The Directors Bureau has signed director Emmanuel Adjei for commercials and music videos in the U.S. This marks his first representation in the American market. He continues to be handled by production houses Compulsory in the U.K., Dreamers in France, and HALAL in Amsterdam. Adjei is a Dutch-Ghanaian film director and visual artist whose work spans narrative shorts, music videos and commercials. With a painterly, cinematic style, and drawing from such varied inspirations as Ghanaian sci-fi films to ancient fables, Adjei has developed a vision which has been applied to stories for such brands as Hugo Boss, Patta, Highsnobiety and ASICS, and artists including Mark Pritchard and Bibio with Warp Records.
Adjei’s most current artistic relationship is with Dutch-Iranian artist Sevdaliza. The director’s short film The Formula (2016) and music video “Human” (2016), both created with Sevdaliza, achieved critical acclaim. Their most recent project Shahmaran premiered in Summer 2018 and is a seven-minute cinematic and sonic journey that questions the eternal fascinations and desires of the human mind, and represents a milestone moment for both of their artistic expressions.
Adjei graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with honors from the Utrecht School of Arts, before securing a talent scholarship for a BFA in Audiovisual Arts in Film from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, Belgium. During this time, he discovered his passion for experimental cinema and video installation. In 2013 and 2014, he was awarded a “Young Talent” grant from the Mondriaan fund to develop his artistic practice.
The Directors Bureau founder/director Roman Coppola stated, “When I met Emmanuel, I immediately sensed a like-minded curiosity that I think all of our directors share. He has a unique understanding of humanity and his work combines cultural elements from his life seen through his unique lens. I look forward to seeing the compelling work he does next.”
Lisa Margulis, managing director/EP of The Directors Bureau, related, “I was lucky enough to make Emmanuel’s presentation at Ciclope Berlin in 2018, and was immediately pulled into what Emmanuel called ‘the museum of my memories.’ We’re inspired to include Emmanuel in our Bureau family, and believe he can contribute ideas and executions for brands that we haven’t seen before.”
Jacki Calleiro, EP of music videos, said of Adjei, “His films are poignant, generous, and come from a unique vantage point.”
Adjei said of The Directors Bureau, “It’s such an honor to be part of their strong body of directors. I’m really looking forward to working with an exciting company that pushes creative boundaries and always strives for high-level craftsmanship.”
