Roster

Bao Nguyen is an Emmy-nominated Vietnamese American filmmaker based in Los Angeles whose work has been seen in the New York Times, Netflix, HBO and whose commercial clients have included Apple, Google, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Uber, and Samsung. 

Before he began his career as a director, he was at AmeriCorps helping to revitalize New York City’s Chinatown neighborhood after September 11th and also worked as a campaign staffer for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. His feature doc directorial debut, LIVE FROM NEW YORK!, celebrating 40 years of Saturday Night Live opened the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival and broadcast in primetime on NBC. His 2nd feature documentary, BE WATER, a deep dive into the life and journey of Bruce Lee, competed in the U.S. Documentary Competition category at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was invited to other prestigious festivals such as SXSW, Cannes,Telluride, Hot Docs, among many others. It broadcasted nationally on ESPN and is the most watched 30 for 30 episode ever on the platform. His latest film, THE GREATEST NIGHT IN POP, a feature documentary about the making of the seminal global hit song, “We Are the World”, world premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and launched globally on Netflix on January 29th where it quickly became the number one film globally on the platform. He most recently directed a short film for Apple as part of their “Shot on iPhone” campaign and it quickly became one of the most watched “Shot on iPhone” projects in Apple’s history.

In 2021, he was recognized for his work in the Asian community and selected as one of the year’s most impactful Asians by Gold House on their A100 List. He is 2011 PBS/WGBH Producers Workshop Fellow, an alumnus of the 2012 and 2014 Berlinale Talent Campus, a Firelight Media Fellow, and a 2022 BAFTA US Breakthrough recipient. He earned his BA in Politics/International Relations at NYU and his MFA at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy’s longtime creative partnership was catapulted into a new realm after their debut feature, BLOW THE MAN DOWN, was distributed by Amazon Studios following its premiere at Tribeca Festival, where it won Best Narrative Screenplay. The film premiered internationally at the Toronto International Film Festival and was nominated for an Indie Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. 

Cole and Krudy recently wrapped production on their second original feature, HOUSE OF SPOILS, with Blumhouse and Amazon Studios starring Academy Award winner Ariana De Bose, Barbie Ferreira of “Euphoria” and Arian Moyad of “Succession.”

They directed two of nine episodes of CBS All Access’ limited series, “The Stand,” based on the novel by Stephen King, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgård and James Marsden. They are currently developing a feature with Imagine Entertainment and Apple and they directed the pilot & episode 2 for AMC+’s sci-fi television series, “Moonhaven,” created by Peter Ocko.

Bianca Giaever is an Emmy-winning director, radio producer, and writer. Her work for brands including JetBlue and Google leverage her multi-disciplinary style to tell intimate, surprising stories. She is the creator and host of the podcast Constellation Prize, distributed by The Believer Magazine. She has also worked as a producer on The New York Times audio team, hosting episodes of The Daily that include Delilah, An Obituary for the Land, and Cosmic Questions. Her film, radio, and print stories have appeared on This American Life, Radiolab, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Believer Magazine, and the TED conference. Her awards include a Daytime Emmy and a Webby Award.

Bianca’s blend of image and voice and music is elegant; audio drives the story, but the pictures make it sing. Her style is surprising, charming, and sophisticated. In 2013, her short The Scared is Scared won the internet’s heart, and since then she’s worked on many video collaborations, most recently with This American Life and the fashion designer Rachel Antonoff.

Her work has been featured in NPR’s This American Life and Radiolab, websites such as Buzzfeed, Jezebel, FastCo, The Huffington Post, The Atlantic, CBS News, and Short of the Week, at various film festivals, and at the TED conference. She attended Middlebury College, where she designed her own major called “Narrative Studies,” and graduated in the class of 2012. She teaches storytelling workshops, gives talks, and is a Future of Storytelling fellow. Originally from Seattle, she now lives in Brooklyn.

Big Red Button are a directing duo otherwise known as Johnny Burns and Pier van Tijn. Having met just after film school they have been working together for what now seems like a very,very long time, directing commercials, short films, sketches and long form comedy.

Their work is hard to pigeonhole, but is united by a cinematic visual approach, detailed production design and a surprising and subversive sense of humour. They are very passionate about carefully crafted stupidity and often find themselves putting way too much time and effort into dumb ideas that don’t help their careers and that they can’t justify to their families.

Danielle Levitt is a film director and classical portrait and fashion photographer. For Levitt, It has always been important that she showcases the under-represented, celebrates diversity, and inspires others to feel comfortable with who they are and has been a driving force behind the authentic youth oriented movement in editorials and campaigns.

This attention to the pulse led Levitt to a body of work that was a prescient examination of contemporary youth. Her work with marginal communities and divergent subcultures culminated in her first monograph book “We Are Experienced” by Powerhouse Books. Alongside her thriving commercial and fashion photography career, she has become an award winning film director, having created original film content for publications and brands such as Apple, Dazed, i-D, Vice, HP, Time and Nowness. In 2016, her first year as a commercial director, Danielle garnered 2 Silver Lions, a One Show Silver Pencil, and a Creative Arts Emmy for best commercial with her Ad Council spot “Love Has No Labels”. In 2018 she was awarded a Gold Lion and a One Show Gold Pencil for her spot for the National Down Syndrome Society, C21. Levitt continues her marrying of commerce and art with campaigns for such brands as Uber, Planned Parenthood, HBO, Doc Martens, Nike, Third Love, and W hotels.

Ezra Hurwitz is an Emmy Award-winning film director and choreographer who combines refined aesthetic sensibilities of cinematography and a deep passion for dance as an art form.

Following a career as a professional ballet dancer, Ezra earned degrees in film and business strategy at Columbia University. He has since worked with over 50 companies including The Guggenheim, New York Times, Apple, Smirnoff, Aldo, Stella Artois and Tiffany&Co to name a few.

Winner of Best Music Video at this year’s Webby Awards for Sufjan Stevens “Sugar,” plus two additional Webby Nominations. Ezra recently won an Emmy award for the short film, “Inside & Outwards.”

Ezra brings vibrancy and energy to story with fast-moving visuals that highlight glamor and grit, style and sensibility, making them tailor-made to go viral.

Fausto Becatti’s distinctive directing style pairs striking visuals with energetic soundtracks to tell stories that evoke powerful emotions. Born and raised in South Africa, he works at the intersection of global pop culture and brings ambitious conceptual ideas and a deep devotion to the craft of filmmaking.

Fausto has directed campaigns for leading international brands including Volkswagen, Coca-Cola, Spotify, KFC, Google, Johnnie Walker, Nissan, and Hyundai, and his work has earned awards at D&AD, The One Show, Ciclope Africa, and The Loeries. Having filmed around the world, he strives to build an inclusive, collaborative environment on any set where younger talent can learn and grow. Beyond commercials, Becatti is a skilled photographer, having shot campaigns for Nike, The Voice, and others; he also served as both director and photographer on Coca-Cola’s hybrid #ShareACoke campaign exploring unique South African names.

Fausto holds a degree in film from the University of Cape Town. He strives to continuously explore new storytelling approaches that will surprise and resonate with the viewer, particularly through elements such as camera angles and sound.

Fred Rowson is an award-winning filmmaker who has recently established himself as the next big commercials director. His work takes an offbeat look at the world through enthralling filmmaking with a genuine gift for narrative and engaging performances. Starting his career in music videos for the likes of Wet Leg, Little Mix and Years & Years, he has recently been making waves in the advertising industry with work for Skoda, Giff Gaff and Amazon.

Gillian Robespierre is a director and writer born and raised in New York City. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts, Film & Video Program. Her first feature, OBVIOUS CHILD (A24) premiered at Sundance in 2014.

The film got a nod for the year’s “Best Discovery” on iTunes and Ms. Robespierre won Best Directorial Debut from the National Board of Review. Her second feature LANDLINE, premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Amazon Studios in July of 2017. She has directed episodes of CASUAL and SHRILL both Hulu original television series and episodes of HBO’s, SILICON VALLEY, MRS. FLETCHER, and CRASHING as well as episodes of FX’s limited series A TEACHER.    She recently collaborated again with Jenny Slate directing her Netflix Comedy Special/documentary JENNY SLATE: STAGE FRIGHT. Gillian currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their young daughter. Gillian is very good at ordering Seamless.

Isaac Ravishankara is an Indian-American director of commercials, short films, and music videos, known for depicting emotion through movement in his work. 

He’s been a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, a marathon runner, the songwriter of Star Wars punk band and has a physics degree from Harvard. His wide range of interests and life experiences inspire him to look through the lens with an endless sense of curiosity, striving to bring out new perspectives and creative concepts to every project he dives into. 

Isaac strongly believes in the power of collaboration with his clients, agencies, and crew. He works hand-in-hand with some of today’s best choreographers to bring a unique approach to dance – one focused on story and substance. He has directed national campaigns for brands including Adidas, Converse, Gatorade, Samsung and Jockey. Millions have seen his acclaimed, Vimeo Staff Pick-honored music videos for artists like The Lumineers, Hozier, Kesha, NIKI, and Oscar/Grammy-winning composer Ludwig Göransson, among others. 

In addition to his professional work, Isaac is incredibly proud to be the co-founder of OMG Everywhere, a non-profit hosting free filmmaking workshops for underserved youth in LA, NY, Oakland, and London. As president, he ran OMG for a decade before passing the torch to a new generation of leadership in 2021, and he remains passionate about creating work that inspires and encourages positive change in our world.

Josh Nussbaum’s infectious energy bounds into every story he tells, no matter its size or strain. After years as a documentarian and accomplished Director of Photography, Josh has become one of the leading forces in docu-spots, experiential and viral hits. He infuses his films with authentic storytelling that stuns.

Josh Nussbaum is a visual storyteller and a creative chameleon with an overwhelming enthusiasm for the sights, sounds, and tastes of the world. Since graduating from NYU Film School (2000) as the youngest ever graduate, Josh has devoted his life and career to a winding path aimed at defining his personal and creative potential; testing the elasticity of his skills and finding his voice in media.

Ten years later, Josh is a more complete and accomplished creative force across a variety of disciplines. He has traversed the globe as a Commercial Director creating iconic campaigns for Instagram Stories, Meet me at Starbucks, Sonos, Apple and Google Glass, among many others. Along the way, he’s also won an Emmy for his TV directing (MTV), and served as Director of Photography for Barry Levinson (The Bay, 2012).

In his travels Josh has filled two passports, worked with top brands and agencies (US and Europe), lived in a tent with orphans, exposed international war conspiracies, filmed Hip Hop videos in Japan and Perfume commercials in Madagascar, and stood over dozens of dead bodies (A&E First 48). Accreditations aside, Josh has acquired a wealth of knowledge through the lens and is a valued collaborator to his clients and peers.

In 2011, Josh joined forces with his long-time friends at m ss ng p eces where he is a director and partner. He spends his time blending art and commerce into unforgettable experiences.

Marta Cunningham is an accomplished actor turned filmmaker, nominated for two News and Documentary Emmy Awards.

A native of Northern California, she was so moved by the story of Lawrence King’s murder that she became embedded in Oxnard and soon began filming those whose lives were touched by the tragedy. The result was “Valentine Road”, a feature length documentary that was selected to compete in the U.S. Documentary Competition in the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and later premiered on HBO in October of 2013. “Valentine Road” has traveled to more than two hundred festivals, accruing thirteen awards. It is currently available on HBO GO. 

At the age of 14, Cunningham was asked to join the company of The Peninsula Ballet Theater. She was awarded the prestigious Baker Scholarship at Georgetown University, where she studied English literature. She then moved to Los Angeles where she worked as an actress, writer, dancer and choreographer before focusing on directing and producing. 

Social outreach and screenings of “Valentine Road” for educational purposes in schools and universities are important to Cunningham. Over the last three years she has traveled extensively both domestically and internationally, most recently with the U.S. Embassy to Australia and Canada advocating LGBT rights. 

In 2014 Cunningham became a part of the Sundance Institute’s Film Forward Program, which aims to enhance cultural understanding, collaboration, and dialogue around the globe by engaging audiences. She also joined the Sundance Institute’s Women Filmmakers Initiative, a program that assesses the role of women in the film industry. In 2015, she was one of twenty women selected to be a part of the inaugural Fox Global Initiative Director’s Lab. 

In autumn of 2015, Cunningham produced and directed a documentary for Glamour Magazine focusing on five women who either survived the Charleston church shooting or lost family members during it – all of whom chose to forgive the shooter. It screened at Carnegie Hall in October and was given a five-minute standing ovation. 

From 2016 to 2019 Cunningham has completed 22 episodes of television working successfully for some of the most popular and celebrated series across the spectrum of genres and formats including: “Fear the Walking Dead,” “Star Trek Discovery,” “You,” “Transparent,” “Room 104,” “Insecure,” “How to Get Away with Murder” “ Dear White People “and “Dispatches from Elsewhere.” Cunningham was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Best Director for her work on the Season 3 Finale of “Transparent” which was her first episodic directing experience. ​

Cunningham is now developing several pilots and feature films with her new production company-Sugar Sky Pictures.

Matt Ogens is an Academy Award® nominated director known for capturing authentic human stories through an evocative visual and narrative aesthetic.

His breakthrough documentary “Confessions of a Superhero” premiered at SXSW to critical acclaim and attracted a devoted following, and he subsequently went on to earn a Primetime Emmy Award for his “From Harlem with Love” installment of ESPN 30 for 30. Recent projects include the two-time Emmy-nominated documentary series “Why We Fight,” which Ogens created and executive produces, as well as the Emmy-nominated “LA Louvre,” an augmented reality film he directed for RYOT and Huffington Post. He has earned three more Emmy nominations for his series work. In addition, he just helmed two films for the UFC’s 25 Years in Short series, which was nominated for an Emmy Award and won a Clio. Matt’s recent feature doc “Home + Away”, which follows high school athletes living on the US/Mexico border, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Ogens collaborates with top agencies and brands, helming major campaigns for iconic brands earning several prominent awards including Cannes Lions, Clios, One Show, Webby Award, and the SXSW Interactive Award. He directed the Super Bowl campaign for Verizon titled “The Team Who Wouldn’t Be Here”. Executive produced by Peter Berg it earned three Cannes Lions and four Clio Awards, a Webby Award, and a One Show Award.

Matt’s new Netflix Original AUDIBLE is nominated for an Oscar®. The documentary is an immersive coming-of-age story told from the perspective of Deaf high school students and communicated through sign language.

Max Joseph is an award-winning filmmaker with over 100 films to his name including viral videos, commercials, and the feature film We Are Your Friends which he also co-wrote.

His non-fiction work has been featured at Sundance, Telluride, SXSW, and the Cannes Creativity Festival. Perhaps most famously, he spent 7 years co-hosting and executive producing MTV’s Catfish. Recently he teamed up with Monica Lewinsky to direct and executive produce the documentary 15 Minutes of Shame for HBO Max.

Michael Marantz is able to reveal the core of humanity in his work. His use of rich cinematic moments, unique vantage points and layered soundscapes immerses the viewer into the story. Michael is inspired by films with their ability to create profound, life-changing effects on their audiences. Always wanting to push his work forward, Michael looks to harness innovative techniques and bold creative choices to tell the strongest story.

Michael has directed projects for brands including Facebook, Google, Porsche, Verizon, Walmart, Dove, Gillette, and many more. His films have 100s of millions of views online and over 10 Vimeo Staff Picks. Michael attributes his award-winning films to his knowledge and passion to compose music and edit which brings a deep sense of cohesion to his stories.

Nicolas Heller is an acclaimed documentarian and commercial director better known to his hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers as @newyorknico.

Heller is best known for sharing authentic stories of the unique people and places in his hometown of New York. Heller helmed the branded content project for Google and Tribeca Studios titled “Getting Back to What You Love,” which features New York celebrities John Leguizamo, John Turturro, Debi Mazar and Edie Falco praising their favorite local businesses. He also recently teamed with New York’s MTA to create a series of Covid PSAs to be played on the train, voiced by local legends such as Jerry Seinfeld, Desus & Mero, Fran Leibowitz, and Remy Ma.

In 2021, Heller collaborated with Humans of NY to highlight the stories of everyday New Yorkers, changing lives in the process. Heller studied film and directing at Emerson College before making a name for himself as an independent director chronicling New York street celebs and creating short films. That led to documentary projects for publications such as New York Magazine and Rolling Stone, and then to other brand projects and commercials. Heller’s clients have included Nike, State Farm, Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch, the DC Lottery, the New York Knicks, Jagermeister, JetBlue, and others.

Rebeca Huntt is an Afro-Latina writer and director born and raised in New York City. She wrote and directed her first feature-length film Beba, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released by NEON in 2022. The film released to critical acclaim from Time, Variety, The New Yorker, and The New York Times.

Rebeca’s creative vision centers on telling nuanced stories of internal triumphs, subatomic transformation, and relational dynamics that can help us better understand ourselves. As a director, she emphasizes intention and beauty in every frame. Before Beba, she directed short films that have been in film festivals worldwide. Rebeca is currently repped by UTA and is in the 2023 BAFTA Breakthrough Cohort.

Richie Shazam is a New York native who is a model, photographer and filmmaker who uses their artistic platform to rewrite beauty standards and to raise awareness on queer issues. Working and creating global fashion campaigns, they are constantly pushing the envelope.

Shazam’s artistic and curatorial approach investigates subversive radical queer ideologies by deconstructing antiquated notions of gender identity through text, photography, video and performance – harmoniously working between fashion and art to dismantle preconceived notions of beauty through the act of storytelling.

Tucker Walsh is an Emmy Award-winning documentary director. His background in photojournalism provides him with a unique cinematic vision centered on authenticity. His ability to work intimately with his subjects builds their trust, giving them the comfort to open up on camera. Tucker’s vivid imagery and dynamic edits bring viewers on a visceral and emotional journey, allowing them to experience life through the eyes of his subjects.

Tucker won an Emmy Award for “Treatment Box” with the Truth Initiative, bringing viewers face-to-face with a real life opioid detox in front of a live audience.

He has collected over 80+ awards for a project tackling the opioid crisis with the National Safety Council, including six Cannes Lions, two AICP Next Awards, four D&AD Pencils, and eight Cubes at the ADC Awards.

He has directed films for many of the most iconic brands and collaborated with some of the world’s leading thinkers and doers, including former Vice President Al Gore, supermodel Karlie Kloss, CEO & actress Jessica Alba, and soccer superstar Lionel Messi.

Tusk, the directing duo Kerry Furrh and Olivia Mitchell, is best known for imbuing every project with bold, art-directed exuberance and nuanced character development.

Popping with wild ambition, optimistic oddballs, and hopeful dreamscapes, Tusk’s commercial work includes clients like Sony, Google, Truly, the Met Gala, and Harper Wilde. Their hilariously insane ad for Liquid Death featured Puritans, pitchforks, and a tallboy of canned water burning at the stake, set to an ’80s pop song. Liquid Death’s “F**k Whoever Started This Shit” was named in Fast Company’s Top 5 Ads of 2023, Adweek’s 20 Best Spots of 2023, and Ad Age’s 40 Best Ads of 2023. They have integrated brands such as Maybelline, Beats by Dre, and Essentia into videos for pop star Tate McRae and collaborated with other musical artists including Alessia Cara, Brandy, and Camila Cabello. In 2024, Tusk was featured as one of Adweek’s Creative 100.

Tusk’s short film Ripe! premiered at Tribeca Festival where it won Best Narrative Short. A queer coming-of-age story set in Spain, the music, lushly-colored scenes, and grainy film stock uniquely express the feelings of a first, all-consuming crush. Ripe! was executive produced by soccer star Kelley O’Hara and won accolades at the Provincetown, SCAD, and Frameline film festivals among many others.

Thuan Tran has built a reputation as one of the brightest new directorial talents in the industry. His ability to frame 21st-century youth culture in a way that resonates authentically with his audience has made him a go-to for artists and brands seeking honest, culturally relevant storytelling. Thuan has directed campaigns for international clients like StockX, Adidas, Asics, Beats by Dre, NBA, Nordstrom, Nike, and Revlon, along with local charities and mutual aid groups.

His expertise lies in creating concise, impactful video content that thrives in the online ecosystem. Thuan’s skill for authentic, insightful cultural storytelling, humanitarian compassion, and stylish visuals all meld together to create a signature look across his work.

Thuan began his directing career with music videos, followed by branded content for publications like Hypebeast, Vogue, Rolling Stone, and Billboard. A committed advocate for social change, Thuan launched his creative content collective onlunchbreak (OLB). For more than a decade, OLB has been promoting and showcasing unseen talents in marginalized communities, empowering the next generation of creative voices.

Will Hooper has fast made a name for himself with an award winning background in music videos and album campaigns for artists such as Idles, Declan McKenna and Dua Lipa. Will has made an impressive start in advertising, winning awards for his work for EE, Skittles, and Ikea.

His imaginative approach to ideas and the execution of those ideas makes him one of a kind in the younger generation of directorial talent in London.

Zach Braff is an acclaimed actor, writer, producer and director of films, TV series, branded entertainment and stage productions. One of his most notable characters is Dr. John “J.D.” Dorian on the beloved TV series “Scrubs,” which earned him a Primetime Emmy and three consecutive Golden Globe nominations (2005-2007). He also directed seven episodes.

Zach made his feature film debut as the director, writer and star of Garden State. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival (2004) where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize and went on to win the Independent Spirit Award for “Best First Feature”; the soundtrack also won a Grammy Award for “Best Soundtrack.” 

His Adobe’s branded short In the Time It Takes To Get There (Florence Pugh, Alicia Silverstone) won Webby, One Show and D&AD awards. In 2021 he re-teamed with “Scrubs” creator to direct “Ted Lasso” which earned him an Emmy and DGA nomination.

He recently wrote and directed his third original film “A Good Person” starring Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman.  The film follows Allison (Florence Pugh), whose life falls apart after her involvement in a fatal accident. In the following years, it is the unlikely relationship she forms with her would-be father-in-law (Morgan Freeman) that helps her inevitably live a life worth living.   

The Zellner Brothers have been making movies, short films, and music videos together since they were little kids. They are directors, writers, producers and actors, one of them is tall, and the other one is David. They once shared bunk beds. They’ve screened their work all around the globe, from the Berlinale to SXSW, premiering five shorts and five features at the Sundance Film Festival, including the Spirit Award nominated KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER (2014) and DAMSEL (2018) staring Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska. They also directed several episodes of Showtime’s THE CURSE (2023) starring Emma Stone and created by Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie.This year they unleashed their non-human nature-survival comedy drama, SASQUATCH SUNSET, starring Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg as a family of Bigfoot (both in full creature make up). The film was released by Bleecker Street to enthusiastic audiences in 2024.

Annie Saunders is a multidisciplinary creator and director. She has created award-winning unique large-scale experiences and multiplatform projects for MasterCard, Santander, Hewlett-Packard, Dos Equis, Bulleit Bourbon and ASICS Worldwide, as well as The Los Angeles Philharmonic and other major arts institutions. 

Her installation The Home, a headphone-based experience for one audience member at a time for Santander Bank/Domestic Violence Awareness Month, won the D&AD Yellow Pencil (“Creative Excellence”) for Spatial Design and Installation Design, was shortlisted in three other categories, won the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) Next Award in the Experiential category, won three awards for Merit in Storytelling, Art Direction and Installations at the One Show, and won two Advertising Producers Association (APA) Ideas Awards in the UK: Best Experiential Project and Best Use of Technology for Good. The work in archives in the Department of Film at MOMA NYC. Her work for HP’s ‘Family Portraits’ campaign won a Shorty award for Diversity and Inclusion and Ogilvy Awards for Tech, Telecommunications and Data Innovation. She is a member of the inaugural ONX Studio, an invited accelerator for artists working in extended reality to develop significant works for the public realm through NEW INC, the New Museum and the Onassis Foundation. Her location-and-time-based audio work CURRENT in Lower Manhattan won the 2021 Tribeca Festival’s Immersive Award for Creative Nonfiction and the Tribeca X Award for collaboration with a brand. 

Aramique is a director focused on large-scale immersive experiences, interactive installations and experimental storytelling. His work brings a lyrical and human-centered approach to technology and has been celebrated by publications ranging from The Guardian to Time Magazine. 

His installation-based public experiences, have been featured at festivals including SXSW, Art Basel, TED, ComicCon and Moogfest and institutions like Palais de Tokyo, New Museum, Museum of the Moving Image, Arsenal Contemporary and Mobile World Congress. He served for 7 years as Director and ECD at Tool of North America where he led the team to AdAge A-list with his work for HBO Game of Thrones and Amazon Prime Video. In 2022 he led all aspects of Fox Entertainment’s Blockchain Creative Labs at SXSW, the first ever official blockchain sponsor of the festival. 

He continues to create experimental storytelling, art and technology projects with brands, institutions, record labels and non-profits. He is an alumni of the New Museum Incubator for Art and Technology in New York, founder of the non-profit Reality Research Lab and a mentor for the One Show’s One School.

Ash Baccus-Clark is a Berlin-based Molecular & Cellular Biologist and multidisciplinary artist who uses new media and storytelling to explore themes of deep learning, cognition, memory, race, trauma, and systems of belief.

She currently consults in virtual reality production and is working on her first feature. Ash is currently an Ida Ely Rubin Artist in Residence at the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology, an XR Beta Resident, and a 2019 United States Artist fellow in Media.

In her work with Hyphen-Labs, Ash served as the Director of Brand Marketing & Research, writing and producing an award-winning immersive installation project, NeuroSpeculative AfroFeminism (NSAF), a three-part digital narrative that sits at the intersection of product design, virtual reality, and neuroscience that was originally inspired by the lack of multidimensional representations of Black women in technology. NSAF incorporates object-based design, virtual reality, and cognitive impact research that reimagines the future of Black women in STEM fields.

NSAF first premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2017 and has been shown at Sundance Film Fest, SXSW, Tribeca Film Fest (Jury Honorable Mention), Gray Area Art & Technology Festival, Primer Speculative Futures Conference, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Stony Island Arts Bank & Rebuild Foundation, New Inc: Versions Festival, Refinery 29’s 29 Rooms, and more.

Hexagram is a collective of immersive experience creators. Our team has captured hundreds of millions of eyeballs, sold millions of video games, been awarded with two patents in virtual and augmented reality, and earned precisely one electrical engineering PhD.

On each project we draw from our diverse roster of experts in gaming, theme parks, immersive theater, traditional filmmaking, user experience design, magic, and more to ensure audiences are enthralled and client goals are surpassed. Since 2012, we’ve created award-winning campaigns and apps, defined the future of storytelling for Disney, and helped shape cities of the future. And those are just the jobs we can talk about.

We believe in creating meaningful media that respects its audiences and earns their attention. Everyone wants to be the hero of a well-told tale. Hexagram has created the tools to deliver on the fantasy.

Hyphen-Labs – Carmen Aguilar y Wedge and Ece Tankal – is an international team of women of color working at the intersection of technology, art, science, and the future.

Through our global vision and unique perspectives we are driven to create meaningful and engaging ways to explore emotional, human-centered and speculative design. In the process we challenge conventions and stimulate conversations, placing collective needs and experiences at the center of evolving narratives.

Mike Woods is an Emmy and Cannes Grand Prix winning director, creative director and executive creative director. A serial top award winning creator of groundbreaking and seminal work that brings realtime, digital technology to storytelling and cultural moments.

In his time as a digital creator, nobody else in the industry can match his overall awards haul.

From realtime AI characters performing live at the Superbowl, to XR projects with Christopher Nolan, to legendary Game Of Thrones activations and Emmy award winning Opioid epidemic installations, to years spent bringing nascent Sphere Las Vegas content to life, Mike has made a career out of taking niche and new technologies to a mass audience, in realtime, immersive and experiential ways.

He began his career by founding and leading Oscar winning studio Framestore’s Digital and VR Departments, serving as Head of Studio and Executive Creative Director. During his time there he developed real time animation and motion capture workflows for projects such as Coca-Cola “Polar Bowl”, “Beats Realtime” for Beats By Dre, and Geico’s “Realtime Gecko”.

He also designed and directed numerous award winning immersive and mixed reality experiences including Game of Thrones “Ascend The Wall”, Merrell’s motion tracking adventure experience “Trailscape” and two VR pieces for Marvel Studios.

After 15 incredible years, might left Framestore to pursue a startup, before joining m ss ng p eces in 2017.

In 2020, Mike had the most award heavy year of his career, with projects for Tinder, Baskin Robbins & Stranger Things, and Ally Bank Monopoly all winning big.

Tinder and Baskin Robbins actually gave him a ‘clean sweep’ in the AICP Next Awards prestigious ‘Integrated’ category, before Tinder going on to win a coveted Cannes ‘Grand Prix’

He’s led projects as serious as a 3D selfie-powered petition app for the United Nations World Humanitarian Day and as light hearted as an AR Fart App, which was a Creativity editor’s pick and FWA of the month.

Post pandemic work has seen Mike win awards for a Kamala Harris installation, a groundbreaking recycled carbon installation for COP26, and live and experiential projects for KFC and Google
After visiting the nascent building site in Vegas in 2022, Mike has spent 2+ years working and consulting on various activities within the LAS VEGAS SPHERE, including acting as 4D Effects Supervisor on Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcard from Earth.“

In 2019, 2020 and 2021 Woods served as Jury President for the AICP, has been a New Inc mentor for the last seven years.

One day Mike will count all of his awards, like lots of other people on LinkedIn do, and list them all. But not now. He’s too busy making stuff.

Yung Jake – ‘Born on the internet in 2001’ –  is a viral-prone creative innovator, mixing wildly immersive digital art with rap.

Through his paint-with-emojis site, Yung Jake created celebrity portraits that not only exploded across the web with retweets in the thousands – featured by MTV, People, and Time – but also inspired a Pepsi ad directed by himself.

He has since taken the art world by storm, with work that’s been reposted endlessly online and featured live by MOCA. In collaboration with the Ace Hotel, Yung Jake took over a billboard in downtown LA for Dear DTLA, and his projects Datamosh, Look and Both have taken digital experience to a whole new level. e.m-bed.de/d, his browser-bending hip hop video project with Vince McKelvie, was shown at Sundance’s New Frontier Exhibition in 2013 along with his augmented reality app AugMented Real. Always imaginative and at times wonderfully irreverent, Yung Jake continues to devise content based on his radical visions for brands and artists.