Brent Harris
Brent Harris—but you can call him Harris—is a South African-born, New York-based director known for his richly cinematic storytelling and emotionally charged filmmaking.
His first directing gig was capturing a “day in the life” of South African lottery winners, an experience that opened his eyes to the natural beauty of ordinary lives and left him with an unshakable belief that he, too, would one day win the lottery.
While that particular dream remains unrealized, he considers himself pretty fortunate to have spent the last couple of decades collaborating with some of the world’s leading agencies on brands like Nike, EA, Playstation, Goodyear, NASCAR and Coca-Cola.
With an eye for intimate, authentic performances and an instinct for atmospheric storytelling, Harris believes that “form follows emotion”. Apparently, awards follow too. His work has earned him five Cannes Lions, two AICP Awards, three D&AD Pencils, and a Gold Pencil from The One Show.
His short film Locals Only, a deeply personal reflection on growing up in apartheid-era South Africa, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and won Best Film at New York’s One Screen Film Festival.
He still plays the lottery every now and then, but these days he’s mostly busy developing a feature exploring a pivotal chapter in the life of the legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Brent Harris—but you can call him Harris—is a South African-born, New York-based director known for his richly cinematic storytelling and emotionally charged filmmaking.
His first directing gig was capturing a “day in the life” of South African lottery winners, an experience that opened his eyes to the natural beauty of ordinary lives and left him with an unshakable belief that he, too, would one day win the lottery.
While that particular dream remains unrealized, he considers himself pretty fortunate to have spent the last couple of decades collaborating with some of the world’s leading agencies on brands like Nike, EA, Playstation, Goodyear, NASCAR and Coca-Cola.
With an eye for intimate, authentic performances and an instinct for atmospheric storytelling, Harris believes that “form follows emotion”. Apparently, awards follow too. His work has earned him five Cannes Lions, two AICP Awards, three D&AD Pencils, and a Gold Pencil from The One Show.
His short film Locals Only, a deeply personal reflection on growing up in apartheid-era South Africa, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and won Best Film at New York’s One Screen Film Festival.
He still plays the lottery every now and then, but these days he’s mostly busy developing a feature exploring a pivotal chapter in the life of the legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.