Writer and Director B. Monét began her career in filmmaking at NYU with an MFA in Film and Television. Originally from Silver Spring, Maryland, her creative identity is intricately linked to her dedication to showcasing under-represented communities by posing questions about identity, society, race and culture.
With a commitment to amplifying diverse voices and marginalised narratives, B. Monét’s work as a filmmaker has seen her participating in Film Independent’s directing fellow residency program, Tisch’s OTHER Showcase and the Queen Collective in partnership with Queen Latifah, Tribeca and P&G. She has won the Sundance Film Festival Horizon Award, the #NewView Film Competition with Glamour and Girlgaze and was awarded the Adrienne Shelly Foundation grant.
Her accolades do not stop there. Her award-winning short film, Q.U.E.E.N., screened at over a dozen festivals, including Cannes Short Film Corner, and her short film Ballet After Dark streamed exclusively on Hulu. Most recently, she was selected as one of six filmmakers to recreate a classic film from the Warner Brothers Studio vault to celebrate their 100th Anniversary.
Beyond the realm of film festivals and notable recognitions, B. Monet’s portfolio showcases her ability to merge social consciousness with creative storytelling that spans various industries, working with names including Levi’s and Girlgaze, Reese Witherspoon, Janet Jackson, Rosario Dawson, Estée Lauder, Disney and Uber.
German Torres is a director based in Los Angeles, California. His storytelling perspective has been shaped by his upbringing in a Mexican American neighbourhood and through creating DIY skateboarding videos as a teen.
Inspired by the free flowing movement of skateboarding, portraits of humans in motion have become a motif in his work.
Germ approaches every project with empathy and the intention of crafting an inspiring story with captivating imagery. Working across commercial, music videos and docs-narrative projects, German has collaborated with clients such as Converse, ASUS and Reebok.
Director and Photographer Boo George’s love of the lens began in Northern Ireland when his father gifted him his first camera. He would take pictures of travellers camping on Wicklow Mountain, fascinated by a community that lived on the outskirts of the outskirts.
After gaining a scholarship to university to study photography, Boo spent his final year travelling around, focusing on studies of humble characters like itinerant travellers and local fishermen-even spending ten days on a fishing trawler in the North Sea. These were the beginnings of what became Boo’s signature style: moody, cinematic, personal and revealing.
Boo got his first big break in fashion when his 2010 portraits of Zambian diamond miners caught the eye of Love editor Katie Grand. His documentary-inspired photographs, capturing moments of unguarded humanity, became his calling card. In 2013, W Magazine named Boo as the winner of The Shot.
Boo’s work as a photographer and director spans many renowned brands, including Emporio Armani, Range Rover Evoque, Ralph Lauren, Hermes, Levi’s, Louis Vuitton, Erdem, Vogue and Calvin Klein to name a few. Many recognisable names such as Emma Watson, Eddie Redmayne, Helen Mirren, Victoria Beckham, Michael Fassbender, Kim Kardashian, Sandra Oh and Sienna Miller have also graced his lens.
Directing duo Michael O’Connor and Kaine Horey began their cinematic journey not in the exotic Tibetan wilderness, as they would love to have you believe, but on the second floor of a small, slightly run-down studio south of the river in one of the less ‘cool’ parts of East London.
Fuelled by a shared passion for timeless, cinematic storytelling and a mutual drive to push creative boundaries, their collaboration evolved. During a fever-ridden project in China’s Yellow Mountains, Kaine proposed dropping the ‘and’ between their names and the collective Michael-Kaine was born.
The duo has continued to develop their craft, always committed to testing their resourcefulness and creativity. From navigating diverse cultures to enduring adverse conditions across continents, they elevate each script to new heights and stretch the limits of every project. Their adventurous commercial directing embodies a pioneering spirit that brings unprecedented production value to modern advertising.
Michael-Kaine’s expertise lies in fast, efficient filmmaking, crafting impactful stories that resonate with the audience. Though they still haven’t made it to the Tibetan wilderness, they have had the pleasure of working with some of the biggest brands and names in the world, from Rolls Royce and Puma to household names such as Jodie Comer and David Gandy.
Director and Photographer Brett Danton can thank his interest in photography and film to his early exposure to television control rooms, which he pretty much grew up in, courtesy of his TV presenter parents. Born in New Zealand and raised in the UK, seeing how things worked live on air from a young age laid the foundation for his industry expertise.
Brett’s career kicked off in Australia before bringing him back to the UK. His approach is about adding a new dimension to the visual aesthetic to tell a brand’s story in an unmistakable way. An early adopter of new technologies, his unique skill set of combining stills and moving images seamlessly has contributed to his success on a global scale for over two decades.
Brett’s technical know-how, artistic vision and adaptability allow him to work with a multitude of different crews, equipment, and production setups. Whether working on large-scale campaigns or intimate projects, his focus on delivering the highest production values possible has seen him lecture on behalf of Canon and collaborate with clients Land Rover, Range Rover, Interface, Emirates Airlines, Qantas, Coca-Cola, Electrolux, BMW, Nick Scali Furniture, LuxDeco, Sotto and Uncle Ben’s.