Ian’s short film Hide is currently on the international film festival circuit winning multiple Best Film and Best Director awards. The drama tackles the issues of child poverty when a teenager fights desperately to prevent her siblings being taken into social care.
He is a BAFTA, Scottish BAFTA and International EMMY winning writer and director for drama, comedy and children’s. Ian is currently directing the third series of CBBC comedy High Hoops, starring Robert Webb and Isy Suttie, having lead-directed the first two series. He has previously directed on a number of other comedies such as Horrible Histories and So Awkward, along with dramas such as EastEnders and Coronation Street.
Ian co-created and wrote the Rose d’Or-nominated comedy series FM, starring Daniel Kaaluya, Chris O’Dowd and O-T Fagbenle, and has previously developed projects with Hat Trick and Channel X. He is currently developing a crime drama for television and a feature film based on his short film Hide.
Website: Ian Curtis
| Short Film: | |
|---|---|
| Hide | Writer & Director An emotional story about a destitute teenage girl’s desperate attempt to keep her family intact starring Niamh Blackshaw. Winner – Best Actress (Niamh Blackshaw) – Independent Shorts Awards – 2026 Winner – Best Short (for October 2025) – Independent Shorts Awards – 2025 Winner – Best Director (Short Film) – Bournemouth International Film Festival – 2025 Winner – Best UK Short Film – Bournemouth International Film Festival – 2025 Winner – Best Performance in a Short Film (Niamh Blackshaw) – Bournemouth International Film Festival – 2025 Winner – Best Editing (Short Film) – Bournemouth International Film Festival – 2025 Winner – Best Sound (Short Film) – Bournemouth International Film Festival – 2025 Winner – Jury Award – Best Film in the Festival – Bournemouth International Film Festival – 2025 Winner – The Tony Jordan Award for Best in Festival Award – Southport Film Festival – 2025 Winner – Best Northern Film Award – Southport Film Festival – 2025 Winner – Best New Liverpool Talent – Horizon Film Festival – 2025 Runner Up – Audience Award – Horizon Film Festival – 2025 Winner – North East Recognition Award – Sunderland Shorts – 2025 Winner – Best UK Short – Shared Visions Film Festival – 2025 Winner – Barcelona Independent Film Awards: Best UK Short Film – 2025 Winner – Best North West Short – Manchester Film Festival – 2025 Winner – Main Winner – Liverpool Indie Awards – 2025 Winner – Best Short Film (Fiction) – North East International Film Festival – 2024 Winner – Best Director – Greece International Film Festival – 2024 |
| Waiting For Giro | Writer & Director Two hopeless souls in a dystopian world wait for their social security benefits to arrive. Starring Pauline Quirke and Christian Rodska. Winner – Best Actress, Pauline Quirke – Strasbourg Film Festival |
| Television (broadcast): | |
|---|---|
| High Hoops – Series 3 | Can Can Productions / CBBC Director of all eps of the third series of the returning comedy. 10 x 30 mins |
| High Hoops – Series 2 | Can Can Productions / CBBC Lead director of the second series of the successful comedy. 5 x 30 mins |
| High Hoops – Series 1 | Can Can Productions / CBBC Lead director of the first series of the new sitcom for CBBC. 5 x 30 mins |
| Eastenders | BBC Studios Productions / BBC One Director of a block on the BBC continuing drama. 4 x 30 mins |
| Emmerdale | ITV Studios / ITV1 Director for the prime time continuing drama 16 x 30 mins |
| Goldie’s Oldies | VIS UK / Nickelodeon Director for the new Nickelodeon comedy / drama 5 x 30 mins Producer: Candida Julian-Jones Exec Producer: Caroline Norris |
| Coronation Street | ITV Studios / ITV1 Director for the long running ITV1 continuing drama 8 x 30 mins |
| Horrible Histories – Series 6&7 | Lion Television / CBBC Directed on the hugely popular comedy series for CBBC Producer: Tom Miller, Exec Producer for CBBC: Melissa Hardinge |
| So Awkward – Series 2-6 | Channel X / CBBC Director for the award winning comedy / drama series 2-5 and lead director for series 6 34 x 30 mins Producer: Sally Martin (Series 2 & 3) / Joanne Blake (Series 4 – 6), Exec Producer for Channel X: Alan Marke & Jim Reid |
| Hollyoaks | Lime Pictures / Channel 4 Director for the Channel 4 continuing drama (since 2018) 60 x 30 mins 3 x 60 mins – including 2019’s Christmas Day Special & New Year’s Eve Special |
| School Bus | BBC Children’s Productions / CBBC Director of the CBBC comedy / drama 1 x 30 mins Producer: Joanne Blake |
| Driven to Distraction | Little Dot Studios / Channel 4 Director of this fixed rig prank series with celebrities demonstrating the dangers of distracted driving on an epic scale 6 x 3 mins |
| Mark Watson & Sam Simmons Pilot | So Television / BBC Worldwide Director of this comedy pilot combining live stand-up and pre-recorded sketches (OB & studio audience) 1 x 28 minutes |
| Don’t Drop the Baton | BBC Comedy / BBC Scotland Director for this comedy featuring live stand-up and pre-recorded sketches. 2 x 30 mins Producer: Jaqueline Sinclair Exec Producer BBC Scotland: Eileen Herlihy |
| Home Movies with Joe Wilkinson | Rockabox / YAHOO Director & Producer of this scripted comedy movie review show 10 x 10 minutes |
| Dani’s Castle | The Foundation / Zodiak / CBBC Director for the CBBC comedy / drama 3 x 30 mins Producer: Ray Lau Exec Producers: Elaine Sperber & Melissa Hardinge |
| Chain Gang | BBC Comedy Director of this non-broadcast comedy pilot with live studio audience. 1 x 30 minutes Producer: Simon Mayhew-Archer Exec: Pete Thornton |
| Off Their Rockers | CPL Productions / ITV Director of the hidden camera comedy show 7 x 30 mins Producer: Andy Brown Exec Producer: Mob Dar |
| Sorry I’ve Got No Head – Series 3 | So TV / CBBC Director & Producer of this sketch show 13 x 30 mins Exec Producer CBBC: Melissa Hardinge Exec Producer SO TV: Jeremy Salsby |
| The Forgotten Picture Show | So TV Director for this SO TV in-house pilot starring Steve Oram, Tom Meeten, Alice Lowe and Simon Farnaby. Producer: Tom Miller Exec: Graham Stuart |
| Sorry I’ve Got No Head – Series 1 & 2 | So TV / CBBC Director of the sketch show 26 x 30 mins Exec Producer CBBC: Melissa Hardinge Exec Producer SO TV: Jeremy Salsby |
| Blowout | Comedy Unit / Channel 4 Director of this award-winning Comedy Lab 1 x 30 mins Producer: Rab Christie BAFTA Scotland Winner 2007: Best Comedy. |
| F.M. | Channel 4 Co-creator, Writer & Director of a Comedy Lab for Channel 4. 1 x 30 mins Producer: Johnny Morrison Exec Producer Channel Four: Caroline Leddy Nominated for the Rose D’Or: Best Sitcom |
| Other Production Credits: | |
|---|---|
| Ultimate Brain | Zigzag / CBBC Series Producer for the comedy game show featuring celebrities and children competing in science based games 10 x 30 mins Exec Producer for Zigzag: Peter Wyles Exec Producer for CBBC: Hugh Lawton |
| Mad Lab | Zigzag / BBC Learning Series Producer of the comedy science programme for pre-teens featuring characters from CBBC’s Ultimate Brain. 4 x 15 minutes Exec Producer for Zigzag: Peter Wyles Exec Producer for BBC Learning: Moray London |
| Dani’s Castle – Series 2 | The Foundation / Zodiak / CBBC Writer of an episode of this comedy / drama. 1 x 30 mins Exec Producer for Zodiak: Elaine Sperber |
| Peckham Knights | Hat Trick Productions Creator, Writer & Director of the comedy pilot developed with Paul Schlesinger 1 x 30 mins |
| Nightwatch | Room 5 Productions Writer, Director & Producer of a comedy pilot |
| F.M. | Granada TV / ITV2 Co-creator, Writer & Associate Producer of a new comedy starring Chris O’Dowd and Kevin Bishop 6 x 30 mins |
| Awards & Nominations: | |
|---|---|
| 2025 Independent Shorts Awards: Best Short (for October 2025) (Winner) – Hide |
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| 2025 Bournemouth International Film Festival: Best Director (Short Film) (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2025 Bournemouth International Film Festival: Best UK Short Film (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2025 Bournemouth International Film Festival: Best Performance in a Short Film (Niamh Blackshaw) (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2025 Bournemouth International Film Festival: Best Editing (Short Film) (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2025 Bournemouth International Film Festival: Best Sound (Short Film) (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2025 Bournemouth International Film Festival: Jury Award – Best Film in the Festival (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2025 Southport Film Festival: The Tony Jordan Award for Best in Festival Award (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2025 Southport Film Festival: Best Northern Film Award (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2025 Horizon Film Festival: Best New Liverpool Talent (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2025 Horizon Film Festival: Audience Award (Runner Up) – Hide |
|
| 2025 Sunderland Shorts: North East Recognition Award (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2025 Shared Visions Film Festival: Best UK Short (Winner) – Hide |
|
| 2025 Liverpool Indie Awards: Main Winner (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2025 Manchester Film Festival: Best North West Short (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2025 Barcelona Independent Film Awards: Best UK Short Film (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2024 North East International Film Festival: Best Short Film (Fiction) (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2024 Greece International Film Festival: Best Director (Winner) – Hide | |
| 2019 Children’s BAFTA: Best Comedy (Nomination) – So Awkward | |
| 2018 Children’s BAFTA: Best Comedy (Winner) – So Awkward | |
| 2018 International Emmy Award: Best Comedy (Winner) – Horrible Histories | |
| 2017 Broadcast Award: Best Children’s Comedy (Winner) – Horrible Histories | |
| Children’s BAFTAs: 10 x Best Comedy (Nominations) – Horrible Histories, So Awkward, Sorry I’ve Got No Head | |
| 2017 International Emmy Award Best Comedy (Nomination) – Horrible Histories | |
| 2012 Chortle Awards: Best TV Programme (Nomination) – Sorry I’ve Got No Head | |
| 2009 Rose D’Or: Best Sitcom (Nomination) – F.M. | |
| 2007 Scottish BAFTA: Best Comedy (Winner) – Blowout | |
| 2007 N. Ireland Film Festival: Best International Comedy Short Film (Winner) – A Full Blown Affair | |
| Strasbourg Film Festival: Best Actress in a Short Film (Winner) – Pauline Quirke in Waiting for Giro |