Michael Spiccia spent 13.7 billion years as molten stardust before emerging on Earth with his paintbrush and camera at the ready. Michael’s passion for drawing, painting and art was ignited at a young age, after which he barely looked up from his canvas long enough to notice he’d grown up to become a graphic design student at art college. After cutting his teeth as a designer in London, Michael returned to Sydney where he turned his attention to directing commercials and music videos. His captivating cinematic style, knack for ambitious world-building and innate feel for intimate character moments saw Michael create a striking body of work that established him as one of the most in-demand directors in the country, and soon-after, the world. By combining his eye for magic-realism with serious storytelling chops, Michael directs campaigns that not only captivate audiences with epic visuals, but also hit them ‘right in the feels’. Michael’s distinctive fusion of style and story continues to create powerful emotional connections between viewers and major international brands. He has explored the touching, hidden inner-world of tech with Apple, sent Buzz Aldrin and his son to the moon with Facebook, brought a child’s Formula One fantasies to life with Honda and was awarded the Cannes-Lion for orchestrating a political revolution in a dystopian future with Taco Bell. Michael has taken audiences on equally unforgettable journeys with Audi, Ford, Visa, Xbox and Hyundai to name a few. A natural-born storyteller, Michael’s narrative directorial work is driven by a love of raw, honest storytelling and authentic performances. His critically acclaimed short film Yardbird was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the prestigious 65th Cannes Film Festival and won the Jury Prize at the Tribeca Film Festival. His searing second short, I’m On Fire examines family dysfunction in unflinching detail, and as the title suggests, the film comes with Mr. Springsteen’s blessing. A deep believer in the power of cinema, Michael’s mission is to find the soul of a story and connect audiences to its beating heart. An artist to the core, Michael sees every frame as a canvas on which a story is longing to be painted.