{{Short description|British film and commercial director}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Ringan Ledwidge | birth_date = {{birth date|1971|5|24|df=yes}} | birth_place = Canterbury, England | death_date = {{death date and age|2021|11|8|1971|5|24|df=yes}} | death_place = <!-- Not specified --> | occupation = Director | years_active = 1997–2021 | works = Full list | awards = Full list }}
'''Ringan Ledwidge''' (24 May 1971 – 8 November 2021) was a British film and commercial director.
== Life and career == Ledwidge studied at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication in Kent.<ref> {{cite web |title=How I Got Here: Ringan Ledwidge |url=https://www.creativereview.co.uk/how-i-got-here-ringan-ledwidge/ |website=Creative Review |date=26 February 2018 |access-date=19 July 2025 }}</ref> After graduating in 1993, he travelled to the Middle East<ref name=television1 /> and worked as a journalist and photographer in the Gaza Strip.<ref> {{cite web |title=CAMPAIGN CRAFT: PORTFOLIO - Ringan Ledwidge |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/campaign-craft-portfolio-ringan-ledwidge/26449 |website=Campaign |date=21 August 1998 |access-date=21 July 2025 }}</ref> He later journeyed through the United States, also working as a photographer.
After returning to the UK, he gradually shifted his focus to directing. He directed his first television commercial in 1997 and later produced music videos for bands such as Red Snapper, Whale, Travis, and Massive Attack.<ref> {{cite web |title=The cult inspirations behind Massive Attack's new video |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/30051/1/the-cult-inspirations-behind-massive-attack-s-new-video/ |website=Dazed |date=26 February 2016 |access-date=19 July 2025 }}</ref>
In 1999, he was awarded the Young Director Award by the European Federation for Commercial Film Producers,<ref name="cfpe1999"> {{cite web |title=The Young Director Award |url=https://youngdirectoraward.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/CATAL_YDA_2014_WEB.pdf |access-date=19 July 2025 }}</ref> leading to further work with major brands such as Adidas, Apple, Audi, Nike, and Volkswagen.
His commercials went on to receive multiple awards, including British Television Advertising Awards and recognition at the Cannes Lions.
In 2006, Ledwidge co-founded the production company Rattling Stick<ref name=television1 /> alongside Daniel Kleinman and Johnnie Frankel.<ref name=rs> {{cite web |title=Directors – Ringan Ledwidge |url=https://www.rattlingstick.com/directors |website=Rattling Stick |access-date=19 July 2025 }}</ref> The company went on to produce several acclaimed campaigns under Ledwidge's direction, such as ''Go On Lad'' (2008) for Hovis and ''Three Little Pigs'' (2012) for The Guardian.<ref name="guardian2012"> {{cite web |title='Three Little Pigs' for Guardian by Ringan Ledwidge |url=https://directorslibrary.com/2012/latest/campaigns/three-little-pigs-guardian/ |access-date=19 July 2025 }}</ref>
Ledwidge made his feature film debut with ''Gone'' (2007), produced by Universal Pictures and Working Title Films. In 2012, he was signed by DreamWorks to direct the science fiction project ''Glimmer'', which was planned for release in 2014.<ref> {{cite web |title=DreamWorks taps Ringan Ledwidge to direct 'Glimmer' |url=https://variety.com/2012/film/news/dreamworks-taps-ringan-ledwidge-to-direct-glimmer-1118063386/ |website=Variety |date=10 December 2012 |access-date=19 July 2025 }}</ref>
He died of cancer in November 2021, at the age of 50.<ref name=television1> {{cite web |title=Legendary director Ringan Ledwidge dies |url=https://www.televisual.com/news/legendary-director-ringan-ledwidge-dies/ |website=Televisual|date=12 November 2021 |access-date=22 July 2025 }}</ref><ref name=bfi> {{cite web |title=Somewhere over the rainbow: Ringan Ledwidge, 1971 to 2021 |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/ringan-ledwidge-1971-2021 |website=British Film Institute |date=2 December 2021 |access-date=23 July 2025}}</ref>
== Awards == * 1999 – Young Director Award, European Federation for Commercial Film Producers<ref name="cfpe1999" /> * 2000 – Silver Cannes Lions, ''Volkswagen – Self Defense''<ref name="UnitedAgents"> {{cite web |title=Ringan Ledwidge: Director |url=http://unitedagents.co.uk/ringan-ledwidge |website=United Agents |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705091924/http://unitedagents.co.uk/ringan-ledwidge |archive-date=5 July 2014 |access-date=3 June 2014 }}</ref> * 2001 – Silver Cannes Lions, ''Adidas – Horses''<ref name="UnitedAgents" /> * 2005 – Gold Arrow, British Television Advertising Awards, ''Lynx – Getting Dressed''<ref name="UnitedAgents" /> * 2009 – Best Commercial, British Television Advertising Awards, ''Hovis – Go On Lad''<ref name="UnitedAgents" /> * 2012 – Best Crafted Commercial, British Television Advertising Awards, ''The Guardian – Three Little Pigs''<ref name="campaign12"> {{cite magazine |title = Guardian and Channel 4 films triumph at Craft Awards |magazine = Campaign |date = 30 November 2012 |url = https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=84500024&site=eds-live&scope=site |url-access = limited |access-date = 26 July 2025 |via = Wikipedia Library }}</ref> * 2016 – Best Music Video, Camerimage Awards, ''Massive Attack – Voodoo In My Blood (ft. Young Fathers)''<ref> {{cite web |title=Camerimage 2016 Winners Announced! |url=https://britishcinematographer.co.uk/camerimage-2016-winners-announced/ |website=British Arrows |date=20 November 2016 |access-date=21 July 2025 }}</ref> * 2017 – Best Director, shots Awards<ref name=television1 /> * 2017 – Best in Book, Creative Review Annual Awards, ''Audi – Clowns''<ref name=television1 /> * 2021/2022 – Posthumous Award, British Arrows<ref> {{cite web |title=Ringan Ledwidge (Posthumous Award) |url=https://www.britisharrows.com/winners/21-22/ringan-ledwidge-posthumous-award |website=British Cinematographer |access-date=21 July 2025 }}</ref>
== Filmography == Ref.:<ref name=bfi /><ref name=rs />
'''Film''' * ''Gone'' (2007)
'''Music video''' {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |- !scope="col"| Year !scope="col"| Title !scope="col"| Artist |- | 1998 | "Image Of You" | Red Snapper |- |rowspan=4|1999 | "Crying At Airports" | Whale feat. Bus 75 |- | "Rainbows Of Colour" | Grooverider |- | "Bring It On" | Gomez |- | "Turn | rowspan=2|Travis |- | 2000 | "Coming Around" |- | 2009 | "One Day Like This" | Elbow |- | 2016 | "Voodoo In My Blood" | Massive Attack |- |}
'''Commercials''' {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" !scope="col"| Year !scope="col"| Title !scope="col"| Brand |- | 2000 | "Police" | BBC Radio 1 |- | 2001 | "Rain" | Guinness |- | 2003 | "First Dance" | BBC Radio 6 Music |- |rowspan=3|2004 | "Getting Dressed" | Lynx |- | "Road to Lisbon" | Adidas |- | "Crash" | Department for Education |- | 2005 | "Hot Dog" | Nike |- | 2006 | "Last Man Standing" | Adidas |- | 2007 | "Dangerous Liaison" | Levi's |- |rowspan=3|2008 | "Brains" | Britvic |- | "Go On Lad" | Hovis |- | "Rewind City" | Orange |- |rowspan=2|2009 | "Tunnel" | Stella Artois |- | "Jockey" | Weetabix |- |rowspan=3|2010 | "Father and Daughter" | Vodafone |- | "After Hours Athlete" | Puma |- | "Ivan Cobenk" | Logitech |- |rowspan=3|2011 | "Crying Jean" |rowspan=2|Stella Artois |- | "Le Quest" |- | "Life Story" | Barnardo's |- |rowspan=5|2012 | "The Other Half" | John Lewis |- | "Susan Glenn" | Axe |- | "Three Little Pigs" | The Guardian |- | "Nike Free, I will run to you" |rowspan=2|Nike |- | "Airborne" |- | 2013 | "Nutcracker" | Baileys |- |rowspan=2|2014 | "Christmas Is For Sharing" | Sainsbury's |- | "Winner Stays On" | Nike |- | 2015 | "Dead Mouse Theatre" | Tomcat |- |rowspan=2|2016 | "The Switch" | Nike |- | "Duel" |rowspan=2|Audi |- |rowspan=3|2017 | "Clown Proof" / "Clowns" |- | "Last Days" | Jose Cuervo |- | "Gabrielle" | Chanel |- ! 2018 | "iPhone X Memory" | Apple |- |rowspan=2|2019 | "Cashew" | Audi |- | "Followers" | Miller Lite |- ! 2020 | "Commencement" | Bank of America |- |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name}} * [https://www.rattlingstick.com/directors/ringan-ledwidge-1971-2021 Biography at Rattling Stick] * [https://directorslibrary.com/directors/ringan-ledwidge/ Filmography at Director's Library]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ledwidge, Ringan}} Category:1971 births Category:2021 deaths Category:British film directors Category:Alumni of Ravensbourne University London Category:People from Canterbury Category:Deaths from cancer in the United Kingdom