Annika Cassidy

PERFORMANCE | SPORTS | COMEDY | DOCUMENTARY

Annika’s work will make you laugh and make you cry. Often using humour, but always full of heart, she creates life-affirming, feel good, cinematic films.

Focusing on powerful character-driven pieces, her casting and performances are understated yet impactful through her use of realism. She has expertise in sports, working with children, people with additional needs, and non-actors.

With a background as a creative copywriter at agencies such as Droga5 Dublin, for commercials, she subtly weaves brand with narrative – never distracting but subtly persuading. She has directed acclaimed commercials for brands like Ryder Cup, Carlsberg, MG Motors, Bulmers, and Tesco. Her work on Tesco’s “A Little Help Is” campaign, which broadcast during Ireland’s iconic Late Late Toy Show, garnered 1.8 million views and multiple award nominations, including at Kinsale Sharks and Emerging Directors Award.

Annika’s expertise extends beyond the commercial realm, having directed several successful short films. The Wake, a comedy funded by Monaghan County Council, earned the Audience Award at the Clones Film Festival. It was also officially selected by 13 film festivals, including the Fastnet, Chicago Irish, and Toronto Irish festivals, highlighting Annika’s ability to connect with audiences across diverse platforms. Her debut short film, Peel, a raw and moving story about addiction, was widely recognised, winning the Irish Screen America Rising Star Award and being broadcast on RTE1. The film was later sold to Alcohol Action Ireland for a national campaign and screened in-flight on Aer Lingus, showing her reach and impact beyond traditional cinema.

She currently is developing her debut feature with funding from Screen Ireland. Bad Blood is a female sports drama set in the west of Ireland.