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Paul O'Connor- Filmmaker

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Paul O'Connor has been involved in independent video production since 1993. I picked up a camcorder to both record and support the thriving counter-culture in the UK. I have filmed direct action protests against car culture, filmed with political comedian Mark Thomas, I smuggled a hidden camera into an Israeli prison and I have recorded many alternative life styles. My films have also been shown in the Tate Modern. My drive is to distribute stories rarely heard within the mainstream.  I won a  Digitial Hero award for my media work. I have won awards for my films in Germany, USA, Canada and the UK.
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Filming Fracking protests 2017
I co-founded Undercurrents in 1994 as an alternative news agency. Together we established a unique independent distribution for videos produced by grassroots environmental and social justice campaigners. My archive images are broadcast regularly on Channel 4, ITV and BBC in various news and current affairs programmes. I have trained human rights and environmental campaigners in video skills across the World. I co-founded the annual BeyondTV international film festival and The Sol Cinema, a unique solar powered mobile movie theater.

You can contact me via paulo@undercurrents.org or Telephone 07973 298359

Get in touch with Paul O'Connor

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You can contact me via paulo@undercurrents.org
Telephone 07973 298359

I also write a blog for Undercurrents
which you can read here


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Filming A-Z of Bushcraft
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Read more...

You can read my article in the Guardian about my work.

Read interview with me in the New Internationalist magazine




Read interview with me about our video exhibition at BFI

Read interview with me on the BBC about filming protests

Read interview with me in a film industry magazine

Guardian on producing the last news video of Undercurrents

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Filming Reclaim the Streets 1997
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Filming in Nepal 2001
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Filming interviews in Spain 2010

Filmography

I have produced hundreds of films with a diverse range of topics. They include;

Breaking News- (1999) documentary exploring how the police control the news
agenda. Winner of best documentary British BAVA Awards 1999

If I had a Hammer (1996)- Exploring the story of how four women disarmed
British war-planes sold to Indonesia using household hammers.

Major Resistance (1998) – directed 2x 30minute programmes exploring dissent in Britain. Broadcast on Channel 4 television

Alt World (2001)- directed an investigation into the arrests of journalists in Britain. Broadcast on Channel 4 2001

Globalisation and the Media (2001)- how the mass media shape public opinion. Winner of best documentary. Winner Tokyo video festival 2003 / Winner One World Canada 2002,

Evolving Minds (2002)- Producer-A documentary exploring alternatives to the Mental health system

Reach for the Sky (2004)- Documentary exploring links between Climate Change and Aviation.

The Only Clown in the Village (2006)- how a British-Asian entertainer helped Tsunami victims.Winner best Welsh Independent Film 2006.

Bike2Oz- (2008) Cycling 12,000km rather than damaging the climate by flying.

Tewkesbury Medieval Fayre (2008) Reenactment societies converge into one field

A-Z of Bushcraft (2010) Online video series about woodland skills

Adventures in Welsh (2010) Swansea group promoting Welsh speaking for young people

Inside Israeli prison (2011) Smuggling a camera into a prison to expose how Israel lock up internationals wishing to visit Palestine

Roundwood Timber Framing (2011) A step by step guide to eco-building with Ben Law

6 sculptures in 6 weeks (2012) Following 2 artists creating in the Welsh valleys. Produced for Neath Port Talbot council

Spannabis (2013) Video reports on the largest Cannabis industry event on the planet.

Cannafest (2013) video reports from Prague at a Cannabis trade event.

Community Food Growing (2014) A resource for people in South Wales

Pride in our Farming families (2014) Helping farmers to diversify. Produced for Creative Rural Communities

End to Coal (2016) The largest UK direct action protest to shut down an open cast coal mine

Trident (2016)- Report about a month of protests to stop nuclear weapons in UK.

Open Cast Coal (2016)- A video report from Germany about mass occupation of coal mine.

Anti-Fracking Gathering (2016)- Manchester held the largest UK rally against Fracking

Yarlswood Detention centre (2016) Mass protest in support of detained refugees

Power Trip (2018)-  an insight into the frontline resistance to the Fracking industry in the UK

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Filming the largest ever direct action protest in a coal mine (May 2016)
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Paul and the Sol Cinema
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Arriving at the BAFTAs 2018
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Filming woodland timber building
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Filming November 2016
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Paul co-founded the Sol Cinema
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