Filmmakers Making A Social Impact: Why & How Aashish Chanana of Media Factory International Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
I believe I’m doing just that with my most recent film Afreen, and my upcoming film, Emily, by raising awareness of human trafficking and terrorism. These are the two meaningful social impact issues I’m hoping to raise awareness around and motivate others to look more deeply into.
As a part of our series about “Filmmakers Making A Social Impact” I had the pleasure of interviewing Aashish Chanana.
Aashish Chanana is a filmmaker, director, producer, and the CEO and Founder of Media Factory International, a full-service, end-to-end production studio. Passionate about making films that raise awareness and make a difference, Chanana’s latest social justice film, Afreen, has garnered over 60 awards and nominations. You can learn more about Chanana and his films by visiting http://aashishchanana.com/
Thank you so much for doing this interview with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit. Can you share your “backstory” that brought you to this career?
It wasn’t planned and like a lot of others, I never thought I’d get so far. How could a high school kid ever imagine that his career could simply be “telling stories”, hoping to touch peoples’ hearts and bring awareness to important issues?
Friends and family initially thought I may have just pursued film and television as a hobby, considering I was fortunate to have been awarded a Gold Medal from the president of India for inventing and designing India’s first electric car while in high school; choosing movies as my career rather than automobile engineering certainly wasn’t expected (or appreciated at first!)
I was in Bollywood (Mumbai) for a holiday with my dad when I was offered my first break into movies at a networking event. The offer was to play the lead by one of the biggest production studios at the time. And that’s where my journey began, and I haven’t looked back since.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your filmmaking career?
I’m a die-hard optimist. I wake up every day with the intention of making the day the best it can possibly be. Despite this, there have certainly been some crazy and difficult experiences throughout my filmmaking career, including shooting for 48 hours without a break, coordinating insane motorbike stunts, and shooting in -80F in Switzerland. The stories never stop!
But looking back, what comes to mind is when I decided to break out into film and direct my first movie, Tasveer. In light of my mother being a professor and my father a professor and economist, and my personal background in engineering, many thought I was not suited for the film and television industry. Tasveer allowed me to prove them wrong, lean into my creative side and propelled me to where I am today.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have met many inspirational people, including the President and Prime Minister of India, and the owners of Sony and Toyota.
I have to say the most interesting opportunity I was fortunate enough to experience was working with the ‘Stevan Spielberg’ of Russia — Nikita Mikhalkov. My studio had recently done some visual effects for a film of is, and he was kind enough to have invited me to Moscow for a fashion show arranged by his wife. What’s funny is I had no clue just how big he was until I made it to Russia. What an honor!
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Oh, so many! I just finished filming an exciting feature called Obsessions, a thriller. We managed to safely shoot the film during the COVID-19 pandemic and did not need to shelf the project which is something I’m extremely proud of. I’m now working on post-production, and am hoping to have the film wrapped in July.
I’m extremely excited to be starting another passion project and probably the most important film of my career, Emily, a thought-provoking film on human trafficking. For me, Emily is an opportunity to raise awareness about a dark industry plaguing the world, including North America. No one is immune to human trafficking and I firmly believe we as a society need to speak out against this growing tragedy. It’s estimated that up to 1.2 million children are trafficked every year. Enough is enough. It’s time we speak up and take action.
Which people in history inspire you the most? Why?
For me, it’s less about people and more about experiences. Every experience and opportunity is about learning.
With that being said, my father has impacted me in so many ways and is a huge inspiration to me. He worked his way up from a very modest life to being one of the most important and influential Ministers in the Indian government and was instrumental in kick-starting the economic revolution in India. I’ve always been in awe of his immense knowledge, his drive, and his eagerness to help those in need.
As a filmmaker focused on raising awareness of important social justice issues, I’m confident my father would be proud of the work I’m doing and the films I’m creating.
But if I had to choose someone I admire in the film industry, I would have to say, Sylvester Stallone. His life, his journey, and his failure and successes are all things I admire him for and always will.
Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview, how are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting social impact causes you are working on right now?
Should the challenges and perils of social conflicts such as terrorism or human trafficking be left solely in the hands of politicians or world leaders? Who’s to say that we, as filmmakers, can’t make a difference as well? I believe anyone who has a platform should try to make an impact and a difference, and bring goodness to the world. Film has the power to promote change and inspire the masses. Why not use this medium to bring positive change?
I believe I’m doing just that with my most recent film Afreen, and my upcoming film, Emily, by raising awareness of human trafficking and terrorism. These are the two meaningful social impact issues I’m hoping to raise awareness around and motivate others to look more deeply into. The first step in making change is being aware of the issues plaguing our society. I hope my films can put these issues on the map, and get people talking.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and take action for this cause? What was that final trigger?
Ahead of working on Afreen, I was consumed by the news and was growing so sick and tired of seeing the devastation caused by war crimes, cult indoctrination, and religious and spiritual conflict. It felt like there was no hope in sight. Our reality was grim. I knew I needed to do something, and I knew I needed to use my platform for good. This was my “aha” moment. This is what led me to create impactful, thought-provoking social justice films. Because they’re needed.
The trailer for my film Afreen really says it all and captures this perfectly. Interwoven through the foreground and background of these adventures is a timely, realistic, true-life narrative of violent Islamic terror in the Western world, tying the film’s characters to familiar, world-changing events, and threatening to culminate in a major attack that only Afreen had the power to stop.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
Afreen, the character portrayed in my film, is an anti-heroine who symbolizes thousands of vulnerable ISIS recruits who when faced with existential dread, fall prey to cult indoctrination. While writing the film, I connected with all kinds of people who contributed to my script and my learning. From ex-radicalized Muslims to folks who were susceptible and defenseless when taken under the wings of ISIS in Syria, I was fortunate enough to converse with many individuals who helped make my film as accurate as possible.
A story that really impacted the making of Afreen was the story of two twin girls from the UK who were taken into Syria by a human trafficker who groomed them through gifts and positive accolades. These girls were later thrown into a harem and sold into human trafficking. I couldn’t shake this story. I still can’t. This impacted my film in more ways than one.
I was fortunate enough to also connect with a French war journalist who was abducted in Syria. His story is harrowing. He was almost beaten to death when he tried to escape and suffered insurmountable injuries and ailments during his time held against his will. After six months of being held captive, he was released. Since I was in touch with him and had shared my final script with him, he told me he felt inspired and was going back to make a difference.
Are there three things that individuals, society, or the government can do to support you in this effort?
My mission right now is Emily and raising awareness of human trafficking. As a society, we have a choice: To either liberate future generations from human trafficking or remain oblivious to its realities.
For the average person looking to make a difference, I would say start by doing your research and educating yourself on human trafficking and what you can do as an individual to make a difference. Maybe this means having conversations with friends and family or donating to a cause. Whatever you choose, it all starts with education.
To eradicate human trafficking, we need to protect the most vulnerable. This starts with the government, and I firmly believe we need harsher punishments for human traffickers, and a larger focus on protecting at-risk youth, whether by way of more programs or resources to keep them off the streets and out of harm’s way.
There are so many things we can do to fight this horrible, horrible injustice taking over the world. But, it starts with education and awareness.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
Looking back, I am sure there would be way more than five things that I needed to know growing up in the entertainment world. But here are a few that come to my mind.
- Stay focused, and never give up. For me, it’s always been about when my film gets made, not if.
- Things take time, and the best work takes a lot of time. Be patient.
- Learn from your mistakes, and always work to better yourself. There is no such thing as failure, only opportunity.
- Respect talent in all its forms. Just because someone has a different opinion, view, or talent than you, doesn’t make it any less important.
- Success can knock you in many ways. Stay humble, and stay hungry.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
As a child my mother always said, “do good to others, and God will do good to you.”. I never really understood the quote then, but it’s something I strongly believe in now.
The best way to start is to do one good deed a day. Trust me, you’ll feel and benefit from the positive energy coming your way and will remain committed to your cause.
We are very blessed that many other Social Impact Heroes read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would like to collaborate with, and why? He or she might see this. 🙂
There are many people I would love to work with and collaborate with!
The two people, rather two families, I would LOVE to meet someday would have to be the Obama family for their impeccable finesse and poise, and energy that President Obama emits. His diplomacy, his confidence, his chivalry — there’s so much I would like to learn from him. And of course, most importantly, my mother is a big fan of him!
Sylvester Stallone would be another idol I’d be so grateful to meet. There’s so much I could learn from him and his impressive career.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My life motto has always been “Nothing is impossible, because even the word impossible says ‘I am possible.’”
It’s about always moving forward in life, and never giving up no matter what.
That’s the only way I look at life and that’s what I would encourage everyone to do. Undoubtedly, there would be obstacles and speed bumps in life but we should stay optimistic and we would overcome most of them.
How can our readers follow you online?
Instagram: @aashish_chanana
Twitter: Aash_0005
Website: www.aashishchanana.com
This was great, thank you so much for sharing your story and doing this with us. We wish you continued success!
Filmmakers Making A Social Impact: Why & How Aashish Chanana of Media Factory International Is… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.