Born in Aberdare, South Wales, he spent the first twenty years of his life in neighboring town Merthyr Tydfil, before moving to America at the age of twenty to train to be a preacher. Made his directorial debut in 2004 with the gritty thriller The Bond. His second film Group Dynamics, a short, played at the Cannes Film Festival 2005, an experimental dark comedy, which won many applauds for its brave uncompromising message. In 2005 he fulfilled his life long ambition to make a film about his home town hero, Welsh boxer Howard Winstone. The Fifteenth was a short film spanning 40 years of the boxer's life. The Film premiered at the Merthyr Man of the century award s dinner, and also played at the Cannes Film Festival 2006. In 2006 Neil's second feature The Lost was made and won the Jury Award at the Newport International Film Festival as well as screening in festivals around the world, including South Africa and North America as well as the UK. Released on DVD at the end of 2006 the film continues to do good business and features the last ever performance of late Horror icon Peter Cushing. Currently working on his third directorial feature outing with Risen, based on the life of Howard Winstone. Co-owner of Burn Hand Film Productions Limited.