The Kusp and WePresent, the digital arts platform of WeTransfer, are bringing together creative industry leaders and graduates for a series of events across July, August, and September. The program will consist of three trailblazers who will discuss their journey to success, sharing knowledge and insight with the next generation of creatives from underrepresented communities.
Expect to see industry gatekeepers and talent at the Curzon Victoria during this series, and walk away with valuable new contacts.
Ronan Mckenzie is a multi-disciplinary artist from Walthamstow, North East London. Ronan has exhibited her work at spaces including Aperture Foundation, Red Hook Labs, Somerset House and The National Theatre, and is now the Director of HOME by Ronan Mckenzie, a multifunctional creative space. Her work has been presented on the covers of The British Journal of Photography, Garage Magazine, Teen Vogue and Creative Review, and within titles including Luncheon, Vogue, POP, i-D and Wall Street Journal. Notable within Ronan’s practice is a sensitivity to honest, relatable emotion and the celebration of individuality. Alongside working commercially with brands including Nike, Glossier, Sephora, Universal Standard and Olay. Ronan lectures at universities and institutions. Her work is often tied together with her passion for creating more imagery of connections, relationships and black joy, presenting the world as she would like to see it.
Aneil Karia is a multi-award winning director and writer. Most recently awarded an Oscar for his work alongside actor, Riz Ahmed, on the short film 'The Long Goodbye'.
Aneil ‘s debut feature film SURGE premiered in competition at Sundance Film Festival 2020, where its lead Ben Whishaw won the World Cinema Special Jury Award for Best Acting. It had its European premiere at the Berlinale and was released theatrically in Summer 2021. The film was produced by Rooks Nest for BBC Films and BFI. He is currently in development on his next feature film, due to shoot in late 2022. In television, Aneil is about to start work as director on THE GOLD, a new heist drama series for BBC One and Paramount+. He previously directed the closing three episodes of TOP BOY for Netflix.
Sam Pilling is an award-winning director based in East London. The son of an English Professor and a Drama Teacher he is named after the playwright Samuel Beckett. Sam graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2009, and has since directed music promos for the likes of Chaka Khan,
Usher, The Weeknd, Run The Jewels, DJ Shadow, SBTRKT and Major Lazer. He received a Silver Award at the Young Director Showcase at Cannes in 2016 and was nominated at the MTV VMAs and BET awards. His satirical music video “Nobody Speak” for Run The Jewels was voted No. 4 in the Top 25 Music Videos of the decade by IndieWire. In 2017 it screened at SXSW film festival, received a Bronze Lion at Cannes and won Best Direction & Best Music Video at the AICP Awards. His follow up music video “Rocket Fuel” for DJ Shadow ft. De La Soul (a satirical retelling of the 1969 moon landing) won Video of the Year at the UK Music Video Awards in 2020. In 2021 he partnered with the International Paralympic Committee, creating the 'WeThe15' brand film that screened at the delayed 2020 Paralympic Games opening ceremony in Tokyo. His commercial work has seen him collaborate with brands such as Apple, Nike, Audi, BMW, IKEA, Coors and SKY and he was named #3 in the top 10 Commercial Directors of 2021 by Campaign Magazine. Last year he directed his first short film in collaboration with Little Simz and Wetransfer, which made Vimeo’s coveted 10 best of the Year list out of 700 other Staff-Picked films.
