FOR THE FOURTH EDITION OF OUR CIFF 2021 SERIES, WE CHATTED WITH OPEN MIC AT THE COMEDY CABARET’S DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY ARJAN GILL! CIFF 2021 TAKES PLACE SEPTEMBER 23RD TO OCTOBER 3RD, AND CONSISTS OF A MIX OF IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL SCREENINGS AND EVENTS.

CSIF: Tell us about yourself. What do you do in the film industry?

ARJAN GILL: I’m a director out of Lethbridge, Alberta, who moved to Canada about ten years ago. My main passion is narrative, but I run a production company that creates a wide variety of content. Over the past five years, my company has created everything from commercials and music videos to documentaries and short films. My main focus has been directing but I like to keep my skills sharp by hopping on other collaborators projects as a director of photography.

CSIF: How did you get started in filmmaking? Why did you decide to become a filmmaker?

AG: Coming out of school, I was big into basketball and volleyball. Due to some injuries, I found myself in a tough spot mentally. This led me to film! I remember watching Drive and the TV show True Detective, and feeling something I hadn’t really felt before outside of sports. So I went down the path most filmmakers do of learning everything off YouTube and picking up a DSLR. I immediately wanted to be behind the camera since I felt it was the look of films that made me feel what I did (or so I thought). The more I worked on other people’s projects the more I realized I had something to say, so I started directing.

CSIF: What movie inspired you to become a filmmaker?

AG: The movie Drive and the TV show True Detective were the first two pieces that really got me inspired. The emotions and tones of the two works really connected with me at that time and sent me down the path of thrillers. The visuals and score of Drive were also breathtaking. I loved Ryan Gosling before from The Notebook (I know laugh it up!) but seeing him play that role was inspiring. True Detective explores humanity in an interesting light, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was watching something truly special.

CSIF: What kinds of stories are you interested in telling?

AG: While thrillers were where it all started, my taste has evolved since. Over the past five years, I have created works that sit in similar genres to my original inspirations. But over the past year, I have started shifting my work to line up better with who I am. Our most recent projects are stories that people can watch and truly enjoy while learning things about my culture and experiences. Watching recent hits like Us and JoJo Rabbit made me realize that is exactly what I want to be creating: films that get audiences laughing out loud, scared, and emotional all over the span of two hours. While doing all that, I like to sprinkle in the experiences of myself as an East Indian and my writer’s experiences as a Métis and Japanese Canadian.

CSIF: What is the most important thing you’ve learned in your practice as a filmmaker so far?

AG: Tough question! I’m not sure if I am capable of telling you what the most important thing is since that changes as I get older. I think the biggest revelation I have had recently is that no matter how hard I work and how hard I try, time and experience will always take its course. I can create the best thing I could possibly create right now, but it won’t compare to what I create next year just based on experiences. This thought has led me to be more aware of my experiences over the past year so that I can use them in my work but also use them to become a better human being. For example, there is so much that comes with being a person of colour that I always brushed off till I began to analyze my experiences and how they have turned me into the creative I am today.

CSIF: What advice do you have for other filmmakers?

AG: Don’t ever let anyone tell you what story you can tell and can’t tell. There is a line you have to walk as a filmmaker which has the side of making audiences happy and the side of making yourself happy. I would really encourage new filmmakers to explore the side of making audiences happy first! It’s fun to tell your story but if you don’t have an audience to tell it to then does it really matter? My first three funded projects were ideas that I had that were modified to fit what the client or audience wanted to see. This allowed me to create and get better with a budget and I wouldn’t change a thing about that!

CSIF: What is the most embarassing or funniest thing that has happened to you on set?

AG: My first ever job as a DOP. I showed up to the location and got one scene in before a migraine decided to take me out for the day. I sat in my truck puking out the window for six hours while the AC did all the work. I like to think I redeemed myself over the rest of the shoot days but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live that one down!

CSIF: Tell us about your most recent project.

AG: There’s a lot on my plate right now. As a director, we have a documentary called The Nikkei Way that’s making a festival run right now. I also have a feature that I’m currently developing as the next step in my career. As a DOP, Gianna Isabella’s film Open Mic at the Comedy Cabaret just got accepted into CIFF! She’s a really talented director, and I’m very excited to see what audiences think of the short.

CSIF: Any final thoughts/words regarding filmmaking/being a filmmaker in Calgary?

AG: I live in Lethbridge which is a great community to be a part of. As I move forward in my career, I have been looking for more ways to be involved in the Alberta film scene.

CSIF: What is a film that you wish you made and why?

AG: Star Wars. I’m not a Star Wars fan actually, but I picked it because I would be very rich right now if I had! All jokes aside, Blade Runner 2049 would be my pick. It’s a masterpiece that doesn’t care about conforming to the rules of Hollywood blockbusters. I guess another big reason I picked the film is because I don’t think I would have the guts to do what Denis Villeneuve did with it and I really really respect that.

Favourite movie(s): The Notebook. It was my favourite film before I got into this, and will always take that spot!

Favourite movie snack(s): A cold Pepsi. The sound of people chewing popcorn and candy in the theatre drives me nuts!

Website: https://gillproductions.ca/

Instagram: @gill_yql