Founded by Niall McCloskey and Thomas Bennett, a Belfast based directing, writing, producing and visual art duo. Standing Stone Pictures is an award-winning arthouse production company based in Belfast.

Currently the pair are in post-production for their third short, ‘The Galley’ starring IFTA 2026 nominee & Tony award winner Bríd Brennan and IFTA 2026 nominee Seán T. Ó Meallaigh.

Additional projects in-development include their forth short through NI Screens New Shorts Focus Scheme, a new comedy pilot for the BBC and their first feature.

In two short years of Standing Stone, our work has been selected for competition at the BAFTA affiliated Belfast Film Festival, DIFF (Dublin International Film Festival), Raindance Film Festival, Irish Film Festival London, The British Short Film Awards, Offscreen Film Festival and more.

ABOUT US

  • Co-Founder

    As a Belfast-based artist and writer working with the moving image, the incitement of ideas and questions lies at the heart of what I aim to achieve. Film as a means of dialogue.

    Since joining Standing Stone, my work has focused on using Hi8 and Super 8 to explore the effects of medium on narrative and story-telling.

    I entered the film world via the Props Department in 2021 as a means to explore the industry. Since then I have worked on numerous productions in Northern Ireland from ‘Blue Lights’ (2023) and ‘School For Good and Evil’ (2021) to ‘World on Fire’ Season 2 (2023) and Game of Thrones: Hedge Knight (2025).

    Directed work within Standing Stone Pictures includeds In Wake of John Doyle (2024), Gabriel’s Trumpet (2025), The Galley (2026).

Meet the Team

Small but mighty, Standing Stone Pictures is built of the team of Thomas Bennett and Niall McCloskey, two Irish creatives working towards building Northern Irelands leading arthouse film production company. We have aims of hiring more staff in the coming years and are always seeking further creative ventures.

  • Co-Founder

    Like so many worldwide, I’ve been entranced by all things film from a young age, this is beyond a passion for myself; it’s a way of life.

    I have worked within the Northern Ireland film and television industry since 2021 having had the chance to work on Game of Thrones: The Hedge Knight (2025), The Woman in The Wall (2023), Hope Street (2022-) and many more within the AD department before heading towards production.

    I am actively working towards long-term goals of producing with my previously produced works in Standing Stone, In Wake of John Doyle and Gabriel’s Trumpet, doing well in their respective festival runs.

    Currently I am in post for our third short film, The Galley as well as in-development with NI Screen on our fourth short film through their New Shorts Focus scheme.