Lebanese-Brazilian director Willy Hajli began his career with the short film Have a Nice Day, which won the Audience Award at the São Paulo International Film Festival in 2018. Raised in a multicultural environment, Willy developed a profound respect for cultural diversity, a sensibility that shapes his work, weaving narratives that explore the human experience through an emotive, ethnographic lens.
Over the years, he has earned numerous accolades, including Gold at the Young Director Award, a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Short Form Music Video (2026), a Silver Lion at Cannes Lions, a Wood Pencil at D&AD, two Gold Clios for Sports at the Clio Awards, a Silver Pencil at The One Show, and Gold (Sports) and Bronze (Young Directors) at El Ojo de Iberoamérica. He has also been shortlisted three times at Ciclope (Global and Latino) and was selected for Next Generation and Craft: Direction at Berlin Commercial. In 2024, he was named to the Forbes Under 30 list.
His work has been featured in publications such as Directors Library, Promonews, C41, and Art & Design. He has directed films for brands including Google, Netflix, Heineken, Amazon, XP Inc., Riot Games, Globo, Natura, and Brahma, through agencies such as Publicis, LePub, Wieden+Kennedy, DPZ, Droga5, David, and Africa Creative.
PRIZES:
2026
GOLD - YOUNG DIRECTOR AWARD (YDA)
VIDEO ART
"Castles & Ruins"
DIRECTOR'S LIBRARY
CREATIVE SHORTS
"Castles & Ruins"
CICLOPE LATINO
BRANDED EXPERIENCE, FINALIST
"Marty Supreme - Dream Big"
2025
CICLOPE LATINO
NEW TALENTS, SHORTLIST
"Coming Home"
BERLIN COMMERCIAL
CRAFT: DIRECTION, OFFICIAL SELECTION
"Coming Home"
SÃO PAULO CREATIVE CIRCLE
DIRECTION, FINALIST
"Coming Home"
SÃO PAULO CREATIVE CIRCLE
DIRECTING ACTORS, FINALIST
"Coming Home"
SÃO PAULO CREATIVE CIRCLE
CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Coming Home"
2023
CANNES LIONS
ENTERTAINMENT FOR SPORTS, SILVER
"Exiled Team"
CANNES LIONS
CONTEXT & CULTURE, BRONZE
"Exiled Team"
EL OJO DE IBEROAMERICA
SPORTS, GOLD
"Exiled Team"
CICLOPE
NEW TALENTS & LOW BUDGET, SHORTLIST
"Exiled Team"
CICLOPE LATINO
NEW TALENTS, SHORTLIST
"Exiled Team"
BERLIN COMMERCIAL
NEXT GENERATION AWARD, LONG FORM & CULTURAL IMPACT, SHORTLIST
"Exiled Team"
CLIO SPORTS AWARDS
FAN ENGAGEMENT, GOLD
"Exiled Team"
D&AD
ENTERTAINMENT & EXPERIENTIAL, WOOD PENCIL
"Exiled Team"
THE ONE SHOW
EXPERIENTIAL & IMMERSIVE, SILVER PENCIL
"Exiled Team"
2021
EL OJO DE IBEROAMERICA
YOUNG DIRECTORS, BRONZE
"Write Your Story"
CICLOPE LATINO
NEW TALENTS, SHORTLIST
"Write Your Story"
LOS ANGELES FASHION FILM FESTIVAL
SHORTLIST
"Write Your Story"
2018
71˚ FESTIVAL DE CANNES
COUP DE COEUR
"Have A Nice Day"
SÃO PAULO INT. FILM FESTIVAL
AUDIENCE AWARD
"Have A Nice Day"
PUBLICATIONS:
Forbes Under 30
Director's Notes
Kaltblut Magazine
Machê Magazine
Art & Design
C41
Billboard Brazil
Noize Magazine
CREDITS:
Web design and development
by MORIMOTO
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