Steve O'Reilly

Steve O’Reilly is a cinematographer, director of photography, documentary filmmaker and educator based at the National Film School in Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), Dublin. He teaches on undergraduate and master’s programmes in the National Film School, specialising in cinematography and documentary filmmaking, and brings more than twenty-five years of professional experience in the film and television industry in Ireland and internationally into his teaching practice. Steve is Course Director of the Ireland Viewfinder | Erasmus Mundus Joint Master of Arts in Cinematography at IADT, where he works with an international cohort of students and partners to develop advanced skills in visual storytelling for the screen.

As an industry professional, Steve has worked extensively as a director of photography and lighting cameraman, as well as directing and producing documentary and advertising content for major screen, television and digital platforms. His credits span TV and film commercials, short films, documentaries and television programmes, including award‑winning documentary films.

Steve has worked on productions for major international outlets such as BBC, National Geographic, Arte, CBS 60 Minutes and Netflix, building a portfolio that reflects both technical expertise and a strong documentary sensibility. Steve’s work has taken him all over the world, including extreme environments such as Antarctica, the Himalayas and transatlantic yacht races, experiences that inform the way he teaches students to plan and execute visually ambitious projects in challenging conditions.

Among his screen credits, Steve is known for feature documentary work including “The Summit” and “In A House That Ceased To Be”, alongside projects such as “Beyond Endurance” and “Harry Clarke – Darkness in Light”, which have contributed to his reputation in Irish and international factual production. He continues to work as an active practitioner, combining ongoing professional commissions with his academic role at IADT so that students engage with current industry practices, technologies and workflows.

Steve holds a BA in Film/Cinema/Video Studies from Manchester Metropolitan University and an MA in Radio, Television and Digital Platforms from IADT, complementing his professional portfolio with strong academic grounding in screen production. Across his teaching, supervision and mentoring, he focuses on helping emerging filmmakers develop a distinctive visual language, robust technical skills and an understanding of documentary ethics and practice within the wider context of Ireland’s and Europe’s screen industries.