William Armstrong

Born and raised in Botswana and a UCT alumn, William specialises in poetic films brimming with detail and emotional performances. William’s career launched in 2013 with a spot for Jaguar which earned Best New Director at the Kinsale Shark Awards and a Young Director Award at the Cannes Lions. The immediate exposure catapulted him into working with some of the world’s biggest brands including Adidas, Mercedes, BMW, Sony and Samsung.

William's approach focuses on powerful image-making, stylising reality to find beauty and unusual perspectives in every frame. His work is often categorised as elemental, lyrical and layered. He prides himself on casting and building a trusting, intimate space on set that heightens character performances. William brings a decade of experience to his work, which creates an easy collaborative environment between creatives, clients and crews.

In the past two years William has crossed into long form, with two successful short films and the development of a ten-episode narrative TV show currently underway. His screenwriting background is also channelled into his ad work, from copy, to structure, dialogue and VO. William’s 2021 short Unspoken earned him Emerging Director Award at the One Screen Film Festival in New York, a gold craft award at Ciclope, and a world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, along with selection and awards at over 40 other film festivals worldwide.