JAY MCNEIL
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JACK WRIGHT
PRODUCER(S): JAY MCNEIL + JACK WRIGHT
JAY MCNEIL (DIR + DOP)
MORE PROJECTS & CREDITS
Lessons In English | Short Film (2024) Dir / DP
Joint Speech 1 & 2 | Documentary (2025) DP
Stalker | Short Film (2023) Dir / DP
Hey Anthony | Short Film (2022) DP
A Trip to the Peak District | Documentary (2022) DP
ClubsComplete | Advert (2021) Dir / DP
Anniemasion | Advert (2021) Dir / DP
Anniemasion | Doc (2020) Dir / DP
Allergen | Short Film (2025) 1st AC / Camera Operator
Key Hunters | Short Film (2025) 1st AC / Gaffer
Test Pilot: The Borowitz Report | Online Show (2025) Camera Operator
Fish Planet | Documentary (2025) Camera Operator
Action Season at the BFI | Live Panel (2024/25) Camera Operator, Multi-Cam Director
JAY MCNEIL (DIR + DOP)
DROP ME A MESSAGE, LETS COLLABORATE!
INSTAGRAM: @jaymcnxil
EMAIL: [email protected]
PHONE: 07496 274502
