Arun Kumar
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Contact Information*:
London United Kingdom |
Contact Type: Artist |
| web: http://www.somafilms.com | |
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Bio:
Arun Kumar Directors Guild (GB):78990394 *+44(0)7971277923 * www.somafilms.com * somafilms@enterprise.net Award-winning film maker Arun Kumar was born and brought up in London. He studied Economics at the University of Essex graduating with honours in 1988. After 18 months of travelling in Asia and filming his experiences he returned to London and studied film and video at Goldsmiths College, University of London and at Thames Valley University in Ealing. He then began his career in film and television. He initially worked researching documentaries for a number of independent television companies including the award winning Laurel Productions, LWT, 20/20 TV and Juniper. He was a senior researcher on a variety of documentary and discussion programmes. He spent 6 months working as a news producer for BBC News and Current affairs on BBC1 Breakfast News. In 1993 Arun directed his first documentary The Bielski Brothers which was independently financed and sold for broadcast in Austria, France, Australia and Israel. He continued to pursue his interest in making issue based documentaries and his next film, the critically acclaimed and controversial Executions was Europe’s biggest selling video in 1995. This success led to him being commissioned by Channel 4 to direct Bengali Backlash in 1996. With this commission he set up his own production company SomaFilms. His next commission was The Search for Kurtz which he made for Channel 4 and the History Channel in 1998. This documentary told the story of the real life inspiration for Marlon Brando’s character in ‘Apocalypse Now’. Arun has directed commercial work for Motorola, Sony, Kvearner and St Johns Ambulance. In 1997 he won an Arts Council award to make a pilot for a comedy drama series Fly on the Wall which began his career in drama. In 1999 he began to write a feature film screenplay which developed over the subsequent 3 years into the screenplay Venus. His critically acclaimed short film Looters (2002) won the jury special award in Termoli,Italy, Memorable award in Thessaloniki, Greece and was short listed for a BBC talent award. Arun’s second short film Eating Out (2004) won the bronze medal at the 2004 Westfest in Texas and awards for directing and screenplay in the 0110 Film Festival in India. Arun completed his first feature film The Truck of Dreams (www.truckofdreams.com) for Sahara Motion Pictures in August 2005. This won the World Cinema Award in the 2006 Washington Independent Film festival. He is currently developing the feature films Venus, Lollipop, Far Out Far In and the feature drama The Man Who Sold the World. In addition to making films Arun has pursued his interest in his Indian heritage over the last 18 years. He has taught Yoga to individuals and run corporate classes. He is a recognised Reiki master and accepts a limited number of clients. He has taught English as a foreign language to adults and lectured in film and video at Blake College, London. Filmography/Awards Info: Arun Kumar - Credits June’04-Aug’05 - Truck of Dreams - Feature film. Nov’03-Apr’04-St Johns Ambulance - Series of Corporate Films. Nov - Dec‘03 -Broke, Bitter & Twisted - Music Video. Sep’03-Jan’04 -Eating Out - Short film. Bronze Medal, Abilene Film Festival, Texas, USA Script and Directing Award, 0110 Film Festival. Feb – July’03-Fairytale of New York - Music Video. Jan’03 - Now -Free Lunch - Feature film in development. Executive Producer - Mohinder Kaile Jan - May 02 -Looters - Short film. Segnalazione speciale della Giuria (Jury Award) - Night of the Living Shorts,Termoli, Italy Memorable Award, International Panorama of Independent Film makers, Thessaloniki, Greece Shortlisted BBC Talent Awards Shortlisted Raindance 2002 - UK Short film award. Shortlisted 49th Taormina Film Festival short award Broadcast: SVT(Sweden),Kuntskanaal(NL),Monitor(Jap) Worldwide distribution: Britshorts Dec‘98 - Now -Venus - Feature film in development. Executive Producer - Robert Watts. April‘00 -Sony/Kvearner - Corporate film - Pison. Feb’97-Jan’99-The Search for Kurtz -50’ Documentary - Channel 4. Aug’97-Dec’97-Fly on the Wall - 30’ Comedy drama series pilot. July’97 -Laughing Buddha - Music Video - EMI/Positiva. Oct’96-Apr’97-Left Hand of Tantra - 50’ Documentary - Somafilms. Feb’96-Oct’96-Bengali Backlash - 25’ Documentary - Channel 4. May’96 -Exodus - 30’ Documentary - Jewish Youth Agency. Apr’96 -Startac Launch - Corporate film - Motorola. Nov’94-Aug’95-Executions - 52’ Documentary - NTV Ltd. Aug’94-Oct’94-Tao of Sexual Massage - 50’ Video - Somafilms. Aug’93-Jan’94-The Bielski Brothers -50’ Documentary - Somafilms. Oct’93-Nov’93-Devils Advocate - Senior Researcher (LWT). Jun’93-Aug’93-Nation - Senior Researcher (Juniper for BBC2). Jan’93-May’93-BBC Breakfast News - News Producer (BBC1). Nov’92-Dec’92-Storyline - Researcher (20/20 TV for Carlton). Nov’91-Oct’92-Laurel productions - Researcher. 'The Truck of Dreams' - official website: http://www.truckofdreams.com 'Eating Out' - review: http://www.microcinemamagazine.com/eatingoutmoviereview.htm 'Looters' - BFI Database listing http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/999383/ This Contact appears in this database if Microcinema International has screened a film directed by the Contact, a film directed by the contact is featured in a DVD distributed by the Blackchair Collection Shop, or featured an organization or activity linked with the Contact. This database is used for commercial as well as informational, non-commercial purposes. It is a historical archive of Microcinema International's activities. Inclusion in this database and archive in no way implies a continuing formal relationship or affiliation with Microcinema International or the Blackchair Label nor an endorsement of its activities by the Contact. Contact details are not displayed in order to protect privacy. If you wish to contact this artist please see their website as listed above or write Microcinema International and we will be happy to forward your e-mail.
Microcinema Interview/Article:
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