Curtis Essel is a Ghanaian-British filmmaker and director based in London, known for his intimate and abstract storytelling.

He crafts cinematic experiences that bridge art and commerce, celebrating cultural depth through an elevated and abstract visual lens. His work explores the intersections of memory, identity, and perception through experimental visual techniques. Curtis has earned recognition from prestigious institutions such as Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY, the BFI, Tribeca, and ICA. His filmmaking journey began in 2017 with his debut music video “BTY,” which won Best Unsigned Director at the Shiny Awards. Since then, he has worked with global companies including Google, Apple, Meta, and YouTube. His debut short film AGYA won the ARRAY Now & Getty Images Grant and the Best Documentary Award at the BFI Future Film Festival. Essel’s subsequent work, ALLUMUAH, was recognised as Best Experimental Film of the Year by Vimeo. 
 

Driven by a passion for storytelling, he founded 33BOUND in 2018 and led it for nearly four years. 33BOUND is a creative hub focused on production and championing emerging filmmakers.

 

His work has been exhibited and screened internationally including the BFI Future Film Festival, BlackStar Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. It has also been showcased at Whitespace Creative Arts Foundation, Sarah Kravitz Gallery, and the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston.