Director Zia Mandviwalla has joined JOJX for commercial representation. This marks her first production company signing in the U.S. for spots and branded content.
Based in New Zealand and Los Angeles, Mandviwalla has dedicated her career to writing and directing stories about outsiders and those searching for meaning in the world. The multi-talented filmmaker, born in India and raised in the Middle East, graduated from Auckland University and wasted no time staking her claim in the industry. In 2009 she was named The New Zealand Screen Production Development Association’s New Filmmaker of the Year.
Guided by a fascination with other cultures and a keen eye for people-watching, Mandviwalla has since directed commercials, documentaries, and globally acclaimed short films. In a career-defining moment, her short film Night Shift debuted at the 2012 Festival de Cannes. The film continued its festival run at prestigious showcases worldwide, including Sundance, and was awarded the Youth Jury Prize at the Aspen Shortsfest and the Firebird Award for Best Short Film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival.
Working across many mediums, Zia tells honest and pure stories through poignant images. Commercially, she has worked with brands such as New Zealand Real Estate and Spark. Most recently, Zia ventured into documentary filmmaking, directing episodes of the Emmy-nominated Netflix series Chef’s Table and the Netflix original series Home Game.
“Zia represents a type of commercial filmmaking we want to help steer our company in a new direction, which is narrative-driven,” said Pedro Aragão De Oliveira, executive producer and partner at JOJX. “She comes from a writing background, so she understands narrative structure. Zia’s work is eye-catching and glamorous, but also her work is deep and full of character. We were amazed that such a special talent hadn’t had previous representation in the States. It was an across-the-board decision that we had to sign her. We couldn’t be happier to represent Zia and can’t wait to see the rich stories she’ll tell next.”
Mandviwalla said, “I immediately felt at home when I met the JOJX team. I’m looking forward to working alongside their impressive roster of directors and deepening my creative relationships in the U.S.”
