Last month, we got the pleasure to interview Sanjay Singh, the owner and operator of the Nukhu Festival.  Nukhu is a platform established for independent filmmakers and visual artists.  They aim to empower creatives through developing a community comradery around the overall human experience.  If we are not surveying all aspects of human existence then we have not told the entire story.  Nukhu is on a mission to enlighten audiences by bringing diverse stories to the forefront.
SwagHer: Why did you want to work with film and other filmmakers?

Sanjay Singh: I’m a filmmaker, so naturally I like learning about the work of other filmmakers.

https://www.instagram.com/nukhufest/

SH: How has the experience of running the Nukhu Festival so far? What do you like the most about your work?

SS: It is incredibly humbling and revealing to receive film submissions from creatives of varying access and skill-sets around the world. Our role is to find the stories that have been overlooked by film festivals and distributors to help those filmmakers find their audience. I love it when I see what we’re doing actually working to achieve this.

SH: What would be your best advice for newbie filmmakers who have no idea how to navigate the festival worlds?
SS: Your finished film is now a product. Think about the lifespan and potential of that product to help you make more films. The most valuable offering from film festivals is their laurels; a recommendation that a film is worth your time. Festival press and networking are helpful but filmmakers still need a budget. The programming of traditional film festivals quite often limits the number of accepted films. Once this shortlist of films are screened at festivals, that’s usually the end of their journey unless they enter a licensing deal. These filmmakers would fail to realize the full potential for their films unless they empowered themselves with the tools of self-distribution. After earning the laurels of film festivals and critics, I would recommend filmmakers find the right price point for their films and use the tools available to them to market, promote and monetize their content. Nukhu Fest helps this effort by not only providing the platform to market, promote, and monetize films but also comes with the recommendation that your film is worth watching.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

🏆 Congratulations to Modern Voyeur by Kevin Murphy for winning the 2019 Best NuVee!

A post shared by nukhufest (@nukhufest) on

SH: Congrats on your last three successful years.  Where do you see the festival going in the next three years? 
SS: I see steady, consistent growth over the next three years. Each year we see better submissions created by some of the most talented filmmakers in the world and I’m excited for more people to find this incredible library of content we’re cultivating.
SH: What type of projects do you think Hollywood should be heavily investing into?
SS: Hollywood should be investing in developing more ideas from different communities; educationally, culturally, socially… I see attempts with productions that include people of marginalized communities but more often than not these ideas are half-baked or not given the full amount of resources they deserve.
SH: Which type of projects did you see submitted the most this year to Nukhu?

SS: We continually receive a mix of films varying in length and genre. The majority of submissions are short films with the most prevalent genres being action, comedy, horror, music video, and animation. Over the last three years, we’ve received over 10,000 submissions with an average of 3% accepted.

SH: How important is it for creators to understand ownership and leasing rights at the early stages of their careers?
SS: It’s incredibly important to understand how licensing agreements can have an effect over the use and exhibition of your film for the duration of the agreement in addition to the limits and terms on compensation as the agreement ages. You should definitely research the upsides and restrictions of any licensing agreement and aim for non-exclusive terms that keep you in control of your film.

About Tahyira Savanna: Tahyira is a lifestyle journalist and writer.  Her interest includes human stories and introspection.  She interviews everyday people doing their part to make our world a happier place.

Follow her on Twitter @TAsterisk and Instagram @iletthegoodtimesrol