Sophia Banks is an award-winning director, who shot her debut feature, Black Site, an action thriller starring Jason Clarke, Michelle Monaghan and Jai Courtney in Australia’s Gold Coast, in February 2021.
Banks’ debut sci-fi short, Unregistered, starring Dylan Penn and Trevor Jackson, premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and went on to screen at over twenty film festivals worldwide. She directed her second short, Proxy, during the pandemic in 2020. Banks established herself as a director with her 2017 short, Making it on Time for Christian Siriano. The film featured women in couture gowns skateboarding through Downtown Los Angeles’ industrial alleyways. Making it on Time received over fifteen awards, including Best Commercial from Oscar qualifying Hollywood Shorts Film Festival, Best Fashion Short at the Film Miami Fest, Best Microfilm at the Festigious International Film Fest as well as Best Commercial and Best Director at the United International Film Festival.
Banks has directed numerous award-winning commercials for brands such as Pepsi, Chobani, BMW, Target and Ford as well as fashion films for Pam & Gela, Ralph and Russo, Kylie and Kendall Jenner, Annie Bing and Tome.
A native of Australia, Banks started her career as a fashion stylist and designer, then creative directing. Driven to become a film director she enrolled in film courses at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, UCLA and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and completed three Sundance Co//ab courses for professional directing and screenwriting. A self-professed ‘tech-geek,’ Banks has a great love for cameras, shooting on film and has a keen eye for visual effects. For Unregistered, her sci-fi short premiering at Tribeca, she played a key role in developing ground-breaking VR technology to provide audiences as well as her actors with a fully immersive experience.
DIRECTING AWARDS 2017-2022
Proxy, Short Narrative Film
-Dark Arts Film Festival Amsterdam: Best Sci-fi Film, 2021
-Ignite Film Festival: Best Cinematography, 2021
-LA Rocks International Film Festival: Winner of Horror and Sci-fi Film, 2021
-WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival: Gold Remi Winner, 2021
-The Romford Film Festival: Best Editing, 2021
-Paris International Film Festival: Best Hair and Makeup Design, 2020
-Idyllwild Int. Festival of Cinema: Indie Spirit Award Actor Featurette Film, 2021
-LA International Film Festival: Winner of Sci-Fi Short, 2020
-Winter Film Awards Int. Film Festival NYC: Nominated for Best Horror Short Film, 2021
-HollyShorts Film Festival: Official Selection, 2020
-Buffalo International Film Festival: Official Selection, 2020
-Lone Star Film Festival: Official Selection, 2020
-LA Lift-Off Film Festival: Official Selection, 2020
-Louisville's International Festival of Film: Official Selection, 2020
-Visionary Filmmakers Showcase: Official Selection, 2020
-Beeston Film Festival: Official Selection, 2021
Unregistered, Short Narrative Film
-Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival: Finalist for Outstanding Short, 2019
-Detroit Shetown Film Festival: Official Winner, Best CGI/VFX, 2019
-Detroit Shetown Film Festival: Best in Fest, 2019
-Atlanta Horror Film Festival: Best SciFi Short Film, 2019
-Miami Int. SciFi Fiction Film Festival: Best Actor Short Runner Up, 2020
-Miami Int. SciFi Fiction Film Festival: Best Actress Short Runner Up, 2020
-Beeston Film Festival: Official Selection for SciFi, 2020
-London Sci-Fi Film Festival: Official Selection, 2019
-TriBeCa Film Festival: Official Selection, 2019
-New York No Limits Film Festival: Official Selection, 2019
-LA No Limits: Official Selection, 2019
-Oscar-Qualifying Hollyshorts: Official Selection, 2019
-Exit 6 Film Festival: Official Selection, 2019
-LA Lift-Off Festival: Official Selection, 2019
-Bolton International Film Festival: Official Selection, 2019
-FilmQuest: Official Selection, 2019
-Norwich Film Festival: Official Selection, 2019
-Brooklyn Women's Film Festival: Official Selection, 2019
-HollyShorts Film Festival: Official Selection, 2019
-Catfish Shorts! Short Film Festival: Official Selection, 2020
-The Romford Film Festival: Official Selection, 2020
-Beyond Earth Film Festival: Official Selection, 2020
-LA Shorts Film Festival: Official Selection, 2019
-Edinburgh Short Film Festival: Official Selection, 2019
-Catalina Film Festival: Official Selection, 2019
-Louisville's International Festival of Film: Official Selection, 2019
-Other Worlds Film Festival: Official Selection, 2019
-SciFi Film Festival: Official Selection, 2019
-British Urban Film Festival: Official Selection, 2020
-Razor Reel Flanders Film Festival: Official Selection, 2019
Girls Skate for Christian Siriano, Short Narrative Film
-Newport Beach Film Festival: Best Short Film Nomination, 2018
-Mammoth Film Festival: Best Short Film Nomination, 2018
-London Fashion Film Festival: Best Short Narrative Nomination, 2017
-Oscar-Qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival: Winner of Best Commercial, 2017
-United International Film Festival: Winner of Best Commercial, 2017
-Miami Fashion Film Festival: Winner of Best Fashion Short, 2017
-Festigious International Film Festival: Winner of Best Micro Film, 2017
-United International Film Festival: Best Director Nomination, 2017
-Berlin Fashion Film Festival: Best US & Canadian Fashion Film & Best Director Nomination, 2017
-TriBeCa Film Festival, Moët & Chandon: Top 10 Finalist Selection, 2017
-Milano Fashion Film Festival: Best Fashion Film Nomination, 2017
-Fashionclash Fashion Film Festival: Best Fashion Film Nomination, 2017
-Festigious International Film Festival: Best Experimental Short Nomination, 2017
-TMC London Film Festival: Best Director and Best Online Video Nomination, 2017
-The Black Sea Film Festival: Best Fashion Film Nomination, 2017
-London Fashion Film Festival: Best Fashion Film Nomination, 2017
-Sunlight International Film Festival: Best Trailer Nomination, 2017
-California Women’s Film Festival: Best Short Film Nomination, 2017
-Los Angeles Film Awards: Inspiring Woman in a Film Nomination, 2017
-Miami Fashion Film Festival: Best Fashion Film Nomination, 2017
Cheeky for Target, Commercial
-Amarcord Chicago Arthouse Television Awards: Best Trailer/Teaser/Commercial 2017
-Texas International Film Festival: Best Commercial Nomination, 2018
-Beliff: Best Commercial Nomination, 2017
-Outlaw Film Festival: Winner of Best Commercial, 2017
-Los Angeles Film Awards: Winner of Best Commercial, 2017
-TMC London Film Festival: Winner of Best Online Video, 2017
-La Femme International Film Festival: Winner of Best Commercial, 2017
-Outlaw Film Festival: Best Television Commercial Nomination, 2017
-Palermo International Film Festival: Best Commercial Nomination, 2017
-Sunlight International Film Festival: Best Trailer Nomination, 2017
-Be Epic! London International Film Fest: Official Selection, 2017
Cinderella, Music Video
-Sydney Indie Film Festival: Best Short Film, 2017
-GSF Awards - Global Short Film Awards: Semi-Finalist, 2018
-Switzerland International Film Festival: Winner of Best Music Video, 2017
-Connect Film Festival: Semi-Finalist, 2017
-San Pedro International Film Festival: Best Music Video Nomination, 2017
-Laughlin International Film Festival: Best Music Video Nomination, 2017
-Reno Tahoe International Film Festival: Best Music Video Nomination, 2017
-TMC London Film Festival: Best Music Video, 2017
-TMC London Film Festival: Best Short Film, 2017
-TMC London Film Festival: Best Director Nominations, 2017
-Fashion Film Festival Brussels: Best Film Nomination, 2017
-Fashion Film Festival Chicago: Best Narrative Fashion Short, 2017
-Fashion Film Festival Chicago: Nominated for Best Experimental Fashion Short, 2017
-Studio City International Film Festival: Nominated for Best Music Video, 2017
-Miami Fashion Film Festival: Best Fashion Film Nomination, 2017
-Berlin Fashion Film Festival: Nominated for Best Director (Shortlisted), 2017
-Berlin Fashion Film Festival: Nominated & Shortlisted for Best US & Canadian Fashion Film, 2017
-International Fashion Film Festival Brussels: Best Music Video Nomination, 2017
-Fashion On Film Festival: Official Selection, 2018
-Freedom Shorts XIX (Philly’s Largest Short Film Fest!): Official Selection, 2017
-12th Mumbai Shorts Int. Film Festival-23: Official Selection, 2017
-Sarajevo Fashion Film Festival: Official Selection, 2017
Making it on time, Fashion Commercial
-United International Film Festival: Best Commercial & Best Director, 2017
-Film Miami Fest / Best Shorts Worldwide: Best Fashion Short, 2017
-Festigious International Film Fest: Best Microfilm, 2017
-HollyShorts Film Festival: Best Commercial, 2017
-Miami Fashion Film Festival: Best Fashion Film, 2017
-The Black Sea Film Festival: Official Selection, 2017
-Sarajevo Fashion Film Festival: Official Selection, 2017
-Chicago Amarcord Arthouse Television Awards: Official Selection, 2017
-London Fashion Film Festival: Official Selection, 2017
-Mammoth Film Festival™: Official Selection, 2018
-Sunlight International Film Festival: Official Selection, 2017
-Los Angeles Film Awards: Official Selection, 2017
-California Women's Film Festival (Winter): Official Selection, 2017
-TMC London Film Festival: Official Selection, 2017
-Newport Beach Film Festival: Official Selection, 2018
Anine Bing, Fashion Documentary
-Beverly Hills Film Festival: Best Documentary Short Nomination, 2018
-Los Angeles Film Awards: Best Documentary Short Nomination, 2017
-New York Film Awards: Best Documentary Short Nomination, 2017
-Los Angeles Fashion Film Festival: Official Selection, 2018
-Miami Fashion Film Festival: Official Selection, 2018
Savage Rose, Perfume Ad
-Richmond International Film Festival: Official Selection, 2018
-Los Angeles Film Awards: Winner of Best Microfilm, 2017
-Los Angeles Film Awards: Best Experimental Film, Best Director and Best Trailer Nomination, 2017
Tome super 8, Experimental Short
-New York Film Awards: Best Experimental, 2017
-Los Angeles Film Awards: Winner of Best Trailer, 2017
-Los Angeles Film Awards: Best Microfilm, Best Director and Best Editing Nominations, 2017
-Oscar-Qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival: Official Selection, 2018
-Miami Fashion Film Festival: Official Selection, 2018
Rsea safety, Nation Television Commercial
-London Fashion Film Festival: Official Finalist Selection for Best Editing, 2018