David Gleeson began his career showing movies and checking tickets in the family’s cinema in rural Ireland. His journey to the other side of the screen took him across the North Sea and into the Arctic Circle where he worked for 7 years in the oil industry to raise funds.
David's feature film debut, COWBOYS & ANGELS (’03) charmed critics and audiences on both sides of the Atlantic -- THE WASHINGTON POST called it; “Witty, sweet and flat-out adorable”. THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE commented; “Stack COWBOYS against most of the fare American studios offer young adults and it's meatier by far."
David’s next film, THE FRONT LINE, opened in cinemas across Ireland in Summer ‘06. THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT wrote – “David Gleeson has delivered a terrific film that reminds us what big screens were made for and it deserves to be a smash… Bristles with freshness and cinematic sophistication.” VARIETY called the film; “Impressive… Shocking… Sustains high levels of suspense while delivering an emotional wallop”.
FEATURE FILMS
THE FRONT LINE (2006), Writer/Director, Wide Eye Films
with Eriq Ebouaney, James Frain, Gerard McSorley, Hakeem Kae-Kasim
AWARDS
BEST FILM, SALERNO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (ITALY, 2007)
BEST FILM, BOSTON IRISH FILM FESTIVAL (USA, 2007)
BERNHARD WICKI PRIZE (AUDIENCE AWARD), EMDEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (GERMANY, 2007)
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE, MADRID INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, (SPAIN, 2007)
Nominated for 4 Irish Film & Television Academy awards (2007) including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Music
COWBOYS & ANGELS (2003), Writer/Director, Wide Eye Films
with Michael Legge, Allen Leech, Amy Shiels
AWARDS
BEST FILM, MADRID MOSTOLES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (SPAIN, 2005)
BEST FILM, GIFFONI FILM FESTIVAL (ITALY, 2004)
GOLD MEDAL AWARD, SPECIAL AWARD FOR PROMOTING A MESSAGE OF TOLERANCE AND UNDERSTANDING TO YOUNG PEOPLE, GIFFONI FILM FESTIVAL (ITALY, 2004)
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY, NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL (USA, 2004)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN, IRISH FILM & TELEVISION ACADEMY AWARDS (IRL, 2004)
BEST FILM, FORT WORTH INTL. FILM FESTIVAL (USA, 2004)
SHORT FILMS
HUNTED, Writer/Director, 2002
FEELS LIKE HOME, Writer/Director, 1998