Sophia Banks Joins Directorial Roster at Quriosity Productions
It’s not every commercial director that gets to spend a week training with the US military, or gets a behind-the-scenes tour of CIA headquarters, but then not every director is Sophia Banks. Known for her work in feature films and long-form TV series, as well as commercials and fashion films, this L.A. based filmmaker has joined the talent roster at Quriosity Productions. The announcement was made by Founder & Executive Producer Qadree Holmes and Executive Producer Mark Conley.
Banks made a name for herself in advertising circles with her breakthrough film for the fashion designer Christian Siriano, featuring a trio of models skateboarding their way through downtown L.A. Her showreel includes gracefully choreographed and artfully framed work for brands like Target, Land Rover, Pepsi, Airbnb, Mattel’s Barbie, Ford and BMW, as well as for Sofia Vergara and Kendall + Kylie Jenner’s fashion labels. To view her work, go here.
Banks made her feature directorial debut in 2022 with the action thriller “Black Site” for Netflix. Her film sci-fi short “Unregistered” premiered in competition at The Tribeca Film Festival, and she’s attached to direct upcoming projects including a film she will direct on Bitcoin founder Satoshi Nakamoto, written by Mark Goffman.
Quriosity got connected with Banks via their Texas sales rep Julie Koellner. “They’re our hidden weapons,” says Conley about the Quriosity repping corps, which includes Sarah Gitersonke, Bobby Rowe and Sabrina Mehar and Lisa Schreiber Nabor .
“We knew right away that we wanted to work with her,” adds Holmes. “Besides the quality of her work, we felt an inherent sense of integrity in her as a person who is also a creative force. She surrounds herself with some of the most creative people in the industry.”
“I was drawn to Quriosity because of its reputation for championing unique creative voices and pushing the boundaries of commercial storytelling,” says Banks about her signing with the studio. “Their commitment to diversity, innovation, and high-quality filmmaking aligns perfectly with my own approach to directing. I wanted a home where my work would not only be supported but also elevated, and Quriosity provides that in every way. I love everyone who’s part of the team.”
In addition to her work behind the camera, Banks has extensive long-form producing credits on her resume as well. She co-produced Julian Schnabel’s “Hand of Dante,” starring Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich, Al Pacino and Martin Scorsese , and was an executive producer on Paul Schrader’s “Oh Canada,” with Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, Jacob Elordi and Michael Imperioli, which premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. She’s also executive producing “Blood On Snow” with Benedict Cumberbatch and Aaron Taylor Johnson, being produced by Niclas Salomonsson, Jo Nesbo, and Dean Baker and directed by Cary Fukunaga.
“These experiences have heightened her abilities as a director entirely,” says Conley. “Her method of seeing the entire project come together is amazing. She is an artist with a producer's mind, which makes our jobs as EPs a lot easier, and allows agencies and clients to feel completely assured that the commercial campaign is in good hands.”
As for her week with the military? (You can read more about it here.) Banks took part in the JCOC – the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference – which is a boot camp-like event the military holds for business leaders and entertainment moguls to better educate them on the history and mission of the American military and intelligence branches. It included such everyday activities like poking around inside in tanks, running a Marine Corps obstacle course, pulling the curtain back on a nuclear sub, stuff like that.
For her part, the director sees her new relationship with Quriosity “as an opportunity to create new work and to bring my experience in high-impact, cinematic visuals to brands that are looking for bold, dynamic visuals and authentic emotional connections. My goal is to work with top-tier brands that want to tell powerful stories in a way that feels fresh, elevated, and engaging.
“Sophia’s work is as diverse as Quriosity is,” observes Holmes. “She has fashion, beauty, dialogue, lifestyle and most amazing is her work with cars! Her sense of style is extremely sophisticated, and as you can see from her experience, she’s a total badass.”
All of her prior experience perfectly aligns with her sense of adventure, and that shows in her approach to filmmaking and storytelling,” adds Conley. “We’re expecting huge things working with her, and look forward to it all.”
