Florence has added Brooklyn-based filmmaker and photographer Courtney Sofiah Yates to its talent roster. She’s directed spots for Bumble, Dick’s Sporting Goods, REI and Coterie, among many others. On the music video front, she helmed “GEMINI” for up-and-coming artist HAWA. Additionally, as a stills photographer, Yates’ work has been published in W Magazine, The New York Times, Vogue and Marie Claire, as well as several independent outlets.
Her longer-form content exploits for brands include Vogue’s video feature on the legendary film director Julie Dash as she gives audiences a look at the creation of her iconic film Daughters of the Dust. Yates’ ads for Moncler inject elements of suspended reality while profiling The Empire Marching Band and dancer King Kumo. Her film for Smirnoff, “Come on In (8 Wheels),” highlighted the rollerskating community in Atlanta through a visually symphonic fantasia. The film was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick. This ability to distill and elegantly display core human truths made her film for Ad Council, “Real Deal on Fentanyl,” expand the narrative possibility of what a PSA can do.
Yates is an alum of SHOOT’s 2022 New Directors Showcase. Prior to joining Florence, she had most recently been repped by Stept Studios for commercials and branded content.
“My work, across the commercial and personal, is an effort to bring soul and feeling into any and all representations of human life,” said Yates of joining Florence’s roster. “ I’m so impressed with how Florence supports its artists to create what they believe in and imagine even more expansive expressions for that work. I’m so happy to be a part of the community.”
Ned Brown, managing director and executive producer of L.A.-based Florence, added, “Courtney’s work is as captivating as she is. There’s a lot of technical artistry behind it, but like any true magician, she won’t show you how the trick is done. The films she makes are stunning and absolutely captivating.”
