Today we’d like to introduce you to Sahil Juneja
Hi Sahil, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am Sahil Juneja, an award-winning Writer/Director & Script supervisor, born in Gujarat, India, now situated in Los Angeles, CA. I have been creating compelling narratives for over a decade now. My recent short-film “Surprise”, is not only winning hearts in the festival circuit but also awards for some exceptional performances. My films are also said to resonate with assorted audiences.
In my diverse career, I have successfully undertaken various roles for feature films, web shows, short format films, and music videos. From writing compelling narratives to supervising each performance, I have consistently worked on high-concept projects. In addition to my directing skills, I have a strong background in editing and visual effects.
It was the year 2015 when I was in high school and I decided to become a filmmaker. I thought, I could be the one to bring my stories to life, it wasn’t soon enough when my friends read on of my short stories and made fun of me in front of the entire class. It might not sound harsh but for a young kid this was heartbreaking. This didn’t stop there later when I made my very first short film, it was again laughed at and I was crushed under the burden of being good enough. The only thing that kept me driving was the magic of the big screen, that magic that I’ve been watching since childhood. However at that point I did understand that I’d have to develop my skills if I want to survive in this world and still follow my dream. This thought and that day, later paved my path to come to the United States to take education from the prestigious New York Film Academy. Funny enough, we were talking about risks and this industry that I chose has its skeleton built on it, everyday I wake up, I am reminded of the risks involved in this profession. The burden to fail even before you’ve started is not an easy poison to drink, especially when you see everyone who chose a linear path making 10x more money then you. However, just like in films, against all the odds, I am ready to present myself again an upcoming short film called “CAÏSSA”.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest risk I took was to become a filmmaker, it’s a job that requires utmost patience, passion, hard work, presence of mind or any/every skill that any other profession requires. It is a job that takes everything from you, your blood, sweat and the little bit of money that you have. My journey has been full of ups and downs, but my passion isn’t dry yet.
I write produce and direct independently, before reaching to this post I worked under many professional. Where I learnt all the basics of the job, then in order to sharpen those skills I got a masters degree in filmmaking from The New York Film Academy. How did I reach out to the professionals? Just like anyone else, sitting on linkedin for days, sending x number of emails, x number of calls and messages, every single day. One cruel part about our job is that this never ends. We’ll have to keep doing this for the rest of our lives, because I can’t make a movie alone, I can write it, maybe produce it, but still can’t fulfill all the roles. It is a work that requires a team, a team full of passionate people who are just as crazy as you.
I don’t know if many people would agree but I consider my job as the hardest job ever because we not only creat a whole world from just a blank page but at the same time we’re responsible to educate, entertain and inform the audience about our world all in less then two hours.
What do you think still drives me? Since younger age I was crazy about movies, I used to watch 2 shows every weekend no matter what the movies were. Both my parents are very common people, my dad’s a small businessman and my mom is a housewife, but the one trait that they left me with was the passion for movies, as they use to tell me their own stories about how they also liked watching movies to the similar extent. No matter how small our world is and how tough the challenges are they still support me to fight for my passion and see these big dreams.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Writer/Director and I also Script supervise for narrative projects. In an essence, I believe all these roles help me become a better filmmaker. Be it features on the big screen, commercials, Music videos, Short-films, web shows, I have my contribution in all these forms of the content making world. Along with my directing skills, I have a strong background in writing, editing, and cinematography; A key to how I survive in this dynamic industry.
The fact that my recent short film “Surprise” was able to win awards for its brilliant performances is something that is still hard to digest for me. When I look back and think what’s so special about me, it is nothing but the fact that I always backed myself in whatsoever situation, it’s because I try and listen to my gut and then reason with it to come for the best possible solution.
Surrounding myself with stories and their scripts is something that I like, therefore when I’m not writing or directing, I like to supervise other’s script to make sure that what’s written is given as equal attention to as what’s on the screen.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Filmmaking is an activity that requires a team, a team full of passionate individuals who are just as passionate as you. I am a team player, and I expect others to be the same. On a movie set it always about showing your respect to the given position. I can’t make a movie alone, I can write it, maybe produce it, but still can’t fulfil all the roles, therefor I’m always on a hunt to work and collaborate with brilliant individuals.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sahil_juneja___?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sahil.juneja.927?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Twitter: @sahil_juneja_
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/7GvY8nJepp8?si=mPkOh72FGbdttWzK
Image Credits
Pranav Mehta & Steve Escarega
