Director of Photography Aakshay Parab: Creating Minority-Centric Films for Social Emancipation Causes

Aakshay Parab is an emerging LA based Director Of Photography and Colorist. He is now a member of the prestigious Film Independent Society, Independent Filmmaker Project and Colorist Society International.

Aakshay’s journey as a cineaste began in 2013 producing and directing his documentary Projekt Tyler based on an Indian graffiti artist ‘Tyler’. This edgy and gritty documentary was made in Mumbai (India), where the majority see graffiti as a default for vandalism, severely punishable by law. This guerilla documentary earned a nomination at the Mumbai International Film Festival for Best International Documentary Under Forty Minutes and National Academy Of Cinema & Television, Bangalore for Best International Documentary both in 2014.

In 2015, he combined all his creative and business skills as a producer for Ram’ji’bhai which was nominated for Short Of The Month - January in Mumbai, the Official Selection in 2015 Navi Mumbai International Film Festival and also won the Best Student Film in Festival Of Cinematics. It is based on a rising businessman from the suburban and rudimentary part of the city.

The success of his early projects gave him the initial experience and confidence in his producing abilities necessary for him to enter, survive, and thrive in the competitive world of independent films.

Then in 2016 his Projekt Tyler went on to win the Fame-US Bronze Award at the Fame-US International Film Festival in Hollywood, California.

Establishing himself as a filmmaker, he has focused mostly on women-centric short films because he believes that his work can be influential in stopping the objectification of women by the society at large.

The Moment is a short film with that theme which he not only wrote and directed, but also worked as the Director of Photography (DP) on the project. This heart wrenching story is of a woman who kills her husband in a fit of rage while someone watches it happen. Being the Director of Photography helped Aakshay work at an organic level by keeping the soul of the story intact. He chose to give a strong Hitchcockian dash to his own stylistic high contrast and low key light design to maintain the overall tension in his film. The Moment went on to win the Award of Recognition for Film Short at The Accolade Global Film Competition in 2016.

Another of his women-centric films is The Derelict as a Writer-Director and DP, was screened at the New York Short Film Festival in November 2016. It was also an Official Selection of the Autumn 2016 Creation International Film Festival. The film, inspired by true events, is the story of Marie who tries to unite with her only son after life in prison and is hopeful of resurrecting this precious relationship. Accomplishing this demanding project with an ultra low budget without compromising the story was a herculean task.

He has films to showcase for the year 2017 in the festival circuit. Amongst them Non-staurant, which is written and directed by Aakshay, is a documentary that gives a glimpse into the lives of those who are trapped in the vicious circle of hand to mouth existence. Aakshay says, “there are many out there trapped in their ‘groundhog day existence.’ “

Another to enter film circuits is Grab N’ Go. A gambling addict has received an eviction notice, which is the last straw in the relationship with his girlfriend. But fate has also brought him at cross roads to chose between finding a job and earning quick bucks.

Teenage motherhood could be an unforgiving past for many women. Lotus is an upcoming film based on this theme. Working on films centered around gender issues led up to him being hired as the camera operator for this short.

Further on for 2017, his forthcoming projects include an untitled web series based on the lines of induced homophobia. The short films Widow’s Peak and The Derelict sequel amongst others. Aakshay intends to further the cause of de-objectification of women in various walks of life and the world of LGBT community through his work. He believes that we all have a conscience, and he wants to reach that very conscience within his audiences through his work to contribute towards a positive change in this respect.

Aakshay considers a wide range of technical and creative visual issues while working with the Director to deliver the "look and feel" that he or she needs. On his profession, Aakshay notes: "I am addicted to observing life up-close. Studying life unconsciously has become a habit and capturing moments is and will always be my passion. I intend to use this gift for the issues that concern me about our future on the whole.”

Aakshay has seen a steady and purposeful growth in his career not only as a Director and a Director of Photography, but also as a Colorist.

“The role of a colorist in completion of the film is exactly that of a painter who paints a canvas,” says Aakshay. He has worked on varied themes and color palettes for different projects. One Chance, a short film based on boxing, was one of his most challenging projects till date because of the multifaceted scenes which involved varied light design based on protagonist’s character arc.

Raised in Mumbai (India.) Aakshay’s passion for cinema grew out of an early love of theatre and storytelling. All these shaped his experiences. His film education began with his acceptance into the Film Producing Program of Whistling Woods International, in Mumbai (2012-14). In 2015 he further went on to specialize in Cinematography, which he pursued at the New York Film Academy in New York City where he earned himself a Diploma in Cinematography and moved his base to LA.

Aakshay Parab is inspired by film industry icons such as Satyajit Ray, Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu, Alfred Hitchcock, Wes Anderson, and Steven Spielberg, whom he considers some of the grandmasters in the world of cinema. Although he believes that grandmasters are the source of inspiration, he also believes that we can all manifest our own stories, in our own original ways.

We can be sure that we will be hearing more about Aakshay Parab in the future!

Visit Aakshay Parab's Media Resource Page