Serial Pictures has signed director and photographer India Sleem for commercial, branded entertainment and music video representation in North America. Her work spans global brands including Apple, Nike, McDonald’s, Fenty, Gap, Square, Converse and Vogue.
As a mixed-race person, Sleem–who was previously repped by production house Object & Animal–often shines a bright light on the diversity of culture, capturing raw and honest moments that translate to emotive and dynamic filmmaking.
“Through her endless curiosity and soothing demeanor, India has a unique ability to connect with people and a beautiful grace in how she builds genuine bonds, both with individual subjects and communities. The human stories she draws from those connections are what inspires and drives her films and photography,” said Serial Pictures founding partner Violaine Etienne. “Her youthful enthusiasm and her authenticity is evident throughout her body of work and the uplifting experiences and heightened visual worlds she creates.”
Sleem said, “I’m so happy to start this new chapter with Serial Pictures. Their passion and nurturing energy align perfectly with my values, and I’m ready to take on new challenges and grow as an artist while staying true to my vision and purpose. This journey will be an exciting one.”
In 2019, she was named to The One Club’s prestigious Young Guns 17 winners for her work including her film The Game, a golden hour love letter to New York City’s basketball culture, and photo series Indian Hills for Dazed & Confused Magazine.
Her films and still photography capture human portraits in a real-life context with an emotional connection to the talent and a strong sense of color and composition.
Born and raised in Manchester, and currently based in Los Angeles, the daughter of a DJ, Sleem obsessively watched the music videos of Janet Jackson, Grace Jones, and M.I.A. and was inspired by photographers like Martin Parr. She spent her youth immersed in a melting pot of cultures, and as soon as she got her first camera, she began taking pictures and making films. Documenting the subcultures around her became a theme and an influence–she was watching Channel 4 documentaries on her iPod touch at night when her parents thought she was sleeping. She realized her hobby had the potential to become her full-time career when she learnt what a director was; by that time, she had already built her first reel.
Sleem is currently in production on a short film, a semi-autobiographical look on growing up mixed race. She is also in development on her first feature film.
