Spindle Welcomes Joshua Neale To The Roster

November 2nd, 2022

Joshua Neale crafts beautiful films full of heart and humanity, influenced by his unique
background in both acting and documentary filmmaking.

Joshua joins the Spindle roster from Smuggler, where he’s spent the last decade directing
award-winning commercials, charity films and documentaries. From subtle humour to
powerful emotion, his eclectic body of work is unified by compelling performances, cinematic
imagery and impeccable storytelling.

His TVC breakthrough came with two outstanding films for Lurpak with Weiden & Kennedy,
which helped shift the tone of food advertising through their authenticity and spontaneous
feel. After this came the much referenced ‘Morning’ for Johnnie Walker, which evolved
Joshua’s filmmaking into a more cinematic realm. Commercial campaigns for the likes of
Huawei, Stella Artois, IKEA, and Nike Jordan swiftly followed. His charming spot for CBeebies
shows how we’re not born with prejudice, when various paired up children discuss what
makes them different from each other. The inclusive and insightful film was shared over
50million times in its first week alone, and went on to be awarded at D&AD, British Arrows
and Cannes Lions among others.

He has directed a range of acclaimed charity films, including for Water.org, which features
Matt Damon highlighting that it is only when people have their basic needs met, like clean
running water, that they are able to focus on their dreams. Joshua’s spot for men’s health
charity Movember playfully celebrates the dodgy moustaches grown for a good cause. And
his heartbreaking piece for UNICEF powerfully parallels the lives of a World War II child
refugee and a Syrian child refugee, with striking similarities despite decades separating their
stories. The poignant film received an array of award recognition, including Cannes Lions,
AICP, APA, EPICA and the British Arrows.

Joshua’s filmmaking skill was immediately evident in his early documentaries for Channel 4
and the BBC, notable for their candid intimacy and playful use of form. His directorial debut
was the inventive musical documentary ‘Karaoke Soul’ which was nominated for the BAFTA
Breakthrough Award. This was followed by his feature debut ‘Despicable Dick & Righteous
Richard’, which premiered in competition at Tribeca Film Festival and was hailed by Screen
International as ‘a bold, engaging and moving documentary’.

Joshua is currently developing his first feature drama script with the support of Robert
Redford’s Sundance Institute, and aims to continue working in branded, documentary, fiction
and anywhere in-between; making emotive and cinematic films with powerful human stories
at their core.

When not making beautiful films, Joshua splits his time between East London and West
Wales, where he refreshes his soul with his love of surfing and nature.

Watch Joshua’s full reel HERE