Director Ashkan Memarian Signs with Holiday Films

Holidays Films has announced the signing of visual storytelling director Ashkan Memarian for the Canadian market. Ashkan’s artfully crafted stories connect with viewers on a personal and emotional level. His powerful work for brands like Adobe, Amex, Ubisoft and non-profits like Primary Children’s Hospital have established him as an important voice in advertising.

“I’m constantly looking for cinematic camera language that helps to tell the story – to discover new fresh ways to find emotional resonance with the viewer and authenticity in my work,” says Ashkan. “When someone sees something in my work and can relate to it, I know I’ve done my job. That is always the goal, and it will never get old.”

Holiday Films is the first Canadian production house to represent Ashkan. “I only made the decision to seek representation in Canada very recently. I had committed myself to building a solid body of work before venturing outside the US market. There’s strong work in Canada and I’m excited about the creative opportunities here.”

Ashkan says it was the reputation of Holiday founders Josefina Nadurata and Derek Sewell that helped him make his choice. “I did my research, and I was impressed by the success Jo and Derek have had with other out-of-market directors. They are committed to helping build their careers. They know the Canadian market so well and their enthusiasm is infectious.”

“One of the things that really made Holiday appealing is that they can take on different kinds of jobs. I came up often wearing a lot of hats—including editor—so I’m comfortable thinking outside the box or engaging on a job with a creative approach to production. With Holiday I can do just that, because they not only have Nimble Content, but Recess Post as well.”

Ashkan just wrapped filming of his first project under the Holiday banner directing for telecommunications client Bell Canada and Toronto-based agency Zulu Alpha Kilo. “I was initially drawn to Ashkan’s work because of the emotional storytelling and beautiful visual style,” says Zulu Alpha Kilo Creative Director Catherine Allen. “But the reason I’ll keep working with him is that he’s a truly collaborative director. He’s got an elegant vision and a keen eye but he’s not pushing it on you and is open to the process of figuring things out together. As we all know, the work evolves, and you want to work with someone who can adapt and have the flexibility of vision to still make a great spot no matter what gets thrown your way.”

“We’re thrilled to add Ashkan to our Holiday/HUG family,” says Josefina. “His ability to craft cinematic stories that connect on so many emotional levels is what stood out for me. Having just shot our first job with Ash, he’s not only a lovely human but his commitment to making the creative stronger and ability to work so collaboratively with everyone involved flows so naturally for him. We’re excited to introduce him to Canada.”

Clockwise from top left. Scenes from Adobe “Make It”, American Express “Stand for Small”, Primary Children’s Hospital “Victory” and Ubisoft “Rocksmith+”. Director Ashkan Memarian.