NICOLE VOLAVKA Director
www.nicolevolavka.com
BIOGRAPHY
Nicole is an award-winning drama director working across TV, film and commercials. Her five short films have shown at numerous international film festivals and her pilot for feature film SEEKERS was funded by the BFI. She was twice nominated for the Cannes Lions Young Director award for her work in commercials. Actors she has directed include Tom Burke (The Musketeers), Anna Madeley (In Bruges), David Ajala (The Dark Knight), Paul Ready (Utopia) and Clare-Hope Ashitey (Children of Men).
Nicole holds an MA in Filmmaking from The London Film School. In 2017 she was selected for the prestigious WFTV Mentoring Scheme, being mentored by director Sarah Gavron (Suffragette), and for the Directors UK High End TV Drama Training Scheme. Agent: Jennie Miller at Independent Talent.
FILMOGRAPHY
Television Drama
THE DUMPING GROUND 8 x 30” episodes for CBBC 2018 & 2019
HOLLYOAKS 5 x 30” episodes for Channel 4 2018
DOCTORS 12 x 30” episodes for BBC 1 2013-15
SILENT WITNESS – Second Unit Director High End TV Drama Training 2017
THE TUNNEL – Second Unit Director for this TV Series made for Sky Atlantic 2013 Worked alongside French director Thomas Vincent to direct scenes including police storming a house, MI5 surveillants and car chases.
DANCING ON THE EDGE - 6 part series for BBC2 2012 Some Second Unit work/cutaways for this TV Series directed by Stephen Poliakoff (uncredited)
Feature Films
SEEKERS – Feature In Development, Writer: Arinze Kene 22min PILOT funded by the British Film Institute in 2016 Starring David Ajala (Jupiter Ascending, The Dark Knight), Clare Ashitey (Doctor Foster, Children of Men) and Lucian Msamati (Amadeus, Game of Thrones). DoP Felix Wiedemann A romantic thriller set in the world of London's undocumented migrants. *Selected for the Cannes Short Film Corner 2017
RETREAT – Feature In Development, writer: Medeni Griffiths A psychological thriller set on a European Women’s retreat, which explores female empowerment. British Zara goes on a spiritual retreat in Croatia, hoping to find the inner confidence she needs to leave her abusive marriage. As friendships form and the women share their secrets and darkest feelings, a sense of empowerment grows amongst them. When her violent husband arrives on the retreat, they must all band together against the unwanted intruder.
Short Films
ONE WRONG WORD (10mins short, RedCam, Electric Ballroom Productions) Novelist Tony faces the most difficult obstacle yet to publishing his Magnum Opus: his publishers. Comedy starring Paul Ready (Utopia), Anna Madeley (In Bruges), Tom Burke (The Musketeers, Utopia) and Annabel Scholey (Being Human). Premiered at Portland International Film Festival 2013.
LAUNDRY (22mins short, 35mm, LFS) A funny and poignant mother-daughter story, set in the aftermath of the Balkans War. Filmed in Croatia (in English and Croatian). Production Designer Ivo Hustnak (Black Hawk Down, Kingdom of Heaven, Game of Thrones) *In Competition at Rushes Soho Film Festival, London, Motovun Film Festival, Croatia, Molodist Film Festival, Ukraine and Women In Direction, Spain 2011. *Selected for Cannes Short Film Corner, Cinemagic Belfast, Estoril Festival Portugal, Les Arcs, France, the London Short Film Festival and the British Palestine Film Festival.
SURVIVOR (15mins short, 35mm, LFS) This 15min drama is about a traumatised Rwandan genocide survivor living in London, who finds a friend in a man going through similar experiences. Stars Shaun Parkes (Human Traffic, The Mummy Returns) and Cyril Nri (The Bill). *Screened at the Pan-African Film Festival, Los Angeles, East-End Film Festival, London (nominated for Audience Award), Brighton Film Festival, Exodus Refugee Film Festival, Exposures Film Festival, the International Community Festival, Lodz Mediaschool and Molodist Film Festival, Kiev. *Selected by the British Council for representation. *Winner BEST SCRIPT and BEST ACTOR at the BFM Film Festival, London 2008. The script was developed into the feature ‘Seekers’ with the BBC Writer’s Room.
AFTER EVERYTHING (4mins short drama, 16mm, LFS) Screened at the National Gallery summer 2006.
A GIRL’S GUIDE TO MODERN DATING (3m30s, 16mm film, NYFA) Screened at Phoenix Shorts Festival, Shallow Shorts and featured in the Best of UK Film at Edinburgh Film Festival 2005.
Commercials
Welcome Back – (40’, Alexa, Some Films Vilnius)
Rain (30sec, Alexa, Simple Film Prague) A commercial for a Czech charity for blind children. DoP: Sebastian Milaszewski. Sound Design: Raoul Brand. Agency Creative Director: Will Rust for Ogilvy Prague. *Nominated Golden Drum Award 2013
Auction (60sec commercial, RedCam, Lucky Man Films) *Nominated Young Director Award, Cannes Lions 2011.
Barnardo’s – ‘Rubbish’ (30sec commercial, 16mm, LFS) *Nominated for the Young Director Award, Cannes Lions 2009. *Winner Special Prize at Porsche Int’l Student Advertising Film Awards 2009
Slim Fast - ‘Slim Happy’ (30sec commercial, 16mm, LFS) *Winner of “Best in Category” at the Kodak Student Commercial Awards 2008.
EDUCATION
The London Film School MA in Filmmaking (Directing specialisation) Jan ‘06–Dec ‘09 Included technical training on camera, lighting, sound recording and editing as well as writing, directing and producing. Worked on 10 short films in all capacities, graduating as director with short film “Laundry”. Recipient of a Skillset Scholarship.
Queen’s College, University of Cambridge PGCE 2001-2002
University of Sheffield BA (Hons) in Philosophy and Psychology (2:1) 1998-2001
TRAINING
Directors UK High End TV Drama Scheme, 3 months shadowing on Silent Witness 2017
Filmonomics Selected for film industry scheme run by Birds Eye View 2017
Triangle Scheme Selected for feature development run by Skillset 2014
Film London Microwave Selected for micro-budget feature scheme 2011
Les Arcs European Film Forum Selected for week-long Feature dev. Course 2010
Scene Insiders Selected for script dev. course held in Gothenburg Festival. 2006
Discover Digital 2005 Selected for week-long workshop on the future of digital technology at the London Film Festival.
New York Film Academy Film-making certificate (four week course) 2005
Worked as the Assistant to Director on three projects; to John McKay on “Piccadilly Jim”, to Michael Caton-Jones on “Shooting Dogs” and to Stephen Poliakoff on “Dancing On The Edge” Prior to that, had internships with Working Title Films, Heyday Films and on the features “Love Actually” and “Vanity Fair”.
LANGUAGES
Czech (fluent), French (A level), German, Spanish & Russian (GCSE level)
REFERENCES
Gert Thomas, Producer on The Dumping Ground: gert.thomas@bbc.co.uk Richard Stokes, Exec. Producer on Silent Witness: [email protected]