“I always had a passion for art as a way of expressing myself and the society I live in.” For Elahe Esmaili, filmmaking has long been an outlet for her creativity. Born in Iran, she studied film at Tehran University of Art before moving to the UK and picking up her studies at National Film and Television School (NFTS). “Filmmaking drew my attention the most in my early 20s, and the more I delved into it the more I fell in love with it.” It was a love that started with narrative feature films but quickly evolved into a broader focus with Elahe moving freely between scripted and unscripted work. “I started as a fiction filmmaker,” she said. “I’m still very much interested in that and have been making fiction shorts and have feature projects in development. But documentaries naturally came my way and I embraced it and enjoyed it even more than fiction filmmaking. I have been lucky to have gained education and experience in both fiction and unscripted. Now, depending on the needs of the story I’ve got to tell at the time, I will decide whether to go for a doc or fiction, which is a given I think.”
It's in the non-fiction category that she finds herself leaning into now, debuting her documentary at festivals across the world after a successful bow at Sheffield Doc Fest.
It hasn’t always been a smooth journey for Elahe, however. She explained: “My laptop broke and I panicked so badly! But then I remembered ScreenSkills from NFTS and I knew there would be some sort of support for filmmakers. I did some research and applied for the bursary. When I got the email that I got it, I couldn’t believe it!”
ScreenSkills bursaries are cash grants that remove financial obstacles from entering or progressing within the screen industries. They can be used for training fees, accommodation, care, access costs, equipment, software, travel and are open to everyone.
Receiving the bursary proved to be a key part in in her journey to become a filmmaker. “I would say more than the money, it was the acknowledgement that made me so emotional. I had been trying to establish myself as a UK based filmmaker for the last few years, and it was the first time I felt I am accepted as a filmmaker here in this country. It might sound sentimental or silly, but I needed that feeling at that moment so deeply that I won’t forget it in my lifetime.”
Since receiving the bursary, things have moved pretty fast for Elahe. “Everything happened relatively quickly and I managed to get a laptop and keep working on my project, which made it to Visions du Reel in Apr and won an award there. It then got selected for Sheffield Doc/Fest, and won an Oscar qualifying award in Spain from Huesca FF. It is now set to premier in more prestigious festivals this summer and will be streamed online worldwide later this year.
“It’s the most fulfilling moment of filmmaking for me, to share your work with the audience and hear from them. I have managed to attend some fantastic screenings in Swiss and Sheffield in person so far and am grateful by how warmly the film was received; from the lovely local audiences in Sheffield, to the critics and professionals in Nyon.”
As she looks ahead to more festivals and possible future awards, Elahe acknowledges the impact that bursaries and financial support can have on filmmakers. She said: “It’s a crucial part of the process for us. As a young filmmaker, I could barely make money in the past few years, as I was focused on my education and career establishment. Imagine what would have happened if I couldn’t get this bursary, I probably couldn't get a laptop on time. I’m now preparing for the USA premier of my film and thinking of how to increase the chance of success in the awards such as Oscars and Bafta; my life and career would’ve been different if I hadn’t finished my film on time.”
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