Francois Coetzee is a South African director, screenwriter, and multidisciplinary creative with over twenty years of experience in the local and international film and television industry. Originally from the Free State, he is currently based in Johannesburg, where he continues to develop and direct a wide range of projects across genres.

His debut short film, Tacet (2003), made at the age of 19, was selected for the Out In Africa Film Festival, where it screened in multiple South African cities. His second short, Diesis (2005), was chosen for the International Discoveries section at the prestigious Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival—renowned for having launched the early careers of auteurs like Truffaut, Kieslowski, and Fassbinder, whose work deeply influences Coetzee’s own cinematic voice.

Coetzee’s first feature film, the self-funded Finale (2009), screened at both the Lisbon Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and the Cape Winelands International Film Festival. In 2012, he contributed to the Guinness World Record-breaking collaborative film The Owner, directed by 25 filmmakers from around the globe.

His television credits include directing the made-for-TV films Life of a Dog and Tomorrow When We’re Adults, as well as co-directing multiple seasons of KykNet’s acclaimed drama Spoorloos, and contributing to Showmax’s Breekpunt. He has also written for multiple seasons of Spoorloos and season 1 of Breekpunt.

In addition to directing, Francois is an accomplished actor, with recent performances in HBO’s Warrior, Showmax’s Reyka, , and Netflix’s Kings of Joburg. A passionate musician, he studies piano under Steinway artist Jill Richards and is a member of the Johannesburg Symphony Choir.

He is currently involved in the development of two new feature films: Cowards and Percussion.