After spending years building his career in front of and behind the camera, Actor and model Hamish O’Brien is entering an exciting new chapter. Best known for his work as a stage and screen actor, Hamish is now making his mark as the writer and director of the upcoming short film Haven’t Spoken Since, a deeply personal post-heist crime drama submitted to the Poco Film Festival 2026 in Ballarat.
With more than five years in the industry, Hamish has steadily built an impressive résumé. After completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Stage and Screen in 2021, he broadened his understanding of filmmaking by working as a Cinema Technician in 2022 before stepping onto professional film sets. His crew experience includes major feature productions such as Mad Max: Furiosa, We Bury The Dead, and Mr. Irrelevant, while his acting work spans commercials for the local university, Ballarat City Council and Toyota, along with Melbourne short films including Boys Club, Love and Crumble, and The Belie.
Alongside his professional work, Hamish has continued refining his craft through screen acting classes and workshops at ATA Acting Studio since 2023, bringing together technical discipline, creativity and a genuine passion for storytelling.
EXPERIENCE ON SET
Working across large-scale feature films has given Hamish a unique perspective that now shapes every creative decision he makes.
“Working on different types of film sets under unique conditions has been an eye-opening experience for me,” he says.
“Watching how the cast and crew communicate with each other, observing how the sets are created, what energies the actors bring to a set and how different directors approach creating their vision when faced with challenges such as extreme weather conditions, time management and a sense of leadership paired with professional courtesy and creativity.”
Those experiences have become the blueprint for the filmmaker he hopes to become.
“All of this has shaped the kind of director, actor and filmmaker that I want to be.” His continued training has reinforced the importance of growth and collaboration. “Always be listening and be interested and passionate about whatever you’re making,” Hamish explains.
“Make clear and proactive decisions. Be generous with your time, your choices and push yourself to step outside the walls of your comfort zone. Constantly be working on yourself and improving your craft and try and surround yourself with people who have the same drive, because they can teach you unique skills, lived life experiences and approaches that you wouldn’t usually come up with alone or even consider.”
The Story Behind Haven’t Spoken Since
For Hamish, Haven’t Spoken Since is far more than a crime drama. While the film uses the aftermath of a heist as its backdrop, its emotional core explores fractured relationships, loneliness and the complexities of reconnecting after years apart.
The story draws heavily from lived experiences, unrequited relationships and estranged friendships.
“I was pondering the question in fiction and film of ‘what happens to the characters after they pull off a heist?'” Hamish says. “Using that as a foundation grounded the story as a post-heist crime drama and allowed me to explore what that would realistically look like after the characters drive away into the sunset and are eventually reunited.”
The film explores the emotional weight of isolation, betrayal and the desire to reconnect with someone who was once an important part of your life.
“I hope that the audience will connect to the themes of long-term and long-distance friendships and the awkwardness and re-familiarity that often ensues after years of no contact.”
He believes the emotions driving the story are almost universal.
“I feel like almost everyone can relate to being ghosted or that feeling of losing a close best friend or loved one after they go silent and start acting differently around you out of the blue. Your first impulse is to ask yourself, ‘What did I do to make them start treating me this way?'”
“Usually the answer is quite simply that members in a band might just split up over creative differences, friendships and relationships end because we grow and drift apart over time, and life doesn’t act according to any set agenda or hidden motive as people can both change their personality completely or remain exactly the same from how we remembered them.”
Making His Mark In All Forms of Creativity
Whether he’s performing in front of the camera, contributing behind the scenes on major productions or leading his own projects as a writer and director, Hamish continues to expand his creative horizons with purpose and determination.
With Haven’t Spoken Since set to introduce audiences to his voice as a filmmaker, Hamish is proving that storytelling isn’t confined to one role. His journey reflects a commitment to constant learning, artistic collaboration and creating stories grounded in authentic human experience.
As his career continues to evolve, Hamish is undoubtedly one to watch—not only as an actor, but as an emerging Australian filmmaker with a compelling voice and a passion for telling stories that resonate long after the credits roll.
Follow Hamish O’Brien
Follow Hamish O’Brien on his official social media channels to stay up to date with Haven’t Spoken Since, future acting projects and behind-the-scenes updates from his filmmaking journey.
https://www.instagram.com/thats_so_hamish
https://www.instagram.com/haventspokensince.film
Film Photo credit Max Bradbury
