Avesta Keshtmand is a British-Afghan director and writer living and working in London.

When thinking about stories, and how she wants them to look and sound, Avesta’s perspective is powered by a world of influences. Turn-of-the-millennium Bollywood, handheld grime freestyle videos, archival fashion editorials – all processed through a kind of daydream-filter. It’s a filter that informs her process as a writer, crafting eye-level portraits of disadvantaged communities which are unbound by the social-realist instinct to centre hardship and struggle. Of course naturalism provides humanity, but so does magic, so does playfulness, so does joy.

Through music videos for the likes of Maisie Peters, FLO and Mrley, Avesta has created playgrounds for the artists she works with, carefully weaving storylines into performance and choreography. More recently, she’s directed a mini-series of campaigns for Nike, working closely with protagonists to shine a light on their world with sensitivity and beauty.

Avesta hopes to make work you’ll want to hold on to tightly – like her mum’s rice, the wares from her community knitting group and the tiny revelations she’s experienced at Tanztheater class. These are things worth looking after, and things worth sharing.