TENQ – FEMALE DIRECTORS

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Our new segment TENQ’s follow-up is here and after last week’s Russian nominees, power goes to women! More specifically, we are dedicating this Sunday to the female directors who made it through our selection.

TENQ is a segment we created to say a big ‘Thank You’ to the creators who have become a part of our network. Berlin Music Video Awards is turning 10 next year, so that’s a pretty good reason to celebrate early! To mix things up, every time, we will bring you a different selection, focusing on genres, countries, languages, or even gender – just like today.

We’ve created this special list to demonstrate that gender does not matter for the type of content that you will create. Animation, surrealism, tenderness, violence… With a high or low budget, everything is here and possible! So, let’s check out what our lovely women working behind the scenes got in store.


Lena D – Period Piece

‘Period Piece’ directed by Sylvia Zaradic was our 2014 Best Song winner. We can confidently say that it’s the perfect introduction! This is a fun piece that will brighten up your day! Talking openly about being on your period and joking about it is a way to erase the taboos that exist around it.

Lena D – Period Piece via Dailymotion


Rysy – Father

Credit for the direction of this music video goes to Martina Iwanska. What’s more, she is also the art director on this one! ‘Father’ received a nomination in 2017 for Most Bizarre. The whole piece is quite minimalistic, with attention to details. The cold atmosphere emerges with the use of dark visuals and the captivating diversity of bodies this video offers.

Rysy – Father via Dailymotion


Dram feat A$AP Rocky & Juicy J – Gilligan

Nadia Lee Cohen earned a nomination for Best Art Director in 2018 for her work on ‘Gilligan’ music video. Vivid colors and fancy suits meet dancing butts. We know for sure that you will not be able to resist the vibes either!

Dram feat. A$AP Rocky & Juicy J – Gilligan via Dailymotion


Zou – La Bombe

Zou will put our feet back on the ground. Directed by Clémence & Joséphine Demerliac, ‘La Bombe’ made it into our selection for Best Experimental in 2017. What could seem like a romance at first, is actually a twisted narrative on a Parisian roof. The music video plays with the idea of reversing the roles between men and women, to denounce the physical violence that women face. It is drawing attention to the ugly truths of sexual assault and rape.

Zou – La Bombe via Dailymotion


DFT – Story To Tell

We’re taking you to Japan with this video by DFT – Story To Tell. The director behind this one is Sayaka Nakane. Nominated for Best Art Director in 2017, this work succeeds in telling a story of a vengeful teen coming for the yakuza that destroyed her childhood. Get ready for some film-like action, fights and proper suspense! Plus, we can’t forget to mention the fantastic visuals.

DFT – Story To Tell via Dailymotion


Silvana Imam – Naturkraft

Director Sheila Johansson shows that quantity does not mean quality. Her work for Silvana Imam’s song Naturkraft was one of our 2017 Best Low Budget nominees. This video will take you to a post-apocalyptic world where a lost angel stares hopelessly at human statues.

Silvana Imam – Naturkraft via Dailymotion


Chisu – Ikävä

‘’Pink is for girls’’ and pink is badass! Chisu – Ikävä is definitely an uplifting tune. Directed by Viivi Huuska, her work made it into our selection in 2020 for the Best Art Director category. With modern Barbie vibes, this video embraces femininity and powerfulness.

Chisu – Ikävä via Dailymotion


M!R!M – Never Trust

On the lo-fi side, we present you the music video for ‘Never Trust’ by M!R!M. Directing credit goes to Anastasiya Shulgina. Nominated in the 2015 edition, ‘Never Trust’ was featured in the Most Bizarre category. The video tells the story of a guy who is a bit too obsessed with a girl from his hometown. If you want to know how the story goes, just hit the play button!

M!R!M – Never Trust via Dailymotion


Nathalie King – SUCKR For Love

We’re gonna get a bit more emotional with this one! Nathalie King’s song ‘SUCKR FOR LOVE’ received a nomination for Best Animation back in 2019. Did you know that Nathalie is behind the making of the video? It follows a sad story of a character who can’t seem to find love in a hazardous world.

Nathalie King – SUCKR For Love via Dailymotion


Samaris – Wanted 2 Say

And we’re at the end of our selection. Diving deeper into femininity with the video ‘Wanted 2 Say’ by Samaris. This one explores the connection between female bodies and the universe. Thora Hilmars, who is behind the camera, made it into the Best Director category in 2017. This narrative opens the door to a fantastic universe that links women and the moon together.

Samaris – Wanted 2 Say via Dailymotion

We stand for creative freedom and making art accessible to anyone, regardless of their gender. As you can see from this little selection, women do some incredible direction! It’s inspiring to see more and more women in the video making/filmmaking industry. We hope to see the rise of female directors and creators in our network for sure. Stay tuned for our next TENQ, coming up soon!

If you have a music video in stock, our Late deadline is on the 15th of March. Don’t waste any more time and submit before it’s too late!

Author: Mélissa Fondeur | Editor: Petra Molnárová