Niclas Gillis, a Swedish-born filmmaker, began his journey in the film industry at the tender age of fifteen, when he started taking night classes in film production at Stockholm University. A year later, he enrolled in a full-time media high school and soon found himself directing commercials for various Swedish companies. His summer break from school was spent working as a trailer producer for European television at Viasat in London, England, and he made his acting debut the following year in the film "The Ape," directed by Jesper Ganslandt, which premiered at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals.
Gillis relocated to New York at the age of nineteen and went on to direct video content for prominent companies such as the New York Times, The Line Hotel, and Native Son, the latter of which was compared to Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Teorema" by New York Magazine. He also worked as a contributing writer on film for The Last Magazine and as a story analyst for Universal Pictures International.
Between January 2014 and December 2016, Gillis wrote, directed, produced, and edited "Hold Me Down," a narrative short film that tells the story of a 19-year-old single mother who works as a stripper at an illegal nightclub to support her child in the South Bronx. The film is based on real events and features a cast of women survivors of sexual exploitation and domestic violence. Gillis aimed to give these women a platform to share their stories, raise awareness about the conditions they face, and show that they are not alone and that their stories matter. The film premiered to critical acclaim at the Gothenburg International Film Festival in January 2017 and, through a partnership with Project Rousseau, helped the women involved to leave prostitution and achieve stability in their lives.
In May 2017, Gillis directed the Nike "I, David" campaign, which featured renowned ballet dancer David Hallberg. Nike described Gillis as a "rising star within the film industry" and predicted that he would be a talent to watch.
