John Connors, the first Irish Traveller (Minceir) Director, is a multifaceted individual who has made a significant impact in the film industry. He is an actor, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, playwright, and human rights activist who has broken new ground for his minority community in Ireland.
Connors is best known for his role as Patrick Ward in the Irish crime drama series Love/Hate and for Cardboard Gangsters, for which he won the best actor award at the 2018 Irish film and television awards.
His directorial debut was in 2016, when he co-directed and presented John Connors, The Travellers, which won the 2018 IFTA for best documentary series. The same year, he won the best actor IFTA for Cardboard Gangsters.
Directing is now his main focus, and he has directed a short doc/drama called "Eden," which premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh in 2018.
Connors co-wrote the award-winning script "Innocent Boy" and later directed the film, which received a special mention at VMDIFF 2020 and went on to tour the international film festival circuit, winning international recognition.
His debut documentary "Endless Sunshine on a Cloudy Day" won both critical acclaim and the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival Audience Award in 2020. It was also officially selected for the Raindance Film Festival in 2020 and later won the prestigious Radharc award for excellence in documentary filmmaking.
Connors' feature debut drama "The Black Guelph" won the best film award at the Oldenburg International Film Festival in September 2022. It also picked up the best actor award.
John Connors was named one of the 50 most incredible people who are shaping modern Ireland by the Irish Independent in 2017.
He was also named in the 22 twenty-somethings that are likely to influence Ireland and the world by the Irish Times in 2018.
Throughout his career, John Connors has consistently pushed boundaries and broken barriers, making a significant impact in the film industry and beyond.
