Films and video have the power to move people almost like no other medium. When a brand does a video ad well, they cement themselves into the hearts and minds of the collective consciousness.

Which is why this week for B&T’s Best of The Best, sponsored by Finecast, part of GroupM Nexus, we are celebrating the industry’s top film directors. With experience ranging from fine art to British sitcoms, these directors really are a talented bunch!

If you like lists (and who doesn’t?) you may be interested in seeing our B&T Best Of The Best, Commercial Directors from last week.

So without further small talk, here are our top 10 film directors:

1.Tim Bullock, Director And Founder, Scoundrel

Tim Bullock’s work has won numerous awards at Cannes, The British Arrows and D&AD and has thrice won the Australian Director’s Guild Award for Best Direction in a Television Commercial.

He has a strong reputation for storytelling and comedy and was named as one of the world’s commercial directors to watch at the New Directors Showcase at Cannes, featured in the Shots Top 10 Directors list and awarded as Best Ads on TV’s Director of The Year. 

2.Paul Middleditch, Director, Plaza

Paul Middleditch is regarded as one of the top performance TV commercial directors, and he has the awards to prove it. He has won more than 300 awards throughout his career including eight Cannes Lions four of which are gold, and numerous international and national awards to his credit.

He’s directed commercials for brands including Carlton Draught, Budweiser, Pepsi, Optus and New Zealand Lotteries to name a few.

He works internationally between Australasia, the US, the UK, Europe and Asia.

3.Steve Rogers, Director, Revolver

Steve Roger’s production company Revolver, which he set up in 1998, has been named Australian Production Company of the Year by AWARD more than any other company. Outside of Oz it’s also been awarded Production Company of the Year twice by New York Festivals. 

In 2018, Revolver were awarded runner-up in the Palme d’Or at Cannes Lions and ranked 4th production company in the world by D&AD.

His accolades include numerous Cannes Gold Lions, D&AD Yellow Pencils, a Clio Grand Prix, Gold at The One Show, Best in Show at AICP and multiple awards at Spikes Asia, London International Awards, New York Festivals and AWARD.

4.Michael Gracey, Director, Finch

Michael Gracey mixes cutting edge technology with emotion to create films that create big impact.

He was the mastermind behind  the international campaign for Tourism Australia ‘G’Day’-  a 9 min short film with Rose Byrne and Will Arnett that launched late last year. Michael is partnered with Partizan films outside of Aus.

He is currently in post production on his film ‘Better Man’ a biopic on musician Robbie Williams.

5.Alina Gozin’a, Interdisciplinary Artist

For corporate prisoners, Alina Gozin’a’s career will give you hope. She started out as a tax advisor in banking and finance at PwC, before following her passion for storytelling as undertaking a postgraduate degree in Media Arts and Production at UTS.

It was the right move. She is now a Cannes Lions nominated, award-winning creative, using photography, film and art to tell stories for global corporations.

She regularly works with brands including the Australian Financial Review Magazine, Forbes, The Sydney Morning Herald, Good Weekend, The Weekend Australian Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, GQ, Executive Style, Madame Figaro, and other leading publications to shoot their covers.

6.Alyssa McClelland, Director At Finch

Alyssa McClelland is an award-winning director and writer who has directed campaigns for brands such as Google, Apple, Air New Zealand, Samsung, Netflix and Vodafone. She has won a Black Pencil at the D&AD Awards and her AEG ‘Unexpected Power’ campaign won the award for Direction at the distinguished London International Awards.

She graduated from the University of Technology Sydney, with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications: Media Arts and Production

Fresh from directing hit British teen sex comedy drama Sex Education in the UK, McClelland has now returned to commercial content.

7.Dave Wood, Director, Good Oil

A true comedy director, Wood has a fierce appetite for the use of humour in storytelling. This passion has won him a ton of awards such as AXIS, LIA, New York Festivals and British Arrows.

Most importantly, Wood loves what he does. His Instagram bio on Good Oil reads: “I really love what I do, for a while I was tempted to give it all up and become a handsome billionaire but there is so much more I want to achieve and so many more people I want to work with that it’s just not an option right now”.

8.Keryn Nossal, Managing Director, Fancy Film

Nossal is known for her passion for social justice and commitment to inclusivity. She founded Fancy Films in 2002 and has made content for some of Australia’s biggest brands including: National Australia Bank, Australia Post, Metro Trains, Monash University, Austin Health and the Australian Government. 

Nossal merges the worlds of film and corporate videos to create authentic content and compelling stories with a strong, social agenda.

9.Nick Sullivan, Commercial Film Director, Freelance 

Nick Sullivan is an Australian director who began his career in music television, working for channels such as Channel V and later MTV. 

Brands he has worked with include Sony, Doordash, Snowy Mountains, Iceland Airwaves, TBWA and Universal Music.

With a strong eye for developing visuals for music, youth and lifestyle brands, Sullivan is one to watch. 

He moves easily between TVC, branded content and music videos and uses simple tricks to develop stories. 

10.Kyra Bartley, Director, at FINCH

Bartley just won a Bronze and Silver Cannes Lion for UNHCR Sea Shanty. Her other accolades include winning Gold at Ciclope and Spikes. 

Her background spans fine art, design and animation. She says on her LinkedIn “I’m most happy telling stories across a wide range of media including live action, traditional animation and stop motion”.

“My work is defined by the intersection of beautiful human moments, bold ideas and visuals with a touch of magic”.