Yael Staav Joins Merchant for Canadian Commercial Representation

Merchant has welcomed Yael Staav to its roster of talented directors.

Yael Staav’s career kicked off in 2007 with a Cannes Lion Grand Prix for Dove 'Evolution.' In the ensuing years, she has continued to evolve her craft. 

She has directed multiple episodes of the much-loved comedy 'Workin’ Moms' (CBC) and was recently nominated for a 2023 Canadian Screen Award for the show's last season. She was also nominated for the 2022 DGC Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy for the same show. Yael has been honoured by the Directors Guild of Canada for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series for her work on Baroness Von Sketch (CBC/IFC), for which she also garnered a Canadian Screen Award for Direction. She recently wrapped the first season of the buzzworthy CBC comedy 'One More Time.'

Yael’s commercial work for Amazon, Coke, Campbell’s, Volkswagen, and Delta – with agencies including World Famous, DDB, Leo Burnett, Wieden+Kennedy, and Saatchi & Saatchi – taps into small, incidental moments that reveal who we are at our core. Much of her work is about self-discovery, examining the seemingly-ordinary details that often go unnoticed in a world that’s all too much, too fast.

Yael is represented by Merchant in Canada, Furlined in the US and UK, and Gang in France.

Executive producer Ian Webb remarks, “Merchant is excited to welcome Yael Staav to our roster and start our collaborative journey together. We are drawn to her thoughtful attention to detail and the compassionate lens she offers to the everyday. Yael is an honest, heartfelt storyteller, committed to creativity and real emotion. 

In the commercial realm, she often supports her visual storytelling with immaculate comedic timing and tone. From the iconic Baroness Von Sketch and Working Moms, to her current show One More Time, Yael has had her finger on the pulse of the Canadian comedy TV genre.” 

Q> Can you give us a brief rundown of your career so far?

Yael> I was born and instantly loved telling stories. I started making commercials. I won a Grand Prix. I started directing TV and there are now women who think of me (without knowing it) whenever they get a mammogram because of a sketch I directed. I like to think I make their boob squish just that much more enjoyable. 

Make ‘em laugh, and they’ll forget the pain. It’s all about making the world a little bit better. I try to do that with every project I take on.

Q> Do you have any particular career highlights that you’d like to share?  

Yael> See above’s mammogram musing.

Q> What are you most looking forward to achieving with Merchant?

Yael> Advertising is an exciting place to tell stories. It’s a place where advertisers want to promote positive narratives, showing a version of the world we can aspire to attain – not in a materialistic way, but in a values way. 

Campbell’s Soup was at the forefront of inclusion, redefining what 'normal' people look like and live like. Etsy, Publix – they tell stories of showing up for your family and your community, whatever the weather or obstacle trying to keep you away – move in with your grandma, crush that downed tree, go on a blind date, do not die of dysentery.  

I love working with brands that reflect culture in an authentic way, whether that be with humour or with intelligent insight that seeks to uplift and expand how we see ourselves and others. I aspire to that higher bar of truth. Merchant is home to so many different types of filmmakers and there is something so energising about being surrounded by that.

Q> What does the next year look like for you? Any exciting projects in the works we can tease?

Yael> Currently, watching zombie films in my basement getting ready for a few great spots with John St. Weekends. I’m working on a wickedly funny, yet equally tragic, feature script that will surprise, delight, and challenge the world. Stay tuned…

Check out Yael's reel here. 

Merchant is a Canadian based production company founded by award-winning director Tim Godsall and executive producer Ian Webb.

For more information on Yael Staav or Merchant, please contact: Ian Webb executive producer, Merchant