Andrew and Laura, fellow actors from middle school, but now in varying paths of life, find themselves located in a classroom. While the former is an aspiring actor, the latter is a drama teacher at the same middle school, and the reason for the overlap of their paths this particular morning is Andrew being a special guest in Laura's theatre class. 

Simultaneously, another development has begun taking form in Andrew’s life, one which would eventually send this student-expert interaction in a direction no one has expected, least of all the viewer. The film portrays all of this with ease, the effortless chemistry of its actors, endearing relationships, and a circumstance impossible to look away from despite the swiftly unfolding chaos. 

The humor remains inherent to the narrative, which touches upon several ideas around being an artist, pursuing your dreams, and finding happiness in unexpected ways, whether or not others are able to comprehend this happiness at first glance. The approach and tone to engage with all of it remain lighthearted and playful throughout, ensuring that the story succeeds in communicating these intentions without weighing itself down.

Dropped | Spotlight

The coronavirus pandemic has ushered in a plethora of intense stories marked by a bleakness of tone that has come to pervade much of our lived reality as well in the days that followed outbreak of the virus. Consequently, when a funny, lighthearted narrative about an actor during quarantine appears, it is indeed a refreshing experience. An actor gets a call for an audition one day, but it is clearly for a role that has put him at unease. Reluctantly so, he begins his preparation anyway, working towards recording the audition video at home. The story develops notably supported by visuals displaying potential, weaving an interesting narrative which is moving towards a single moment that would allow the film to deliver its final punch. When it arrives, it is marked by humour and a much-needed buoyancy in a world that has come to be defined more by its lows than highs in the year 2020.

The Selftape | Short Film Nominee

Primarily a solo project, the story is a short one - about two Asian actors feuding over a common agent. Despite the humorous approach and tone of the video, the issues it wants to touch upon are far from that - those of representation of marginalised identities in predominantly white spaces. In this particular case it is communicated through the story of the two characters, both wishing for the other to be dropped from their common agent's list because there is space for only one Asian actor on the representation roster. All of it is endeavoured to be achieved by way of a video call and the consequent footage, a technique employed by several during the coronavirus lockdown and quarantine. The Only Asian is a glimpse into a conversation which wants to engage with these concerns and issues in a lighthearted manner, concluding as swiftly as it had begun.

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