"I have already wrote another story
to try to start a new project at the
end of the year. I love the Calgary
film industry. I always work hard
and as my father said to me there is
no substitute for the hard work and
don’t give up. I love everything in
film from start to finish."
Athar Canadian Filmmaker of ‘One Last Chance’
I'm Here With Magazine interviewed Athar Alvi a new film
maker in Calgary that has quite the story. We met him through
Morgan LeBlanc who is one of our last cover stars from
Edmonton, who stars in ‘One Last Chance’, Athar’s first feature.
Watch the trailer! Throughout the film you will see its pretty
deep within the grittiness of relationship. And about betrayal
and lust and love. So beautifully shot, when we saw the trailer,
we wanted to reach out and see how you did this? What was the
story behind how you made it? So when we met with Athar
recently, we heard all the gritty details and I'll tell you guys he
went through quite some big hurdles.
Athar is a dreamer a new film creator and now he wants to
share his inspiration.
Athar: Well guys, I reside in Calgary. I can say it’s been a
change in career for me from working for the oil industry for
almost 20 years as a mechanical engineer. Suddenly there were
no oil jobs for many when the price of oil came down and was
laid off. I thought what I am going to do with my life now. I felt
so depressed, so one day I decided okay, let's do something
new and that I’m passionate about. I know I have to die one day
or the other so doing something which I was curious about
since my childhood, was filmmaking.
I said; okay let's make a feature film because that's my dream to
do something big. That inspired me some reflection to start and
write a story. Which are from my imagination how someone
experiences love and betrayal.
I went to Victoria soon after. I met one guy there had asked him
if he could help me make a trailer of the script I had written, so
that I can like push it to the different companies and promote it
a pilot. So he said yeah for 25k which is like a big sum of money.
There is no harm in trying because at least if you try at
something you won't feel any regret. So anyways, so first thing
what I did, I went to the Banff TELUS storytelling festival. I met
so many people there's a roundtable conferences there. I
remember there's some AMPIA Higher Management Delegate
was there and he asked me okay, what you do? I said I want to
do something in this the film industry. I wrote a story and want
to make a movie. So he gave me some tips. I had created my
new production company called The Elemelons Entertainment
and Media House Ltd. Everyone was shocked it was my first
experience and I was there.
I researched how to make a movie off Google. So I kept
working on it and I did auditions for ‘One Last Chance’. I
remember that well and then we found some good faces, new
faces and some experiences talent like Morgan Leblanc.
I already found a good Cast and Crew, I'm so thankful for them.
Especially my cinematographer LK. So the first main leads a guy
and girl said to me that I'm sorry, I've noticed there are some
intimate scenes in the movie and they opted out. I called my
cinematographer. He said I know some other actors. They are
good. I again held auditions. What I had to do was picked the
scenes of the movie which were the most intense scenes and
shoot them first to make a decent trailer.
So I called Bailey who was all the way in Kelowna, who was
originally cast in one scene and I boldly asked her if she was
okay with becoming the lead female. She was so happy. I'm so
thankful for her and her Mother. They flew from Kelowna and
came to Calgary for her scenes. Then we kept moving on and
then we finished filming. I was misguided with thinking post
production would be easy.
A friend of mine told me to come to Dubai for editing help as he
he had good connections in the Indian Film Industry, which was
a great help. I came back to Calgary and I met a great contact in
Victoria, Darryl who helped me as well with the re-edit.
Remembering that I don't know anything about the industry
then Darryl told me to go to AFM (American Film Market) in
Los Angeles, California. So I think I remember I sold my iPhones
and use all my reward points so that I had money to go. I bought
a ticket I went to AFM! When I arrived I was already two days
late, but I reached out to about four, five hundred delegates.
I didn't know who is who. I just sent to everyone, my press kit.
The next morning I found there were around 25 companies
saying to meet and pitch to them. I went and met all of them,
there was one lady there she asked me hey Athar your film
looks good and it looks like you're very passionate about your
work. What's your expectation in terms of how much money
you want to make from this? I said listen, the thing is that for
me this is my first passion project.
Find more of his sroty on imherewithmag.com
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