When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. When I grew up, I became a filmmaker instead.
I’m a writer, director and a recent MFA Film and Television Production graduate of USC School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles, California. I create stories and films that transgress cultures, borders and explore what it means to be human beings. I just came out of interning at Pixar Animation Studios where I worked in the editorial department of one of their upcoming films (It's so good, you have to watch it). I also assisted on Toy Story 4 and Incredibles 2, among others. I did my undergraduate from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa.
I’m from Nepal and spent a lot of my childhood in comic book aisles, video game parlors and my dad’s hardware shop. I would often follow ants and birds with my Handycam imagining myself as a wildlife videographer. When I was 12, once I was filming my cousin brother with my camera on a tripod when the camera battery died abruptly. When I replaced it, my brother had left, but I kept on filming the empty frame. When I played back the video clips, my brother suddenly disappeared – BOOM. That became a magical moment for me to make films.
I have been surrounded by storytelling all my life – from typing news in Nepali for a local newspaper in my hometown as a kid to serving as the executive editor for my college newspaper. I have worked as a newspaper photo intern traversing the nooks and crannies of Iowa, as a kids photographer at Shooting Star Productions in San Francisco, research intern at New York Times, film development intern at MJZ, and video intern at BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, among others. But it is the other experiences - being around little kids in my large family, working unique jobs - a crab steamer at a seafood restaurant, a swimming pool cleaner, selling fireworks on a July 4th, being a resident advisor in college, and experiencing America as an immigrant are what make me.
I'm inspired by childlike wonder, feelings, magic and poetry. I'm influenced by the works of Billy Wilder, Charlie Chaplin, Steven Spielberg, Spike Jonze, Steve McQueen, Mike Nichols and Pixar films.
I also dabble in poetry, comedy, photography and empowering the voiceless.
RECOGNITION
A) HONORS
Fellow - Armed With a Camera Fellowship 2017/2018. (Visual Communications is supported by LA County Arts Commission and Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences)
The Blind Ride - second round at Sundance Screenwriting Labs 2017
Finalist - Project Greenlight Filmmaking Competition 2016
Filmmakers to Watch - Cinephilia & Beyond, 2015
The Order of Areté, USC - 2016
Frank Sinatra Film Fellow, USC – 2015/2016
Mary Pickford Film Fellow, USC – 2015/2016
Institute of International Education Grant - Fall 2015
Jack Oakey Award for Comedy, USC – 2014/2015
Jean & Ruth Negulesco Award, USC – 2014
Samuel & Lorenza Gary Memorial Award, USC – 2013/2014
Dana & Albert Broccoli Foundation Award, USC – 2013/2014
B) FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS
Psycho PSA – Featured on Best Ads on TV, Ads of the World, Shots Magazine, Coloribus and Culture Pub.
The Cartoonist – Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2018
My Claire – Drama International Short Film Festival 2016; Short Film Corner at Cannes Film Festival 2016; Masters Award in Student Film, Julien Dubuque International Film Festival 2016; Berkeley Video & Film Festival 2016; Toronto Nepali Film Festival 2017, Nepal-America International Film Festival 2017
Being Kicked – Tripoli Film Festival 2016; Durban International Film Festival 2016; Long Take Florence Film Festival 2016
The Dishwasher – Toronto Nepali Film Festival 2016; Trojan Film Festival 2016; MoFilm LA Movie Jam 2016
Aafreen – Best Collegiate Short Film, Iowa Motion Picture Association 2013
C) RECENT NEWS
-- July 2018 - Featured on Shots Magazine.
-- July 2018 - Featured on VoyageLA.
-- June 2018 - Featured on MeriNews.
-- June 2018 - Featured on Medium.
-- April 2018 - Featured on UCI Fandoms, the University of California - Irvine newspaper.
-- April 2018 - Gave talk on Creativity at University of California - Los Angeles & University of California - Irvine.
-- March 2018 - Directed Are You A Psycho? commercial. The PSA commercial is supported by a grant from USC Green Engagement Fund.
-- February 2018 - Directed The Cartoonist at Armed With a Camera Fellowship for emerging Asian American Media Artists. Premieres in May at Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
-- November 2017 - Finished directing 100 Days of Smoke Free, a drama short film. The film stars Mahedi Rakib (Graceland), Pia Shah (Grey's Anatomy).
-- November 2016 - Directed a music video concept for Project Greenlight's music video competition for Plain White T's.
-- May 2016 - Wrote and directed LA Rain, a drama short film. Currently in post-production. The film stars Briana Evigan (Step Up 2) and Vibish Shivakumar (Life of Pi).
-- June 2016 - Directed Sharp, a trailer for a feature film.
-- January 2016 - Featured on Frontline Views.
-- December 2015 - Featured on The Crazy Mind.
-- December 2015 – Finished directing My Claire, a USC 546 production.
-- September 2015 - Featured on Cinephilia & Beyond.
