 He directed and co-wrote the movie adaptation of Dylan Thomas' "Under Milk Wood", submitted for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2015 Oscars ceremony but not nominated, the Hollywood feature films, The Big Tease and , and the first series of ITV's Benidorm, along with numerous other films and documentaries.Allen played a key role in assisting Swansea City Council's 2017 bid to become the 2021 UK City of Culture.He is often cited as a figure in the Cool Cymru era.