We were lucky to catch up with Islam Gimazov recently and have shared our conversation below.
Islam, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
Optimism is an insanely important quality in the film industry because, frankly, we always need to leave a good impression as professionals. I don’t like giving up on ideas, even the craziest ones, whether finding a crazy angle for light to reflect or building flat walls on our own. I always welcome storms with a smile on my face and that I believe is my driving force.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Hello dear reader,
Potential employer, employee, colleague, filmmaker, or amateur photographer, whether you are associated with motion or still pictures, or not, hello!
My name is Islam Gimazov, I’m an aspiring filmmaker – director, cinematographer, and gaffer. I come from a very tiny region in Russia called Tatarstan. Interesting fact, the first lens that I bought was m.zuiko 50mm from money that I saved working in a Kavkazian(don’t confuse with Caucasian) restaurant as a waiter over the summer of 2021. Today I have the luxury of studying at the New York Film Academy and learning from industry professionals, connecting with peers, working with different camera systems, and just the freshest technology in the industry. I will shoot two short films this February, one short we just filmed over this weekend, about a comedian who confronts an interviewer on the course of his career.
I’m currently working on a short film that I’m going to direct called “Guilt Lies Still”, a neo-noir detective about a retired detective Javier Mendes, and a rookie, Mikey Amato. The two must work together to investigate a killing spree, and find out horrific truths about past of each other and how blurred the line of justice is.
I’m going to graduate this summer and I can’t wait to enter the industry, to work on different scale productions, indie and Hollywood standards, to learn from industry professionals, and to bring my best expertise to projects I will work on in the future.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualities that would help anyone are being able to listen and consider other opinions, being able to watch and learn, and last, but not least, being open to people and being grounded. You depend on others and their contribution to your career and art, so you must treat them respectfully.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
In high school, I was good at math and physics but struggled with informatics and programming. Before my USE(Russian analog of SAT), I had to take a MOCK exam for informatics as I chose it as one of my subjects. I failed and didn’t even get a bare minimum. The minimum to pass was 44, and I got 40/100. My principal and headteacher invited my mom to school for a conversation about my results – they tried to convince her, for me, to drop informatics as one of the exams. However, my mom is a great motivator and had an unbending faith in me. She never told me.
After a month of hard work and preparation before the exam, I got 80/100.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15485241/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/islgim?igsh=MXVmaGYxOTA3MXhkdA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
Katrine Gratt, BTS pictures for a short film “Joke”
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
