Director's Representation

Hurry Sundown

Thomas James returns to music videos for a very special project for the Ukranian modern folk quartet DakhaBrakha - filmed under wartime conditions in Ukrainian capital Kyiv.The video for&nbsp;Kozak is a metaphorical interpretation of Ukraine's battle for survival, with a mythical setting that starts with the brave young hero being tutored by a wise elder before facing his adversary - the personification of the enemy that calls itself 'Mother'.&nbsp;The video was shot on a recent visit to Kyiv and James creates a richly cinematic and atmospheric vision - as darkly imaginative as many of his previous videos, for the likes of Bring Me The Horizon, Nothing But Thieves and Ghostpoet. And with the War going on, this was achieved in extraordinarily testing conditions, made possible by the commitment of members of Kyiv's hugely experienced filmmaking community, as he explains.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]<blockquote>This was about celebrating Ukraine... to embody the pride and resilience that is clearly so abundant there.</blockquote>"DakhaBrahka come from a stylised folkloric tradition - celebrating their home nation across the globe with their incredible music - and&nbsp;we wanted the promo to do the same," says James."With a trip planned to Kyiv to see family, the project was born from a want to draw attention to the incredible talent still working in Ukraine, from production through to crew. To show that insanely talented people were still making phenomenal work, despite everything.[imgtoken data:2]"The film came from an idea of Ukrainian cultural pride. So it made sense to us all, to take the mythologies of traditional Ukrainian folklore, and treat it with a cinematic spin. We built upon myths from old Kozak tales, that perhaps feel metaphorically relevant, and used that as a vehicle to investigate the beautiful narrative and tone of the track... And to perhaps go a little way in trying to celebrate the awe-inspiring energy that is so present in Ukraine - with folklore from the country that inspired it."This was about celebrating Ukraine, attempting in what little way we could, to embody the pride and resilience that is clearly so abundant there. It was a honour to be back in Kyiv, and to work with everyone. It was an experience I'll hold very dear for a long time. It certainly put things into a very clear perspective."

Ukraine

Ksenia Nebolsina

Karina Melnychenko

Sandra Chernobrovina

Dina Golubeva

Thomas James

Ivan Krutous

Daria Volgina

No Stars

Leonid Sydorenko

Borya Borysov

Taras Holova

Nana Garsevanishvili

Andrii Karpets

Volodymyr Tonkonohov

Maksym Shcherbonos

Kateryna Kharchova

Oksana Belichenko

Yana Tysaruk

Yulia Stets

Dasha Taivas

Kostiantyn Semerei

Tilt Vfx

Ï Production

Fiber Graphics

Polina Kobzieva

Oleksandr Martynenko

Folk

World

DakhaBrakha 'Kozak' by Thomas James 

Dakhabrakha-'Kozak'-by-Thomas-James-

Maxim Kelly delivers the next instalment of his creative collaboration with Archive.The AI-generated video for Wake Up Strange is an Americana-infused trip through the surreality of life and excess, presenting a cinematic narrative tinged with a haunting undercurrent. It's&nbsp;Playing into the&nbsp;uncanny valley&nbsp;nature of it all - both highly convincing visually yet also dreamlike and ludicrous -&nbsp;this follows Kelly's video for the eclectic London-based band's Look At Us (also from forthcoming album Glass Minds) and it's another collaboration raising questions about AI and its place in the music video production process.&nbsp;

United Kingdom

Maxim Kelly

FRIEND

John Moule

Vid Price

Alternative

Rock

Archive 'Wake Up Strange' by Maxim Kelly

Archive-'Wake-Up-Strange'-by-Maxim-Kelly

Georgie Cowan-Turner directs a quietly reflective promo for singer-songwriter Nadia Kadek.&nbsp;The video for Green Car - Cowan-Turner's second for the British-Indonesian artist, following Lemonade - plays out as a lo-fi montage, captured in intimate, lingering detail as Kadek traverses the city.&nbsp;With a muted colour palette and a raw, DIY aesthetic, the visual is a perfect match to the lilting track.&nbsp;"Green Car is such a devastatingly beautiful song, we wanted the video to have an understated DIY quality that does not overwhelm the emotion and storytelling of the track," explains Cowan-Turner.&nbsp;"We shot on a Bolex across London to create a sense of Nadia constantly on the move, looking for a past and people she can’t return to."The understated quality of films like Before Sunrise, Lost in Translation or Varda’s Vagabond were influences. But mainly we just experimented with what we could capture in the city and the magic of shooting on film."

Georgie Cowan-Turner

Blindeye Films

Mike Harounoff

Ollie Dahmen

Ellen Yu

Transgressive Records

Nadia Kadek 'Green Car' by Georgie Cowan-Turner

Nadia-Kadek-'Green-Car'-by-Georgie-Cowan-turner

Grajper directs a moonlit, surrealist fantasy for The Last Dinner Party.&nbsp;The video for Count The Ways finds the group in the middle of a model village, performing as a montage of illusory vignettes play out on screen.&nbsp;Imbued with unearthly, liminal vibes, it's a striking concept and one that fits perfectly within the offbeat videography the group has built over the last couple of years.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]<blockquote>Everything is familiar, but [the world] is&nbsp;too small, too artificial, too perfect.</blockquote>"The heart of the song is about love, heartbreak, and the refusal to accept that something beautiful has ended," Grajper explains.&nbsp;"It’s about being trapped in grief, circling around loss, and being unable to move forward."For TLDP, that emotional space feels like being locked in a prison that is invisible yet everywhere, a cage built out of memories and feelings. That’s why the miniature park is such a powerful starting point. It’s a world that is at once charming and eerie. Everything is familiar, but it’s too small, too artificial, too perfect."When we place our heroine in this world she instantly becomes estranged from it: she is either too large for the space, breaking out of it, or she’s wandering through its streets like a ghost who doesn’t belong."

Joe Harrison

Rubina Marchiori

Grajper

Wojciech Czarkowski

Connor Adam

Jake Hunter

Mel Giles

Smera Kumar

Rowan Hutchings

Steve Morgan

Mitch Collins

Sam Rawlings

Jem Bradley

Ruby Yu

Kuba Tomaszewicz

Thomas Kumeling

DOMA

Andrzej Lewkowicz

Żenia Bochulia

Indie

The Last Dinner Party 'Count The Ways' by Grajper

Grajper-'Count-The-Ways'-by-Grajper

Georgie Cowan-Turner translates the powerful feminist message in singer-songwriter Paris Paloma's Good Boy into a mesmerizing video, featuring actor Tom Blyth&nbsp;and a startling metamorphosis by Paris herself."The story of Good Boy is about the Faustian pact some men sign with capitalist patriarchy," explains&nbsp;Cowan-Turner.&nbsp;"Good Boy, played by the fantastic Tom Blyth, realises in the process that what he has signed up to actually goes against his own interest."We wanted the video to depict the violence incited amongst men against women and also to show how men have so much more in common with women than the misogynistic billionaires they follow.[imgtoken data:1]"For me the question was also: ‘how do you translate gendered violence on screen?'. As a female director, I don’t need to replicate the violence that so many women fear. We show the frenzy of this violence through our men becoming dogs, evoking the feral quality of male violence."Visually I was inspired by&nbsp;Mad Men&nbsp;to depict the sexist world of the ‘real world’ that our ‘Everywoman’ character, also played by Paris exists in. This world descends into a more gothic world with nods to Cries And Whispers, 60’s and 70’s folk horror and, of course,&nbsp;The Seventh Seal&nbsp;for the character of Patriarchy.&nbsp;Paris is such an instinctive and exciting artist to work with and I think it really shows in the video."

Emily Clifford

Hollie Mapp

Ciaran O'brien

Peter Bromfield

Alex Kryszkiewicz

Chelsea Bernard

Zana Piber

Jadah Dale

Emma Regan

Louis Catlett

Sharon Chung

Wash

Nettwerk Music Group

Singer-songwriter

Paris Paloma 'Good Boy' by Georgie Cowan-Turner

Paris-Paloma-'Good-Boy'-by-Georgie-Cowan-turner

Maxim Kelly directs an ominously deceptive AI-generated music video for prog rock outfit Archive.The video for Look At Us suggests, appropriately, that we are seeing archive footage. But it becomes increasingly clear there is a blurring of the line&nbsp;between documentary and fiction.&nbsp;The black and white photojournalism style&nbsp;presenting images from 20th century America&nbsp;becomes increasingly offbeat and chilling. Its true origin becoming more obvious, and eventually incorporating elements of Cronenberg-inspired body horror.This has been brilliantly achieved by Maxim Kelly - who has a track record&nbsp;of both using and manipulating stock footage in his videos - and creates a building intensity and dread through a series of extraordinary images.The uncanny and disturbing aspect of this is how&nbsp;the AI-ness of the piece is rarely revealed. There is some similarity with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnDm9w2F3KE&amp;t=12s" target="_blank">Andrew Dominick's recent video for the classic Nick Cave track&nbsp;Tupelo</a>, which manipulates early photos of Elvis Presley. If anything the fake reality seems more 'real' here than in the Cave film.&nbsp; "The song is about lies and deception, so I made the video itself a form of deception," explains Kelly. "Everything looks like trusted documentary photography, but it's entirely artificial. The medium becomes the message."[imgtoken data:1]

Natalia Maus

Nudnik

Prog Rock

Archive 'Look At Us' by Maxim Kelly

Archive-'Look-At-Us'-by-Maxim-Kelly

Norwegian singer songwriter Anna of The North returns with catchy new single Give Me Back Your Love.Directed by Douglas Reddan, the promo&nbsp;expands upon the track's themes of finding true love, as Anna traverses London with a giant teddy bear, and a sign to catch the eye of potential suitors - intercut with fun choreography and tender performance vignettes.&nbsp;A video with plenty of heart, and a feelgood message, and further evidence of Douglas Reddan as an emerging video directing talent.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Norway

Florence Webb

Brett Sewell

Jaron Lammens

Dancer 2 - Gustav Juvenal Die

Dancer 1 - Vasillis

Melo

Douglas Reddan

Zoe Gunn

Shotgunn Productions

Stephen Ellis

Joey Knox

Lilli Rio Macmonagle

Zhane Samuels

Roo Garling

Anna Downie

Henry Howard

Pias Recordings

ELMNTL

Singer songwriter

Anna Of The North 'Give Me Your Love Back' by Douglas Reddan

Anna-Of-The-North-'Give-Me-Your-Love-Back'-by-Douglas-Reddan

Directing duo DON Prod get lost in the jungle with Fredo, in the atmospheric promo for No Comment.&nbsp;The video boasts a dazzling series of vignettes, experimenting with composition and unusual perspectives to keep things fresh.&nbsp;Contrasting&nbsp;Fredo's relaxed performance with quick-cut editing and dynamic camerawork, it's a rousing promo that feels cinematic and accomplished - no doubt one of his and DON Prod's best yet.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]

DON Prod

Rogue Films

Hip Hop

UK Rap

Fredo 'No Comment' by DON Prod

Fredo-'No-Comment'-by-Don-Prod

London-based production company <a href="https://friendlondon.tv/" target="_blank">FRIEND</a> has announced a new partnership with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/hurrysundown.agents/" target="_blank">Hurry Sundown</a>, the music video representation company founded by award-winning agent Sam Davey.&nbsp;The collaboration marks a new chapter for Friend’s music video division, expanding its reach and creative capabilities through Hurry Sundown’s distinctive approach to championing directors with labels and clients.“We’re absolutely thrilled to be working with Hurry Sundown and Sam Davey,” says&nbsp;Luke Jacobs, founder of FRIEND. “Sam’s vision and commitment to championing unique voices in music video direction aligns perfectly with our ethos at FRIEND. Together, we’re looking forward to creating work that is as inventive as it is impactful.”Sam Davey founded Hurry Sundown earlier this year with a mission to support and elevate exceptional directing talent in the music video space. The company has quickly gained a reputation for nurturing original, visually arresting directors and connecting them with the right artists and audiences.“Having known Luke for many years now, I’ve always been blown away with the quality of work that FRIEND produce," comments Davey.&nbsp;"They have a roster of talent that continually evolves and embraces music videos in the right way, so I’m so chuffed that our visions have aligned and we finally get to work together.” Hurry Sundown will now represent FRIEND’s roster for music videos, offering artists and labels a combined force of creative expertise, production excellence, and industry insight.• Watch FRIEND's music video roster, represented by Hurry Sundown,&nbsp;<a href="https://friendlondon.tv/" target="_blank">here</a>

FRIEND teams up with Hurry Sundown for music videos

Tom Emmerson returns to music videos with an infectiously fun film for Bakar - with a cast of brilliant youngsters whipping up a dance storm&nbsp;to his new track.The video for Lonyo! begins with&nbsp;Bakar, after much pestering,&nbsp;sending&nbsp;his little cousin (played by Rak'ye Pennicook) his latest track, with the naive question "you&nbsp;won't share it with anyone will you?". Cut to... a&nbsp;playground full of schoolkids, furiously dancing to the track in a series of highly choreographed mini-formations.It's a joyous sight and a comedic triumph, due to the wonderful simplicity of the idea and its execution - one group of kids caught in longshot on telescopic lens then whips to another set of kids busting another set of energetic moves. Sometimes it pans back to young Rak'ye on his own, or a couple of dancers - and then ultimately we get dozens of kids in one perfectly-drilled dance sequence.Emmerson's video was developed in collaboration with creative studio Red Buoy and choreographer and his long time collaborator Joe Grey Adams, marking his long-awaited return to the medium following his two UKMVA-winning videos for AntsLive, and for Doechii.It's arguably the best celebration of summer and friendship we have enjoyed this year. And also a reminder that it's back to school soon...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tom Emmerson

Business Club

Red Buoy Studio

Jay Lovelock

Ali Copland

Isaac Eastgate

Josh Mannox

Trim Editing

Dan Levy

Rascal Post

Selma Nicholls

Rak'ye Pennicook

Bakar 'Lonyo!' by Tom Emmerson

Bakar - Lonyo! (Official Music Video)

Douglas Reddan directs a nostalgic live performance promo for Say Now.&nbsp;Living their 2000's girlgroup fantasy, the video for Brick By Brick - Unplugged boasts a Noughties-era aesthetic, visually anchored to daytime TV performance shows.&nbsp;With a lo-fi aesthetic, vintage overlays and a playful reinterpretation of the format, it's a striking visual,&nbsp;which lays all the focus on the performance and stylistic flair.

Kim Jarrett

Jeffrey Celis Hurtado

Naoise Kettle

Greg O’reilly

Atlantic Records

Lola Webster

Say Now 'Brick By Brick - Unplugged' by Douglas Reddan

Say-Now-'Brick-By-Brick---Unplugged'-by-Douglas-Reddan

There is a lot to love about Favourite Colour: Black's new video for Suede. There's the setting - the iconic Bush Hall in London - the band's performance and the frenzied reaction of their faithful fans, which is brilliantly captured with cinematic flair.Then there's the track itself, Dancing With The Europeans. It's an absolute banger - arguably&nbsp;&nbsp;Suede's best song in years. Which is perhaps why the sense of excitement and joy from both&nbsp;band and audience is palpable in this riveting visual.And appropriately it ends with a stage invasion, the band's apparently ageless frontman Brett Anderson arm-in-arm with audience members. Turner / FCB gets it all - and can take pleasure in not just the effectiveness of the video but being instrumental in an authentic moment in the band's long history.[imgtoken data:1]FAVOURITE COLOUR: BLACK:"For Dancing With the Europeans, the brief from the band was to create a gig culminating in a stage invasion. I confess that initially, I tried to talk them out of it. My reservations were sound - it’s very difficult to fake a gig for a music video, let alone hordes of fans invading a stage. It’s near-impossible to live up to the real thing."Suede’s response? OK, we’ll put on an actual gig, just for the video. Next thing I knew, they had booked the iconic Bush Hall, and ’the Insatiable Ones’ had been invited."So that got us the venue, the fans, the atmosphere and the energy. All fantastic. What it took away was a level of control. I knew once the band were on stage, communications between myself and my team would be blasted by loud, live music. We’d be jostled by 300+ fans. We’d be on stage with the drums thundering and the stage bouncing. Attempting to stop the music to ‘direct’ a shot would kill the mood. And so we decided to embrace the chaos.[imgtoken data:2]"Once we’d agreed upon a few key lighting set ups, camera positions, rough framings, and musical cues, all we could do is dive in to a sweaty, ear-ringing, hour-long musical marathon. Suede were electric. The fans were amazing."I’m not sure any edit can truly capture the power of being there for real, but I think this comes pretty close. It was an incredible night, one I’ll always remember. Massive thanks to the band, their manager Didz, and commissioner Faye to trusting me with this. It was an experience."

Favourite Colour: Black

Thalia Murray

Octopus Inc

Faye H Purcell

John Letsinger

Luke Scully

Beth Montague-Clyde

Mark Macpadden

Laura Flack

Cecily Bednar

Donald Mcinnes

Laura Breslin

Craig Coole

Vic Parker

Sony Bmg Uk

Suede 'Dancing With The Europeans' by Favourite Colour: Black

Suede-'Dancing-With-The-Europeans'-by-Favourite-Colour:-Black

Douglas Reddan directs a riveting dancehall-inspired video for the returning Mahalia's new single Instructions.&nbsp;The Irish dancer and choreographer-turned-director brings&nbsp;the Jamaican energy of Mahalia's song to the screen in a London warehouse scenario that vibrates with excitement. Featuring an array of dancers and cast and a feelgood vibe -&nbsp;everyone literally rocks to the left and the right&nbsp;- the R&amp;B singer finds herself drawn into the scene and the euphoria of her surroundings.Continuing the momentum of his recent work for CMAT&nbsp;and Say Now, it's another step up for Reddan - who was also recently nominated for two Young Director Awards in Cannes, and has now signed to Hurry Sundown for music video representation.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Fingal Green

Tilda Bonham Carter

George Traynor

Alize Demange 

Shotgunn

Dylan Schultz-soo

Elsa Grace Collingwood

Miti Lebere

Niels Halle

Mira Jebari

Jaz Hope Lanyero

Niall Candy

Kareem Jarche

Dancehall

Mahalia 'Instructions' by Douglas Reddan

Mahalia - Instructions

Amy Macdonald communicates directly with her fans in a heartwarming video by her regular collaborator Chris Turner - aka Favourite Colour: Black.&nbsp;Filmed across the UK, the visual for Can You Hear Me?&nbsp;is a celebration of the singer-songwriter's fans and the music that connects them,&nbsp;capturing a range of people in their own spaces - bedrooms, living rooms, record shops - listening and losing themselves in the song as they go about their business.Amy's performance is included as the&nbsp;posters and vinyl sleeves that decorate their homes come to life, transforming everyday environments into living tributes to her music. There's a&nbsp;lovely payoff towards the end too.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;[imgtoken data:2]

Josefin Bagge

Faye Hunter

Fraser Taylor

Beth Allan

Ainslie Currie

Mark Whelan

Amy Macdonald 'Can You Hear Me?' by Favourite Colour: Black

Amy-Macdonald-'Can-You-Hear-Me?'-by-Favourite-Colour:-Black

Tom Grennan attempts to break free of his restricting version of reality&nbsp;in directing duo AB/CD/CD's dynamic and entertaining promo.In the video for Full Attention, there is&nbsp;only one thing that is consuming&nbsp;Tom's full attention:&nbsp;he wants to escape. But he's trapped in a wild, surreal space, and no matter how much energy&nbsp;or cunning he applies, he's always tricked by camera manipulations and visual illusions, going back to the starting point - with his head pressed against a punchbag with his name on it.&nbsp;The video takes a playful yet unsettling approach as Tom attempts to escape through increasingly bizarre scenarios. And the experience and expertise that AB/CD/CD (Camille Dauteuille and Clément Dozier) have for visual tricks - infinite loop, vertigo effects, camera transitions and&nbsp;framings – plays an essential role in this intense rollercoaster of a video.It all builds to a&nbsp;great finale - where Tom does finally break free - and rounds off a highly appealing showcase for both the song and the singer's undeniable on-screen talents.[imgtoken data:1][imgtoken data:2][imgtoken data:3]

Anaïs Profit

Tom Grennan 'Full Attention' by AB/CD/CD

Hurry Sundown

Director's Representation

2025 (22)