FOUNDER'S BIO

Yohan Forbes is a London-based filmmaker, cinematographer and founder Kumo London, he connects a collective of filmmakers and editors crafting branded films, documentaries, and cultural stories for clients including BBC Sounds, BFI, RIBA, Adidas, Samsung and Loftus Media.

His filmmaking journey began with Project One, a kinetic short exploring London’s architecture through skateboarding which won Best Film at the BFI Future Film Festival, was acquired for the BFI National Archive, and screened in Trafalgar Square during the London Film Festival. That early recognition set the tone for Forbes’s creative language: authorship, craft precision, and a deep sense of place.

Over the last decade, Yohan has directed and shot work across branded content, music, and documentary film. His credits include Later with Jools Holland artist interviews for BBC Sounds, BBC Studios’ Rainbow Adventure promos, The Booker Prize films, and award-nominated podcasts for ACCA and Fresh Air Productions. Whether behind the camera or in post-production, his work combines cinematic composition with agile, story-driven thinking that connects brands and audiences through authenticity.

A graduate of London’s independent film scene, Yohan learned the craft from the ground up beginning as a boom operator on One Man and His Dog, progressing through cinematography on Never Coming Home and Forest of the Damned 2, before establishing Kumo London as a filmmaker-led creative studio rooted in collaboration and cultural depth.   

That philosophy evolved into a deeper framework for collaboration the foundation of what Yohan calls Kumo Collaborative Code a living framework built on authorship, empathy and contribution over control. For him, filmmaking is not a hierarchical act but a shared process:  Through this framework, Yohan has redefined what it means to lead a creative studio balancing authorship with shared authorship.

Authorship means clarity of vision without ego - every collaborator leaves a visible fingerprint.

Empathy means leading with understanding - storytelling that honours both the subject and the team behind it.

Contribution over control means the creative process stays open, adaptive, and generous, allowing stronger ideas to emerge from the collective.

This framework defines both Yohan’s leadership and Kumo’s culture. It shapes how projects are structured, how collaborators are credited, and how authenticity is protected from concept through delivery. It has become not just a code of practice but a quiet manifesto for emotionally intelligent filmmaking.

Yohan’s next chapter focuses on expanding Kumo London’s branded and cultural slate while developing a series of short narrative films leading toward his debut feature. His guiding mission remains constant: to tell stories that honour people, place, and process, turning everyday reality into a cinematic experience.

In every project, his goal remains the same: to create work that moves people emotionally, culturally and visually.

Explore Kumo London’s latest projects to see this philosophy in action.