Culture-defining production house Fela today welcomed director and photographer Adrian Villagomez to its diverse roster. Villagomez’s cinematic visuals combine with his understanding of nuanced storytelling. This marks his first US representation.
In his collaboration with Jean-Michel Blais on "passepied," Villagomez’s raw, docu-style approach, peppered with surreal elements, earned him the Best Alternative Video award at the UKMVAs. In 2023, he received a special award from the Canadian Academy of Cinema for his outstanding music videos and their international impact. His powerful compositions evoke magical realism across work with artists including The Kid LAROI, Denzel Curry, Killer Mike, and Skiifall, and brands Xbox, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Birks, Aldo, and Audi.
Born to a Peruvian father and a French-Canadian mother, the tri-lingual director was raised in Montreal and grew up playing the violin. After touring with his school orchestra, he attended university for film and photography, then parlayed his musical background into traveling the world as a concert tour photographer and he soon began directing music videos for the same artists. Touring with musical acts internationally proved excellent preparation for his move into the fast pace of advertising.
"Meeting new collaborators abroad and at home, exchanging and creating lasting relationships, has been my fuel,” said Villagomez. “I used to do mostly photography when I started, but I find it to be a lonely medium. Working in cinema, on the other hand, is an experience where everybody works for a common goal and you are as good as the people you surround yourself with."
“Adrian truly represents Fela’s DNA,” said Taj Critchlow, Founder and Managing Partner of Fela. “His creative ingenuity is a beautiful addition to our roster of artists. He’s not a one-dimensional director and we’re not a one-dimensional company, so whether it’s commercials, music videos, documentaries, or narrative films, we’re always aiming to elevate and energize through what we do.”
“For me, joining Fela feels like the perfect partnership - we just clicked,” continued Villagomez. “They elevate the culture in an amazing, seamless way, whether through film, music videos, or advertising. The emphasis and support that they give to their directors across all these mediums is really exciting; I’m very happy to join them and do wonderful work.”
“Fela’s roots are unapologetically Canadian but we’re playing on an international stage,” added Critchlow. “It’s something we pride ourselves on and we’re thrilled to partner with Adrian as we celebrate four years as a company this week.”
About Fela
Fela is a culture-defining production company that celebrates inclusion and diversity. Based in Toronto and Los Angeles, Fela specializes in making cutting-edge content in the realm of music videos, commercials, documentaries, and films. Using the mantra “Own Your Culture, Tell Your Stories,” Fela’s core strength is having the innate ability to tell cultural stories authentically while being a voice for the unheard and underrepresented.
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