Director Seyi Peter-Thomas grew up in London, where he spent his childhood putting on plays to amuse his Nigerian relatives. The plays were weak, but his passion for dramatic storytelling was strong. After moving stateside, that passion led Seyi to the prestigious high school, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and film school at NYU. There, his affinity for strong characters, comedic timing, and vivid cinematography began to emerge.
Seyi began his career at MTV, working his way up from production coordinator to soon directing some of the channel's most iconic on-air promos. His star-studded “West Side Story” campaign for the VMA’s earned a Creativity’s Platinum award. And the MTV campaign against cyberbullying Seyi directed became the centerpiece of President Obama’s Conference on Bullying Prevention.
Seyi won an Emmy Award for The Kaiser Foundation’s Condom Factory PSAs. And when the Cannes Film Festival featured Seyi’s slow-motion promo for MTV’s The Hard Times of RJ Berger in the New Director’s showcase, it wasn’t long before advertising clients came calling.
Seyi developed an eclectic cross-genre reel as a commercial director. He moves between humorous and heartwarming spots for multinational brands like Honda, Geico, Adidas and probing socially conscious branded films. His campaigns have garnered honors from Cannes Lions, One Show, CLIOS, Webbys, and Shots. And Seyi recently received his second Daytime Emmy for conceiving and directing Nickelodeon’s Black History Month campaign.
In addition to his commercial work, Seyi’s short film, “How Do you Raise a Black Child?” showcases his ability for striking visual storytelling and strong emotional performance. The film was among the AICP Next Award-winning films included in MoMa’s film and television archive.
Seyi deeply believes in the power of storytelling to move people and broaden their perspectives. His goal as a filmmaker is not just greater representation, but to create stories and characters that connect people across cultures.