Meet Sadeq Es-Haqi

We were lucky to catch up with Sadeq Es-Haqi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sadeq, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

Living as an artist is a full-time experience. At some point, you begin to truly feel it. When you’re younger, you spend time developing skills that might serve you later. But as time passes, you realize that creativity doesn’t just happen when you’re working. It becomes part of how you live, how you look at the world, and how you absorb it.

For me, everything around me holds potential. It could be used in my art as it is, or it might take a different, more abstract form. What keeps my creativity alive is the idea that I have to bring my own sense of taste into everything I make. Once you understand that your voice and your perspective are necessary, you stop trying to fit into something else. You start to trust how you see and feel things.

A song might trigger a memory, a pattern on a wall might suggest a story, or a political atmosphere might find a place in a visual idea. But this doesn’t mean I treat everything around me as inspiration. What matters is developing your own way of filtering and understanding the world. You don’t have to experience everything. You just have to remain honest with how you process what you do encounter.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m an independent filmmaker based in Toronto, currently pursuing my MFA in Film at York University. My work primarily explores themes of identity, queerness, and youth, often through a poetic and experimental lens. Over the past few years, I’ve written and directed three short films, while also collaborating on several others in roles such as co-producer, film editor, and art director.

Some of the most notable projects I’ve been involved in include Jouissance (2022), which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival, and The Steak (2023), directed by Kiarash Dadgar, which has received over 100 awards globally. In 2023, I was honored to join the Busan Asian Film Academy as a directing fellow, where I co-directed a short film titled Pink Tree as part of the program.

Currently, I’m working on my thesis film, which will complete a trilogy of short films centered on queer youth stories set in Tehran. Alongside that, I’m developing my debut feature film, expanding on the themes of the short and diving deeper into the language of cine-poetry and magical realism.

I’m also the co-founder of Lucid Horizon Films, a Toronto- and Tehran-based production and distribution company. Over the next year, we plan to actively promote our catalogue of short films, with a focus on international visibility for underrepresented voices in cinema.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

One of the most important skills I’ve learned as an independent filmmaker is the ability to market your own work. In the indie film world, it’s not enough to simply make a good film—you need to know how to position it, talk about it, and build an audience for it. Marketing and networking are essential. These are skills that can be learned, and I would encourage emerging filmmakers to treat them as an integral part of their creative practice.

The second key factor is having a strategy. Some might disagree, but I believe that in today’s industry, it’s very difficult to find your place without a plan. Even with a strategy, success is never guaranteed—but having direction helps you stay focused and make more informed decisions. I don’t necessarily mean a rigid five-year plan, but something that grounds your choices and keeps your goals aligned.

The third quality is consistency. It’s something I’ve worked hard to build over time. I don’t consider myself a naturally gifted filmmaker, but I try to be precise and analytical in my process. I break down every project to understand the possible paths it could take, and I commit to improving a little bit with each step. That commitment to showing up again and again, even when things aren’t perfect, is what allows the bigger picture to take shape.

For anyone at the beginning of their journey, I would say: learn how to present your work, stay strategic in your thinking, and be patient with the long game. Talent is important, but discipline and clarity can take you further than you might expect.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed, the first thing I do is remind myself that I’ve been in similar situations before—and I managed to get through them. That reminder helps ground me. Then I try to step back from the chaos and look at the bigger picture. Often, when things feel unclear or stressful, it’s because I’m too deep inside the moment. Taking a step back helps me return to the present with a clearer perspective.

Most problems have some kind of solution. And even when they don’t, doing your best is a way of reassuring yourself that you did what you could. Life is filled with moments like these—some heavier, some lighter. The important thing is not to lose yourself in the dust. There’s always time to return, to recenter.

And honestly, sometimes it’s okay to remain overwhelmed for a while. The feeling doesn’t need to be fixed immediately. But it’s helpful to remember that it won’t last forever. Give yourself that reassurance. Let it pass, and then come back when you’re ready.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: sadeq.eshaqi

Image Credits

Yeoseung Jin