Praveen Kumar, an upcoming filmmaker hailing from Visakhapatnam, with the award, which he had received at the California Film Festival.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGMENT
Praveen Kumar, an upcoming filmmaker, hailing from Visakhapatnam city, is getting noticed in the international short film circuit. His short film ‘Standoff’ bagged the International Avant-Garde Film Award, which will be presented to him, in New York, on December 14. His ‘Whispers in the Wind’ received critical acclaim.
Armed with a Bachelor’s degree in engineering from Gayatri Vidya Parishad (GVP) Engineering College in Visakhapatnam, Praveen went to the USA to pursue MS in computer engineering. His interest in filmmaking and exposure to it at an independent filmmaker coalition in Kansas city, where he participated in a 24-hour short filmmaking competition, ignited his desire to take filmmaking seriously.
His formal education, coupled with a natural flair for storytelling, laid the foundation for his cinematic pursuits. He joined the Esper Studio-New York, UCLA University, California, where he honed his skills in the art and technique of filmmaking.
“I am working on production of a feature film ‘Missing’ apart from shooting blog videos,” Mr. Praveen, who is presently on a visit to Visakhapatnam, told The Hindu.
In a short span of nine years, Praveen made 10 short films, mostly in English. He also made a web series ‘Journey’, which was released on YouTube, and drew good response. He received awards at the California film festival, Detroit Windsor International Film Festival and Reel to Reel International Film Festival in North Carolina.
His filmmaking style is marked by a fusion of traditional storytelling and modern aesthetics. His films often explore the complexities of human relationships and societal issues, offering a fresh perspective on familiar themes.
He also does stand-up comedy in New York and also does video blogging, another form of storytelling, which has become popular in recent times.
“I am inspired by popular Directors from Alfred Hitchcock to Shyam Benegal. Visakhapatnam can be a nice destination to shoot movies, web series etc., and I also have plans to shoot in the city,” he signs off.