Aneesh Chaganty
| Aneesh Chaganty | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1991 Redmond, Washington |
| Nationality | US |
| Education | Valley Christian High School |
| Alma mater | USC School of Cinematic Arts |
| Occupation | Film director, screenwriter, actor |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Notable work | Searching |
Aneesh Chaganty (born 1991) is an Indian-American film director, screenwriter, and actor. He made his feature film directorial debut with the 2018 thriller Searching, for which he won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.[1]
Early life
Aneesh Chaganty was born in Redmond, Washington,[2] and grew up in San Jose, California.[3] He attended Valley Christian High School from 2005 to 2009.[4] His parents, originally from Andhra Pradesh, India, moved to the U.S. in the 1980s.[3] His father, who obtained an MS degree in computer engineering from Drexel University, serves as a director and Chief Technology Officer at a software publishing, consultancy and supply company[5] founded by both his parents, AppEnsure Inc.[6] Chaganty graduated from USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2013 with a degree in film and television production.[7]
Career
In 2014, a two minute short film, made by Chaganty of a Google Glass spot called Seeds, became an internet sensation after garnering more than 1 million YouTube views in 24 hours.[8] Following its success, Chaganty was invited to join the Creative 5 team at Google Creative Lab in New York City, where he spent two years developing, writing and directing Google commercials.[2]
After working on over 25 short videos, Chaganty's first feature film Searching, originally pitched as a short film but was offered a production budget for a feature instead,[2] was released on August 24, 2018 before opening wide on August 31,[9] also premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January 21, 2018.[10]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Notes | ||
| 2011 | Alibi | Yes | Yes | Short film |
| 2012 | Monsters | Yes | Yes | Short film Also film editor |
| Microeconomics | Yes | No | Short film | |
| Adventure, Wisconsin | Yes | Yes | Short film Co-produced with Juan Sebastian Baron | |
| 2014 | Google Glass: Seeds | Yes | story | Short film |
| 2018 | Searching | Yes | Yes | |
| TBA | Run[11] | Yes | Yes | Pre-production |
Acting Credits
TV roles
| Year | Title | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Role | Note | ||
| 2018 | Made in Hollywood | Himself | Season 13
|
Film roles
| Year | Title | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Role | Note | ||
| 2010 | The Liaison | Himself | Short film |
| 2014 | Google Glass: Seeds | Traveller | Short film |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Locarno Film Festival | Variety Piazza Grande Award | Searching | Nominated |
| Sundance Film Festival | Best of Next! | Won | ||
| Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize (shared with Sev Ohanian) | Won | |||
| Sydney Film Festival | Best Narrative Feature | Nominated |
References
- ↑ Pedersen, Erik (January 23, 2018). "'Search' Wins Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Film Prize – Sundance". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- 1 2 3 "Career Lessons From A Creative Who Left A 'Dream' Job For His Dream Career". Forbes. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- 1 2 "Aneesh Chaganty's Mother's Day message is the new viral sensation". The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ↑ "Compelling Movie Thriller Directed & Co-Written by 2009 Alumnus Aneesh Chaganty". AMSE. April 9, 2018. Archived from the original on September 12, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ↑ "Sri Chaganty : Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg". Bloomberg. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ↑ Zack, Jessica (August 16, 2018). "'Google Five' filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty gets smart with thriller 'Searching'". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ↑ "SCA Alumni create viral video, "SEEDS"". USC School of Cinematic Arts. July 3, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ↑ "Google Glass short film 'Seeds' hits the spot for Mother's Day". Tech Times. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 16, 2018). "Screen Gems Adds John Cho-Debra Messing Thriller 'Searching' To August Schedule". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ↑ "2018 Sundance Film Festival: Feature Films Announced". Sundance Film Festival. The Sundance Institute. November 29, 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ↑ McNary, Dave (June 7, 2018). "Lionsgate to Develop Thriller 'Run' From 'Searching' Filmmakers (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved September 15, 2018.