Commercial production company Institute has added director Sergii Shevtsov to its roster for U.S. representation. Born in Kyrgyzstan, raised in Ukraine, and now based in North America, Shevtsov brings over a decade of agency-side experience to his craft and has quickly made a name for himself internationally since launching his directing career in 2020. Shevtsov’s joining Institute marks his first career commercial representation in the American market.

“Sergii understands the art of smart and concise storytelling that isn’t afraid to be bold, sincere, and sometimes absurd,” said Tori Palmatier, managing director at Institute, a company that’s taken a leadership position in uplifting underrepresented talent behind the camera. “He has a distinct and beautifully cinematic visual style that allows him to thrive across genres. He brings his experience as a creative director to his work, and we’re incredibly lucky to be working with him.”

Over the course of Shevtsov’s agency career, working his way up from copywriter to creative director, he fine-tuned his storytelling instincts and learned about production and postproduction firsthand. Shevtsov’s exposure to the processes of developing treatments, casting, running a set, and shepherding a project through post, all inspired him to get behind the camera himself. His most recent agency roost was the Ukraine agency Shots. Embarking upon a directing career, he quickly built up a portfolio working with Ukrainian clients including The Hockey Federation of Ukraine and DTEK Energy, as well as international brands such as Burger King and McDonald’s. His work is notable for its smart visual comedy and pacing, with cinematic compositions that often bring an element of surprise to the viewer.

“Production was always the most engaging part of the advertising process for me, so it’s been very rewarding to be able to successfully transition to directing and to tap into my creativity in a new way,” shared Shevtsov. “It’s a huge milestone to be entering the U.S. market, and I’m thrilled to be partnering with Institute to take this next step in my career. I can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together.”

Shevtsov joins a directorial lineup at Institute--the shop founded by filmmaker and photographer Lauren Greenfield, and producer/entrepreneur Frank Evers--which includes Bao Truong, Barbara Kopple, Catherine Hardwicke, Courtney Brookes, Dawn Porter, Jackie and Madeleine, Juliana Curi, Karyn Kusama, Greenfield, Liz Unna, Mikayla Gamble, Pamela Adlon, Ray Neutron, Sandra Winther, and Tash Tung.