Imad Elsheikh: A dream to shape society through storytelling

Nubian-Egyptian Imad Elsheikh considers himself a storyteller and believes storytelling has the power to shape society and impact the audiences’ hearts for the better. The talented New York visionary producer and executive producer has the intuitive gift of transforming the vision of an artist, brand or group of persons into a compelling narrative. He dreams of changing the world one story at a time through his company, PIQUE.

As a Black producer of Nubian descent, his journey towards success has been fraught with challenges: “I rarely saw people with my background in leadership roles within film and production,” he says. However, instead of letting this be a barrier, he used it as motivation to carve out his own space. “PIQUE was built to amplify underrepresented voices and push the boundaries of storytelling in a way that feels fresh and culturally relevant.”

His work spans award-winning music videos, and critically-acclaimed short films, to high-profile brand collaborations. For these, he has brought creative visions to life in ways that are both emotionally powerful and culturally relevant.

Stories in motion

Telling stories through music

Imad believes that society’s stories are told in many forms, one of these being music. He has produced numerous music videos for top artists, saying he has an intuitive ability to take the artist’s vision for a song and then bring it to life through the music video’s narrative.

He won the 2022 Prism Prize for Music Video of the Year for his work on Mustafa’s song Ali, and in 2024, was nominated for Best Video of the Year at the 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards for his work on Drake’s 8am in Charlotte. Most recently, he was nominated for a JUNO Award, for Music Video of the Year for the work he did for Sean Leon’s Gravity video.

Unseen stories unfold

Putting the artist’s musical vision on screen, he says, can only be achieved through collaboration.

A visionary filmmaker

Beyond music, he has immersed himself in the world of storytelling, with his first short film, Been Here, having marked a significant professional milestone for him. He says in producing the film he realised he had the ability to execute compelling narrative at a professional level. He explained the movie is about a quirky, A-type receptionist at a local hip-hop radio station who stumbles across the underground world of music video modeling and eagerly joins a crew of misfit video vixens. She soon discovers that the industry isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.He is also now awaiting the release of his upcoming short film, Bastard. Each story he tells is different, and Imad says this movie has a raw, impactful narrative. He says the project has been very close to his art; giving a brief teaser on the upcoming film by saying it has deep emotional and cultural significance. After the unexpected murder of her abusive stepfather, a single mother and her rebellious young son are thrust into a world of chaos, danger, and moral ambiguity. As they navigate their new reality, they’re forced to make life-altering decisions in a darkly comedic journey.

Unlock hidden potential

Elevating global brands through storytelling

Brands have a unique voice and story to tell, believes Imad. His creative expertise has been sought after by some of the world’s most prolific brands. He has helped to shape international campaigns for Adidas, Red Bull, Old Spice, Chanel, Converse, Rimowa and Neko Health.

These big boys in the industry have not left Imad intimidated. He embraces challenges with a whole heart and says each challenge has only been the opportunity to grow in his chosen profession.

Beyond the ordinary

“Each project has been a unique opportunity to push creative boundaries and deliver exceptional work at a global scale,” Elsheikh explains. Through his production company, PIQUE, he has worked closely with elite athletes like Connor McDavid, Kyle Lowry, Sidney Crosby, and Cole Caufield, telling their stories through powerful, visually striking campaigns.

Creating stories which drive meaningful conversations

Imad was raised in Toronto and is now based in New York. His upbringing as a Nubian-Egyptian has colored his work, in keeping his focus on representing diversity in everything that he does.

Discover the unexpected

His journey into the creative world was quite by chance and he says he started out as a computer science graduate focused on pursuing a conventional career in tech.

However, a ‘creative itch’ changed this all

He decided to take a leap of faith and to build something of his own. Now, he uses his technical prowess as a change-maker and societal thought leader.

Ignite new perspectives

Soon after going out on his own, he started PIQUE. This is a production company which started out as a platform for showcasing artists and evolved into a global creative studio. He says that as a black producer of Nubian descent, he brings a unique cultural perspective to the industry.

He wants to tell the stories of the different people that make up the world’s nations and to drive the necessary conversations which lead to positive change. “I want to spark global conversations, amplify underrepresented perspectives, and develop unique intellectual properties that bridge the gap between brands and people, and authentic storytelling.”

In a world where storytelling is more important than ever, brands and artists continue to turn to Imad.