Director, Producer and Super 8mm Lighting Cameraman
Daniel Cormack was born in Lewisham, south east London to an English father and a German mother and was educated at Thomas Tallis Comprehensive School in Kidbrooke. Suffering from Photosensitive Epilepsy, he was unable to watch television as a child and his ambition to be a film director was born out of regular and avid cinema-going from a young age.
In 1999, he became the first person in his family to attend university and the only person in his school to attend Oxford when we was accepted to read English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University. After receiving a Distinction in his end of year examinations, he was elected to an Academic Scholarship.
Daniel graduated in 2002 and worked at the British Film Institute London Film Festival that year. He then went on to work at the Electric Cinema and Members Club in Notting Hill. In July 2004, he established Actaeon Films to produce feature length theatrical motion pictures.
Daniel’s directorial debut - AMELIA AND MICHAEL – starring Anthony Head (BUFFY / LITTLE BRITAIN) screened at the 31st Montreal World Film Festival, the 11th LA Shorts Fest and the 15th Raindance Film Festival and was shortlisted for the Akira Kurosawa Memorial Film Prize. Hotdog described the film as “beautifully shot” and concluded “on this evidence, Daniel Cormack is a young director to watch”. Shooting People said in their review: “Great performances, beautifully shot and a real sense of cinema. Daniel Cormack appears to be braking all the rules without breaking sweat or showing off.”
Recently, Daniel has directed and produced the comedy short NIGHTWALKING starring Raquel Cassidy (TEACHERS), working with the BAFTA-winning producer Natasha Carlish as Executive Producer. He has also devised, directed and authored a 30min Channel 4 documentary about politics broadcast in May 2007, featuring Tory leader David Cameron.
Daniel was immediately drawn to direct A FITTING TRIBUTE. The film’s themes of loss, maternal love and reconciliation acquired added poignancy as Daniel’s own mother died of lung cancer two weeks before shooting commenced.