Riff Raff Films have announced the signing of London-based writer and director Holly Hunter to their Nursery of Evil roster.

Hunter is known for creating bold visual worlds in her films, which are fast, playful and obsessively crafted. Her work in music videos includes a spoof Christmas single, starring Holly Hunter herself: the hilarious Ho Ho Ho (Christmas Number One), shot in her village hall, was released last year.

Formerly an art director at Wieden+Kennedy, working on award-winning campaigns for Nike, TK Maxx, Lurpak, Sainsbury’s and Sprite before moving into directing, Hunter's debut short Banana Boat, selected for funding by Yarns Film Festival from thousands of submissions. It then won Best Honorary Film at the Yarns screening at the Prince Charles Cinema. Her follow-up, Crunch, a guerrilla-style short inspired by her misophonia, premiered on It’s Nice That. 

A multi-disciplinary creator, Hunter has written and performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, made stop-motion animation, sold her own cartoon artwork and even made BBC News for sketching Sir Richard Branson as a pigeon. Her distinctive filmmaking is rooted in the belief that if you treat everyone like a character, the world becomes more magical.

On joining the Nursery of Evil - the rising talent roster at Riff Raff - Hunter says: "I love what Riff Raff stands for and I can’t wait to bring the fizz and chaos of a shaken can of pop to the squad. It already feels like home, the kind of place you can wander around in your undies and know you belong."

And Ho Ho Ho (Christmas Number One) returns this December, “to keep Mariah on her toes”.

• Watch Holly Hunter's showreel at Riff Raff Films here