Michael Hili is an Australian commercial and music video director working with FINCH in Australia and New Zealand, recognized for his handmade, set-driven filmmaking approach. A multiple-time Shots Director of the Year and ARIA Award nominee, Hili won two Gold awards at the 2024 Young Director Awards in Cannes for 'The Public Diagnosis' for The Brain Cancer Centre—the only Australian and sole Southern Hemisphere director honored that year. His work has been recognized at Cannes Lions, D&AD, AICP, The Clios, The One Show, British Arrows, and CICLOPE. Trained in set and costume design at Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), Hili builds tactile worlds using miniatures, hand-painted backdrops, puppets, and prosthetics—rejecting CGI in favor of in-camera practical effects. His commercial clients include Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Authority, Toyota, Origin Energy, Cancer Council Victoria, ASB, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, and Journey Beyond. His music video collaborations include Flume, The Killers, Kirin J Callinan, and The Lemon Twigs. His January 2026 'Speed Demons' campaign for NZTA exemplifies his signature craft: hand-built creatures and miniatures constructed entirely in FINCH's basement studio, with zero digital shortcuts.