Thompson Communications
PRESS RELEASE
Aakshay Parab
Press Contact
Steve Thompson
Thompson Communications
856-942-4434
For Immediate Release
Award Winning Director of Photography
& Digital Colorist Aakshay Parab: Creating Waves with His Stylistic
Approach Towards Minority-Centric Films in the US
(Los Angeles, CA – March, 2017) Raised in his home country India, Aakshay Parab is a Director of Photography and Digital Colorist, currently based in LA. He is a member of the prestigious Film Independent Society, Independent Filmmaker Project and Colorist Society International.
His journey as a cineaste began in 2013. He produced and directed Projekt Tyler. This edgy and gritty documentary earned the 2014 nomination at the Mumbai International Film Festival for Best International Documentary Under Forty Minutes and National Academy of Cinema & Television, Bangalore for Best International Documentary.
In 2015, Aakshay’s producing thesis Ram’ji’bhai was nominated for Short Of The Month - January in Mumbai, the Official Selection in 2015 Navi Mumbai International Film Festival and also won the Best Student Film in Festival Of Cinematics.
The success of his early projects gave him the initial experience and confidence in his filmmaking abilities necessary for him to enter, survive, and thrive in the competitive world of independent films.
Then in 2016, his documentary Projekt Tyler went on to win the Fame-US Bronze Award at the Fame-US International Film Festival in Hollywood, California.
Establishing himself as a filmmaker specializing as a Director of Photography and Digital Colorist, Aakshay notes, “the role of a Director of Photography and Digital Colorist in completion of the film is exactly that of a painter who paints a canvas." He keeps a keen eye and open mind to bring to life the visions of his Director as well as the Writer.
His choice of projects has mostly been women-centric because he believes there is much work required for the de-objectification of women.
The Moment is a woman-centric short for which he was the Director of Photography (DP) and Digital Colorist. This is the heart wrenching story of a woman who kills her husband in a fit of rage. Being the Director of Photography helped Aakshay work at an organic level by keeping the soul of the story intact. He chose to give a strong Hitchcockian dash to his own stylistic high contrast and low key light design to maintain the overall tension in his film.
The Moment went on to win the Award of Recognition for Film Short at The Accolade Global Film Competition in 2016.
Another of his women-centric films is The Derelict. He was its Writer-Director and Director of Photography. It screened at the New York Short Film Festival in November 2016 and was also an Official Selection of the Autumn 2016 Creation International Film Festival.
The film, inspired by true events, is the story of Marie who tries to unite with her only son after life in prison. She is hopeful of resurrecting this precious relationship.
Amongst his films to look forward to in 2017, is the urban fiction Grab N’ Go for which he was Director of Photography and Digital Colorist. The story is based on a gambling addict who receives an eviction notice. It brings him at cross roads between finding a job immediately and making a quick buck to save his crumbling relationship.
Non-staurant of Water Street is a documentary Written and Co-directed by Aakshay slated to hit the festival circuits in 2017. It gives a glimpse into the lives of those who are trapped in the vicious circle of hand to mouth existence.
Teenage motherhood can be an unforgiving past for many women. Lotus is an upcoming film based on this theme. His experience of working on films centered around gender issues led up to him being hired as the camera operator for this short.
Coming Out is a film based on homophobia and LGBT issues in the Indian diaspora. He was the Camera Operator for it.
One Chance is another of his works in line for 2017. It is based on boxing and inspired by Mohammed Ali. He was the Digital Colorist for this challenging project.
Further on for 2017, he is the Director of Photography for the web series Gyro which is based on the subject of ‘induced homophobia’. Widow’s Peak and The Derelict feature are amongst others.
Aakshay also intends to further the cause of minorities in various walks of life and the world of LGBT community through his work.
His passion for cinema grew out of an early love of theatre and storytelling. His film education began with his acceptance into the Film Producing Program of Whistling Woods International, in Mumbai (2012-14). He further went on to specialize in Cinematography, which he pursued at the New York Film Academy in New York City where he earned a Diploma in Cinematography.
Aakshay notes: “As a Director of Photography and Digital Colorist, I prefer contributing to films concerning ‘the insignificant,' whose woes get systematically muffled on a daily basis within our social structure. We need to bring that to the very conscience of our loud society."
Aakshay Parab is inspired by film industry icons such as Satyajit Ray, Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu, Alfred Hitchcock, Wes Anderson, and Steven Spielberg, whom he considers some of the grandmasters in the world of cinema and a source of inspiration.
We can be sure that we will be hearing more about Aakshay Parab in the future!
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Press Release written by Aakshay Parab
Aakshay Parab is available for interview by appointment,
pending availability.
Contact: Steve Thompson / Thompson Communications
856-942-4434
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