Ivan started his creative life as a DJ playing at Ministry of Sound, Scala and Supreme FM as particular highlights. He went on to co-found band Kid Karoshi with two university friends. He was a co-producer and keyboardist with and their debut EP featured on BBC 6 Music. Soon afterwards Ivan realised filmmaking was the ultimate way to tell the stories that were stuck inside him. The first dramatic short film – that he wrote, directed and produced – Grow Up (2011) became his gateway to filmmaking. Organisation CALM officially supported the film, which led to it being featured at the British Urban Film Festival (BUFF), Cannes Short Film Corner, several other festivals and on UK television. He went on to write and direct several other shorts, documentaries, music videos and in particular campaigns for charities including VSO and Ricefield Collective. Ivan’s most recent short Child in Their Eyes, featured in Shorts in the South (BFI Film Audience Network) and BUFF 2016.
He has continued to expand Hentucky and has started to collaborate with other production companies. Notably in 2018/9 he Executive Produced Lifelike with Passenger Films and Fenêtre Sur Le Monde. The film has been supported by Telefilm Short On Talent at Cannes 2019, and is currently making its way around the festival circuit.
Having come from a non-film school background, he is passionate about sharing his journey with the next generation of filmmakers. He co-founded and directed an education film programme GUTFilm for 6-11 year olds. Over the course of 3 months, 2 groups of students wrote, shot, and edited two comedy/drama films about the transition from primary to senior school. Using industry software and equipment, we didn’t try to water it down for the participants. The course included guest tutor Jonathan Glazer who directed critically acclaimed films Sexy Beast, Birth and Under the Skin.
Outside of filmmaking, Ivan has been working as a technology consultant. With over 12+ years experience as a Programme and Project Management Consultant he has delivered 30+ technology change programmes and projects – mainly on the Salesforce platform – for brands including VSO, NCS, Toronto Public Library, Department of Health (UK), Airbnb, Amnesty International, Nextdoor and Shelter UK.
Originally starting out as a mixtape, turning into a charity night raising money for Teenage Cancer Trust to becoming a Film & TV production company since 2009 has been a journey… to say the least. But combining his creative passions with his business knowledge, it’s all helping to shape and grow Hentucky into a vehicle to produce content he cares about. Currently he’s developing several features and is aiming to bring his latest screenplay, ‘Pattern’ to production in 2020. Ivan is also working as an Executive Producer on producing a number of TV series ideas with some of his regular collaborators.