BIO
Marked by a richly sensuous cinematic style, Emilie Badenhorst is a powerful voice in a new generation of filmmakers, whose body of work shows an intuitive understanding of the subtlety and honesty required of performance and storytelling.
Emilie’s fashion film Bubblegum and her experimental short Unsex Me, both of which she wrote and directed, quickly brought her the attention and the opportunity to work internationally, a testament to her skill and talent as a young director.
Proving her staying power in the international arena, Emilie’s latest short, Ekstasis has earned her Best Direction at the New Renaissance Film Festival (EU) and a Silverscreen at the Young Director’s Awards (USA). Through her lens; love, intimacy, and loss come together to delicately explore the navigation of the young, female body in relation to identity.
Emilie’s remarkable range in capturing emotion through evocative visuals shines through in her music videos for Lolo Zouaï, as well as for 6lack and Khalid. Emilie is not afraid to push boundaries, her most recent music video for “Strangers’ is no exception, showing a captivating and unconventional portrait of young love.
Emilie wants to continue creating empowering work that explores intimacy and the messiness of human connection.
BIO
Within the limited timeframe of a commercial, Greg creates cinematic stories with emotional scale. His unique aptitude for capturing authentic performances and characters, is a skill that attracts storyboards from all over the world.
He has a sophisticated understanding of commercial filmmaking - from crafting the initial idea, to working with client and agency, and the final realisation of the project. Greg’s uncompromising directorial vision ensures that the concept always remains front and centre.
Greg’s intuitive approach, coupled with an intense focus on every detail of the creative process, has garnered him both respect and accolades in the industry. Throughout his career, Greg has consistently won awards from all the major advertising shows; including Cannes, Clios, AD&D, The Loerie’s, and One Show.
BIO
Jabu Nadia Newman’s work is as diverse as her constantly shifting pool of inspirations. This young filmmaker and photographer deftly explores a range of subject matter with sensitivity and humour, from the provocative to the pop culture-esque.
Through her bold and colourful visuals, Jabu captures 'alternative' stories unique to South African youth culture, that are relevant to the here and now.
Inspired by the Rhodes and Fees Must Fall movements, Jabu independently wrote and directed Foxy Five, a web series that celebrates intersectional feminism through the antics of an empowered fictional girl gang. This creative hustle developed not only her career as a director, but also brought to light debates around sexism, feminism, racism, and inequality.
Her honest narratives are engaging and relatable, encouraging her subjects to tell their own stories, in their own way. Each project - whether it is an exhibition, branded content, music video, or commercial - is an exciting opportunity for disruptive creative collaboration.
Jabu is inspired to bring her conscious aesthetic to commercial filmmaking, championing equal representation both in front of and behind the camera.
BIO
Justice Mukheli has always found expression in visual art. From his artistic pursuits as a child growing up in Soweto, to making his name as a respected photographer and advertising art director, Justice has now transitioned into a film director to watch.
With a bigger canvas to play on, still images have evolved into unique stories that deal with the complexities of life and the people in it. Justice’s work speaks with a soulful elegance carried by honest and evocative visuals.
Defining his approach from the point of view of a man who sees great power in sensitivity, Justice approaches projects and subject matter with dignity and heart. He engages his viewers on a personal level that draws from the richness and beauty of his heritage.
As a young South African creative, his work seeks to reframe and diversify the narrative of black experience through his own lived experience. Most importantly, he hopes that his growth as a director will inspire and empower new creative voices to follow.
BIO
You could say that Nicole Maria Ackermann is a little detail-obsessed. Thankfully, she’s found the right career to channel this passion into an impressive body of work.
Nicole’s films have a strong visual aesthetic, and combined with powerful performances she creates tactile worlds for narratives to unfold. Visuals are balanced with a strong conceptual approach - crafting stories with heart, as well as beauty.
Her interest in direction was sparked whilst studying theatre and film, leading her to explore a career in creative research and advertising. The experience gave her a solid foundation in commercial filmmaking, making the transition to directing a natural one.
Nicole worked with numerous local brands as part of the directorial duo PHI before embarking on a solo career. Since then, she has directed a number of international commercials in her own right including Singapore Airlines, Samsung, The Economist and American Airlines.
Now an established young director with a clear directorial vision, Nicole applies her imaginative storytelling to a wide variety of creative projects.
BIO
Terence Neale is a director, born and raised in Johannesburg, who has established himself as a distinctive voice in commercial and music video direction.
In 2017, he became the first ever South African director to win a Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions for the adidas commercial ‘Original Is Never Finished’. Marked by an unconventional dystopian perspective, Terence offered a fresh and subversive treatment of streetwear brands unlike what had come before. The trilogy of films followed on from the ‘Your Future Is Not Mine’ campaign, that Creativity aptly titled as an ‘anthem to individuality and defiance’.
Terence's music video for Skrillex’s ‘Ragga Bomb’ received international recognition for its uniquely dark and gritty approach, where he transformed Johannesburg into a post-apocalyptic world ruled by Star Wars-style waste trolley surfers, battling against the backdrop of bombed out buildings.
Since then, he has made his mark in the commercial film industry directing for high-profile brands Coca-Cola, Apple, Facebook and Hugo Boss. In 2018, he collaborated with creative partners John x Hannes on the topical award-winning ‘Above The Noise’ campaign for Beats, noteworthy for its emotive storytelling.
His latest work epitomizes his talent as a visual storyteller, top performance director, and great collaborator, with the ability to find the right approach for every project.