Jaron Albertin
Technically ambitious and conceptually bizarre but always beguiling, Jaron Albertin's music videos and commercials hint at the promise of what the Vancouver-raised, Toronto-based director could do with a sizable budget. Albertin, who began editing and directing in 2003, has routinely overshot expectations with videos for DFA 1979 ("Sexy Results"), Mew, Cut Copy, Maximo Park and Circlesquare. His work piqued the interest of Diesel (which tapped him for a 2004 Dreams project) and Adidas, which had him direct "Surprise" for Climacool in 2005. Albertin most recently directed the stylish "Doctor Blind" for Metric frontwoman Emily Haines (see Playlist, pg. 11). He is repped by Spy Entertainment in Canada and Rokkit in the UK. RF

Joaquin Baca-Asay
Before California native and NYU grad Joaquin Baca-Asay stepped from behind the camera to become a director in late 2005, he was making beautiful film as a DP for a who's who of directors including Brian Beletic, Mark Romanek and Mike Mills (Thumbsucker). His fruitful collaborations with Beletic have yielded spots such as 2001's "Defy Convention" for Reebok and this year's Coke "Barriers"; he's also lensed the Cannes Gold-winning Viagra campaign directed by Park stablemate Joachim Back. But it's as a director that Baca-Asay is likely to make his true mark. His first effort, Nike "Defy", combines exquisitely composed shots with a slowly changing perspective. Newly signed to NYC's Park Pictures, he's currently at work on the feature The Lady in Waiting. RF

Wiebke Berndt
A host of mainstream magazines such as Elle and Glamour have counted director, photographer and artist Wiebke Berndt among Berlin's most creative women. While she's even appeared in a Taiwanese publication, much of the English-speaking world remains as yet unaware of her well-honed visual sense, expressed in commercial work for VW, FCUK, HSBC, The Guardian and MasterCard. Berndt is a go-to girl for videos in Germany, with over 20 to her credit since she began directing in 1999, and her short film Wedding was a festival fave. She's repped by Sterntag Films in Germany, Quad in France, and since signing with Believe for the US, UK and Canada in May, is preparing to add some English-language magazine clippings to her scrapbook. RF

Andy Bruntel
We're gonna guess it's not very often that a design school grad with an inkling toward filmmaking gets a call from an indie topliner such as Mike Mills offering an internship. Unless you're Andy Bruntel, and the chair of the Maryland Institute and College of Art happens to give her good friend Mills a call alerting him to a promising student. It may seem the stuff of screenplays, but a look at Bruntel's filmic output reveals the call was well-placed. Signed to LA's The Directors Bureau in September, Bruntel has contributed design and animation to Roman Coppola's videos for the Strokes and Phoenix and shared directing credits with him on Adicolor "Red". As a solo director, he's created a series of indie vids, including the endearing "Cursed Sleep" for Bonnie Prince Billy. RF

Karen Cunningham
For her directorial debut, London-based Pink Film Company founder/MD Karen Cunningham helmed "Wonderful World" for the Half Moon Theatre Company, a group that helps kids from underprivileged backgrounds cope with stresses via drama. Set to Louis Armstrong's ubiquitous "What a Wonderful World", the young actors recite the lyrics framed in scenes of abject poverty, yet projecting inner strength seemingly beyond their years. Recognized with best new director nominations from the BTA Craft Awards and Rushes Soho Shorts, and chosen as one of the APA Top 50 for 2006, you couldn't ask for a better first impression. While still quite busy running Pink, Cunningham aims to helm more spots in the near future. BW

Chris Cairns
We almost lost Manchester native Cairns to academia; specifically, to languages at Oxford. Thankfully, Cairns moved to graphic design and film via Salford University's art foundation course. Post-college, Cairns crafted music videos for housemate Tom Vek and head-spinning work like E4's roundabouts-as-turntables clip, refurbished as a viral for DJ company Eclectic Breaks. Signed to Paritzan in 2004, he's turned out noteworthy videos for Lady Sovereign, Maximo Park and LCD Soundsystem. Spot-wise, his stop-motion prowess resulted in the stunning BBC Radio 1 'Infectious Radio' commercials for Fallon, London. He's also been named Best New Director at 2005's Music Week CADs, and just nabbed the New Director's award at the Sharks. BW

Jeffrey DeChausse
Earlier this year, LA-based Jeffrey DeChausse exchanged his award-winning agency career (which included copywriting and/or creative directorial stints at Hal Riney, DDB and Euro RSCG) for a life behind the camera. If his initial output is anything to go by, it was the right decision; as proven by his minidoc branded content pieces for Lexus, which surreptitiously aligned luxuries such as chocolate and champagne with the carmaker's brand, the 37-year-old DeChausse is an enormously talented photographer with a gift for arresting visuals. While spots for Axe and Northwestern Mutual round out his current reel, he's got much more coming down the pipe. Repped in America by Los Angeles' Boxer Films, DeChausse is currently at work on a new project for BBDO, Chicago and preparing a feature-length documentary on used car salesmen (American Auto) for release. MP

Family
While they've done hilariously campy spots for radio program The Cage (tagline: "For everyone who's just a little bit wrong"), the Antipodean trio known as Family is probably best known for their homage to Mike Mills' iconic video for Air's "All I Need". Titled All He Needs, the loving spoof recasts the original's lovestruck teenagers as a pair of goofy, gay twentysomething males, adding laughs without forsaking any of Mills' heart. Comprising DP Oliver Lawrence, director/animator Scott Otto Anderson and former Mother and Glue Society alumnus Nicolas Randal, the trio is signed to Independent Films in Australia and has just teamed with Blink/Colonel Blimp in the UK and Furlined in the US. MP

Ben Hibon
Ben Hibon's CV plays like a proverbial bread crumb trail of excellence in multimedia and design. Upon graduating in graphic design from London's Central St. Martins, Hibon joined digital production studio Unit9, and, as CD, established himself as one of animation's brightest talents. In 2004, he played a crucial role in establishing his new home, Blink's animation offshoot, BlinkInk. While he's enjoyed success in the commercial and gaming spheres ever since, this year saw his major breakthrough in the form of the MTV Asia-sponsored short film Codehunters, an anime piece that ultimately became the identity for the network's awards show. Hibon is also repped by Furlined in the US. MP

Steve Hudson
Outsider's Steve Hudson comes to directing from a storied past as an art director, starting at BMP DDB Needham (now DDB) in 1990, moving to BBH from 1994-1997 and then to AMV. While there, Hudson helmed his first spot "Rebecca", an anti-smoking ad that nabbed BTAA Gold. And while life as a creative brought many trips to the award show podium (eight BTAA Golds, five Gold Lions at Cannes, and two D&AD Silver Pencils during the BBH run alone), the urge to direct full-time was too strong. With Outsider since 2003, his art director's eye is apparent in such exquisitely shot spots as the recent HSBC "Scuba" and the affecting "Caravan" PSA for NSPCC. BW

Mark Molloy
You could say that Australia native Mark Molloy's directing career got off on the right foot. His debut, Nike "Mutant Foot", attracted a great amount of attention, garnering awards at Young Guns, the One Show and Australia's MADC Awards. A primal look at a runner's most valuable asset that mutates into part foot, part shoe, it set the stage for a reel dominated by moodily lit pieces that often involve messages for the greater good, such as ACF "Superhero" and "Black Balloons" for Australian Sustainable Community. Molloy's recent return to Australia followed five years in London as a senior designer at Why Not Associates. He is repped by Exit Films down under, Furlined in the US, Colonel Blimp in the UK and Soft Citizen in Canada. RF

Nakd
Formed in Rio de Janeiro in 2002, and recently relocated to Toronto, this design directorial collective operates under the maxim "be innovative - always". While the Nakd team calls itself "an international conglomerate of artists and friends" (until recently headed up by creative director Stephen Crowhurst), we can verify that Meghan Rennie, Alex Andre, Chris Bahry and Larry Ewing (pictured) are card-carrying members. Works like 2005's tour de force "Box", United Cutlery's "Pemmikan" video and a kaleidoscopic spot for Nike's Maxsight sports contact lenses made Nakd a household name on the RESFEST circuit, a highlight of Saatchi & Saatchi's New Director's Showcase at Cannes '06, and a no-brainer addition to The Ebeling Group's roster. BW

Nima Nourizadeh
That 28-year-old Londoner Nima Nourizadeh has quickly ascended to the top of Partizan's promo roster should tell you something about his considerable talent. After graduating in film from London's Central St. Martins College in 1999, Nourizadeh co-founded collective The Imaginary Tennis Club, which helmed clips for names like Dizzee Rascal and Junior Senior before disbanding in '05. As a solo director, Nourizadeh hit creative paydirt in early 2006 with his postmodern green-screen piece for Hot Chip's "Over And Over". And whether with his suitably sunny clip for Lily Allen's "LDN" or his 4D motion capture trip for Hot Chip's "Colors", he's been hitting in the next class up ever since. On deck is a clip for Allen's "Littlest Things"; don't rule out commercials either. MP

Jake Schreier
New York-based director Jake Schreier has had the dubious distinction of appearing right below Paris Hilton on EntertainmentWeekly.com. Schreier's claim to fame? His portrayal of the unsavory lead character in the breakout Internet TV show Puppet Rapist. While that makes for great dinner-party conversation, Schreier's ability as a director is a far more substantive and rewarding topic. A co-founder of NYC collective Waverly Films (the commercial arm of which imploded due to a "complete lack of business acumen"), he moves from biting comedy (Absolut "Gay" and "Valentine") to sharp visuals (FedEx "Nervous") with ease. Formerly repped by Plum Productions, Schreier signed with Park Pictures in June. RF

Robert Seidel
It would take an extra 150 lines and 953 words to list all of the festivals in which Robert Seidel's stunning 2004 short Grau has appeared; suffice it to say the 28-year-old German is one of our favorite experimental filmmakers in the game today. Described as "a personal reflection on memories coming up during a car accident" the 10-minute short is generative video sculpture at its most rewarding. Almost as good is Seidel's latest piece, which is a promo for UK downtempo outfit Zero 7 (see Playlist, pg. 11) that puts a distinct spin on the use of organic matter in visual art. Is his work too heady for the commercial world? Possibly, but the unrepped director says he's open to anything so long as the fit is a good one. MP

Vince Squibb
A former Lowe creative director and one of the most awarded CDs in London, Vince Squibb is equally adept at bringing home a PSA's knockout punch (see Transport For London's "Motorbike") as he is a left-field comedic punchline (BT "Home Phones"). While at Lowe, he received the nod to direct, to practically instant acclaim - his Scalextric campaign earned BTAA and Cannes Gold in 1999. But after a 20-year tenure at the agency, Squibb made his move to full-time helming in Jan. '06, joining the roster at Gorgeous. Recent spots such as the mini love story that is Baci "Everyday" and a poetic ode to "loo roll", Tesco "Trees", highlight Squibb's unerring visual sense. BW

Three Legged Legs
Freelance agency producer Guy Quinlan told Boards that Three Legged Legs' reel is one of the most exciting he's stumbled across recently, and we agree. The Santa Monica-based directorial collective (Greg Gunn, Casey Hunt and Reza Rasoli) met while attending Otis College of Art and Design in LA, and graduated just this past May. Combining writing, animating, directing and designing talents, the Legs took off with insanely accomplished live action/animation hybrids such as Ricochet and Los Angeles Let's Be Friends. Repped by Green Dot Films in the US, Suneeva in Canada, Wanda in France and Rokkit for the UK, their latest short Humans deftly marries cute 'n' cuddly characters with social commentary. BW

Tokyoplastic
According to their bio, Tokyoplastic's Sam Lanyon Jones and Drew Cope spent their formative years in the care of an Amish foster family who bred in them a fearful distrust of anything with an electrical plug. How amazing, then, that the British duo would find themselves on the bleeding edge of Flash design, winning the audience award at the Sundance Online Film Festival for the stunning "Drum Machine" (which Thom Yorke would be moved to blog about) and later scoring a D&AD Silver for a version of their website. With this year's animated campaign for the Toyota Yaris proving they could handle the transition to commercials, the Picasso Pictures-repped duo is now hard at work on projects for Motorola and Microsoft. The plains people would be so proud. MP

Darryl Ward
Darryl Ward's admission that he once dreamed of being a reportage photographer for Magnum comes as no surprise. Though the New Zealander now scoffs at the thought - leading to his fate as a fashion photographer before moving into film as a DP - his keen eye for visual storytelling comes through in his work, whether it's via a playful metaphor for Jockey underwear ("Oh Hello"), a mockumentary about a wailing 90-year-old toothless virgin for a NZ-based doc festival ("Wailing Woman of Omsk"), or staging mass disaster for the Red Cross ("Lying Down"). Ward is repped by Curious Film in New Zealand/Australia, by BS Worldwide in North America and has collected awards from the Gongs, Young Guns, the One Show and the Clios. RF

Zeitguised
The brainchild of American sculpture/fashion grad Jamie Rapp and engineering/digital architecture obsessive Henrik Mauler, Zeitguised make future-forward animation that dishes up their various disciplines in equal measure. With work for MTV2 and a Funkstorung promo for "The Zoo" counting among their early highlights, the pair quickly became a celebrated commodity amongst the digital design and festival set. Since signing to Rokkit in 2005, they've managed to contour their work a little more favorably to the commercial world without easing up on any of their signature obsessions: geometry, architecture and clean design. Boasting a procession of music, film and video game imagery, their latest work for Verizon shows just how far they've come. MP