ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Sophia Banks defined herself as a director with the award-winning short she shot for Christian Siriano, Making It On Time, featuring women wearing couture gowns skateboarding through the moody streets and industrial back alleys of Downtown Los Angeles. This short was nominated for over 15 awards including winning Film Fest Miami and being nominated for Best Short, Best Fashion Film, and Best Director at film festivals around the world including: Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, Moët & Chandon Tribeca Film Festival, Berlin and Milano Fashion Film Festivals, Los Angeles Film Awards and many more.
She also directed and won awards for many commercials for such brands as: Pepsi, BMW, Target, Doritos and Ford as well as fashion films with Pam & Gela, Ralph and Russo, Valentino, Fred Segal, GenLuxe Magazine and several music videos.
Her background is from 15 years in fashion prior to film, founding legendary store Satine and winning multiple awards including Vogue Australia Top Fashion Export and Harper Bazaar Fashion Leader many years in a row. She then launched her fashion line Whitley Kros worn by many celebrities and touted by Forbes as Top Ten Designers on The Rise.
But she craved more and after years of creative directing she moved to her final goal, film directing, with study at schools like USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, UCLA and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
A stint shadowing famed German director Wim Wenders sealed the deal and Banks dove head-first into her most meaningful adventure as a fearless female director.
Following the release of her first short narrative sci-fi film titled "Unregistered" she is hard at work on several films, including the development of Unregistered into a full length feature film. Signed to CAA, Sophia Banks is on the move towards a focus in features while maintaining her work in commercials.
A self-professed “tech geek” who loves cameras and has a knack for visual effects, Banks epitomizes the brazen, forthright nature of unstoppable women everywhere and brings unparalleled beauty and style to each project bearing her name.
Director's Statement
Exposing the dark undercurrents of the rules, norms and technologies governing society is at the core of the work I do as a director. Topics such as the psychological price of social media and the impact of sexism in the workplace are treated with irony and the subtle humor inherent in the most effective satire.
Breaking rules is what I do best, whether it be writing in the voice of a dispossessed character or favoring long, static shots over the fast jump cuts that have become the norm in Hollywood. The idea is to encourage my viewers to break out of the preordained boxes they have allowed themselves to occupy.
As a director, I bring a unique perspective that is both tender and unabashedly bold. My voice is strong, edgy bold and unabashed.
My palette is at times lush and beautiful; and at others stark and fraught. I focus on forms in the frame that others overlook, and I know how to arrange a shot to highlight subtext and innuendo. Like many of the directors I admire most, including Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock and Martin Scorsese, I rely on the power of imagery to tell my stories.
In an era dominated by instant gratification, when less is considered more—even though it is usually lacking in depth and texture—I offer a holistic approach to film and television, one that asks the question: “Where do we go from here?” And answers it with a full emotional, spiritual and physical journey.
—Sophia Banks
