Justyna Obasi
Anorak Film
Taking it all in: Polish-Nigerian director Justyna Obasi has long defied anyone who would try to stereotype her. Having grown up across the world, Obasi is a keen observer of life who tells character-driven stories full of warmth, evident in both her film and advertising work.
Advertising with heart: Since breaking out in 2022 with a short film commissioned by Facebook called Skate Nation Ghana—which earned a Silver Lion and five D&AD Pencils—she’s on a run of emotionally rich work, from a flirty married couple rediscovering their spark in a Valentine’s Day ad for Tiffany & Co. to Ikea’s celebration of home.
Kleber Mendonça Filho
Bringing Recife to the world: A film critic turned director and screenwriter, Kleber Mendonça Filho has put his hometown of Recife, Brazil on the global stage. From his 2013 breakout film Neighborhood Sounds to 2025’s Oscars darling The Secret Agent, he’s continually exploring the lives of Recife’s people in the context of broader social and political upheaval in the country.
Giving back: Mendonça Filho has been honored with over 120 awards, appearing at film festivals including Cannes and Tribeca. But he always comes back home, notably as a curator with the Joaquim Nabuco Foundation, a social and educational organization dedicated to preserving the abolitionist’s work.
