This isn't as easy as it looks.
Making films isn't easy. Raising money for it is almost as hard. But a whole range of other things could happen to derail this film: a meteor could strike one of our pre-production meetings, we could all spontaneously combust, and there's always the danger of supernatural interference. But the chances are slim because NOTHING is going to stop us from making the best film we can with the funds we've raised. Take look at the ridiculously talented and experienced group of filmmakers we've put together for this project:
Team Kichkandi
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Writer/Director - Eelum Dixit
Eelum Dixit began his career in film and TV as an actor. Among others, he acted in the Nepali film Highway (Berlinale Competition, 2012) and the Israeli TV Series Kathmandu where he shared the screen with Gal Gadot of Wonder Woman (2017) fame. Eelum wrote and directed his first feature film, Red Monsoon (Mumbai Film Festival, 2013), soon after which he went on to pursue his MFA in TV and Film Production at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. He has received the Tania Trepanier Foundation Endowed Award on his way to completing his degree in May 2018. While attending film school, Eelum has continued to write and direct films, such as Beginnings (Blackstar Film Festival 2016) and Babu (currently in post-production).
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Writer - Maggy Torres-Rodriguez
Maggy Torres-Rodriguez ('16) is an alumnus of the Writing for Screen and Television program at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. Before coming to USC, Maggy's shorts premiered at the Miami International Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival. Since then, her screenplays have landed quarterfinalist positions at the Austin Film Festival and International PAGE Awards.
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Producer - Ryan Michael Connolly
Ryan Michael Connolly left behind a successful two-decade national security career to become a filmmaker. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the U.S. Naval Academy and later earned an MA in National Security Affairs (East Asian Security Studies) from the Naval Postgraduate School and an MA in Linguistics from Georgetown University. He is also an alumni fellow of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Seminar XXI. Ryan served fifteen years on active duty as a U.S. Marine Corps officer. The highlights of his career include working at the Pentagon on U.S.-Asia political-military affairs, service in China and Japan, and a combat tour in Iraq. Ryan was selected as the first in-resident screenwriter at the Yefe Nof Residency (yefenof.com). He is currently finishing graduate work in the Film and Television Production MFA Program, School of Cinematic Arts, The University of Southern California, where he focuses on producing, directing, and writing. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.
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Producer - Xin Li
Xin Li is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Xin was born and raised in China. After studying journalism at the University of Kansas, she went back to Beijing and became a journalist and writer for China’s most renowned biographic magazine Portrait. Xin discovered her passion for documentary filmmaking when she was in college, she has since interned for award-winning documentarians based in London, Beijing and Los Angeles. She left her journalism job in 2014 and decided to pursue a career in filmmaking. At the moment, Xin is an MFA candidate at USC School of Cinematic Arts.
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Director of Photography - Auden Bui
Auden Bui is a DGA student award winning director and cinematographer. Before graduating from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, she received her B.A. from the University of California Berkeley where she won the Eisner Award for Photo-Imaging. At USC, she studied directing while discovering her love for cinematography. In addition to a DGA award, she also received awards from The Caucus Foundation, Irving Lerner Endowment Fund, and the Charles and Lucille King Foundation for her M.F.A. thesis, The Lost City of Tomorrow. She recently sailed around Antarctica, completing a life goal of visiting all 7 continents.
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Production Designer - Denver Kotian
Denver Kotian was born and raised in Mumbai, India. He pursued a bachelor's degree in Commercial Arts and Advertising at one of the top three colleges in India, majoring in Illustration and Graphic Design. After he graduated, he spent the next two years freelancing for various advertising agencies and production houses as a designer. He’s always harbored a deep interest in film and television which is what led to him applying to USC to join into their Cinematic Arts program. Art is his primary passion, pursuing it and developing his skill whenever he can. An interesting book always grabs his attention, as does a wonderful meal. Throw in some 80’s music and he’ll have the perfect night.
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Jingjue Zhou - Sound Mixer
Born and raised in Guangzhou, China, Jingjue moved to Los Angeles to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film and Television Production from the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. She has worked on many films as a sound recordist, sound editor, and re-recording mixer. Her growing list of genres worked includes drama, documentary, sci-fi, comedy, thriller, horror, and commercials.
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Chris Ryan - Composer
Hailing from Long Island, New York, Chris Ryan is a Los Angeles-based composer and pianist with a passion for musical storytelling. Originally trained as a director at the University of Miami, he quickly found his niche in the film world by combining a knack for story with a love of classic Hollywood scoring. A collaborator of Academy Award winning composer Michael Giacchino, Chris and Michael’s album, LOST: Music from the Island for Solo Piano, peaked at number 5 on the New Age Billboard Charts. His work has been featured on Funny Or Die, at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, Soho Rep's Walkerspace and The Peoples Improv Theater, as well as in festivals internationally. Frequent collaborators include "intensely funny surrealist comedy" group Gentlemen Party (TimeOutNY) and Pipeline Theatre Company, recently named one of NYC's best non-Broadway theater companies by Gothamist. His work on Pipeline's production of 'The Gray Man' alongside co-composer Mike Brun received accolades from both The New York Times and Lighting and Sound America, and his sound team has been nominated for two Golden Reel Awards by the Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE).
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Enrico Targetti - VFX Supervisor
Enrico Targetti was born in Milan, Italy. He grew up in a warm, loving family environment. His mother is a Greek and Latin teacher and she introduced him to the study of the ancient literatures. After a diploma in classical studies Enrico felt the need to do something different and enrolled in a BSc in Computer Science. Enrico’s great grandfather was a pioneer photographer in the early 20th century and by studying his pictures of a century old Milan, Enrico fell in love with photography. With computer graphics technology becoming more powerful and accessible, he discovered an invaluable tool to study light and composition. He spent days experimenting with virtual lighting setups on a computer and venturing in the real world to test them out. While still in school he started a company which brought together engineers, filmmakers, musicians and designers, researching new ways to use technology as a visual communication tool. There, Enrico worked as a cinematographer, VFX artist and director in a variety of projects: from music videos to projections for opera shows; from short films and commercials to video games and interactive websites. Enrico now lives in Los Angeles, where is pursuing his MFA in Film and TV Production at USC. He spent his life blurring the line between art and technology and he found in the School Of Cinematic Arts the perfect environment.
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Co-Producer - Seth Koury
Seth Koury grew up splitting his time between his parents in a Navajo Reservation border town in Northern Arizona and the heart of Los Angeles, California. He also spent a significant time with his great aunts who instilled in him a stronger sense of Lebanese culture. As a former athlete, Seth won the state championship in wrestling and the state championship in boxing. He later competed in the US Olympic Trials for boxing where he advanced to the quarterfinals before losing a controversial decision. Back in Los Angeles, Seth had stints as an actor and as an art director, while also working as a bouncer and bartender in the LA club scene. He finished his Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Cal State and began his film career making independent documentary features. Seth traveled throughout the United States and lived in foreign countries, filming subjects ranging from athletics to international music and culture. His films have won prestigious awards at festivals for directing and cinematography. After working toward a PhD in Mass Communication and teaching journalism at Arizona State University, he returned to Los Angeles to complete his MFA in Film and Television Production at USC, focusing primarily on writing and directing fiction films.
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Co-Producer - Jesse Steele
After studying film and theater in beautiful Santa Barbara and working with the film department at USC, Jesse had the opportunity to really spread his wings in the greater Los Angeles area. He was a triple threat as Producer, Director, and Host of three television shows (Get Real with Jesse Steele, The Show, and Shortwaves) across California, and after a few years as the Director of Photography and Editor for a local TV station, he pursued another of his creative outlets as an actor. A few short films later, Jesse landed the lead in his first full-length feature film (The Sandman), which carried on to several film festivals, giving him quite the indy film fan base. Without losing sight of his biggest goal, Jesse created the production company Stainless Films, as well, as producing for San Diego's Planet 3 TV. He also was a founding member and visionary for The Eastern Sierra Community Film Project, which utilizes the amazing and artistic talent of his homeland, The Owens Valley, CA. Utilizing this awe-inspiring natural backlot to make his dreams a reality, Jesse has become a local celebrity and proven that with talent and the right location and timing, high-quality productions don't require huge paychecks. Recently, Jesse wrapped production on his first western, Ace in the Hole, a redemption story about whether a dirty soul can ever be cleaned. This fall Jesse will be seen as the leading man in a Swedish film, At Night. When that wraps Jesse will be directing his first feature film, The Four Exes of the Apocalypse, a horror comedy about a man who is stuck in a cabin to ride out the apocalypse...with his 4 ex-girlfriends.
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First Assistant Director - Eddie Mattola
Born and raised in North Philadelphia, Eddie first took a shot at script writing when he was 13 years old, and has loved it ever since. The following year, Eddie submitted a full-length script to the Philadelphia Young Playwrights festival, where he won 3rd place in the city-wide competition. After graduating high school (where he cofound a writers’ club known as the Teen Writers’ Guild), Eddie attended LaSalle University, studying Communication, Journalism, and Film, where he had the opportunity to direct several short films, which served to confirm Eddie’s passion for writing and directing. Eddie is thrilled to have the opportunity to work surrounded by his talented colleagues at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts! During his time at USC, he has written and directed a number of dramatic and comedic shorts, as well as a documentary. Eddie is currently working on his thesis film, as well as several other projects that are currently in development. Eddie is excited to start working alongside his talented friends and colleagues on Kichkandi!
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Associate Producer - Manuel Ruiz
Manuel began his film career by interning for Chris Langley of the Inyo County Film Commission in 2011, getting his first job as a production assistant on the independent short American Falls. Manuel continued to work on various productions shooting in Inyo and Mono Counties, including Django Unchained, The Lone Ranger, Man of Steel, and numerous commercials. As an Owens Valley local, Manuel has built a solid reputation as a location manager. However, Manuel's main expertise and filmmaking goal is that of a screenwriter. He wrote his first script at the age of 16, and has continued to hone his craft. Most recently, Manuel took 2nd place in the L.A. Screenplay Competition. Manuel divides his time between freelancing and work with Stainless Films as a writer/producer/assistant director. Recent projects include Starvation Proclamation, Diaries of Eden, and Ace in the Hole.
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Associate Producer - Chris Connolly
Chris was born and raised in Bishop,CA and attended high school in San Bernardino, CA, where he was active in school dramatic productions. Later, near the end of his 4-year service in the Marine Corps, he made his first connection to the film industry by landing a very minor role (jeep driver) in John Frankenheimer’s final film, Path to War. After his military service concluded, Chris pursued a career in law enforcement. He has had the pleasure of working security on movies such as Iron Man, Man of Steel, Django Unchained, Scenic Route, and numerous television commercials. More recently, he has begun to work as a law enforcement consultant, actor, and producer. In his spare time, Chris coaches high school sports. He is also the drummer for the renown Owens Valley band, 2nd Hand Smoke, but he hasn’t yet given up his day job for a tour bus.