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Faisal

Versatile and inventive, Faisal Azam approaches filmmaking with the eye of an artist. A graduate of UC Berkeley with a degree in Rhetoric, Faisal began his professional life in Los Angeles working as an advertising communications analyst where he evaluated television commercials and marketing campaigns for some of the world’s top companies. As his appreciation for the power of image-based advertising grew, it awakened a desire to tell stories and convey messages through the ultimate visual medium—film.

On a leap of faith, Faisal came to New York City with little but an instinctive love of cinema and strong aesthetic sensibilities. Beginning his filmmaking career as an editor, Faisal developed a keen sense of narrative structure and a deep understanding of storytelling as a precise and exacting art. Having gained experience with a variety of film forms—from commercials and promos to documentaries and narrative films—he has worked with clients as diverse as Nike, Consumer Reports, Academy Award winning director Zana Briski, and Rolling Stone. In 2006, he co-wrote and directed his first short film, Unknown Shores—which screened at a number of domestic and international film festivals. In addition to this blog, he is currently at work on his next film project.

“In the ’60s I thought that editing was the moment of law and order…”

“In the ’60s I thought that editing was the moment of law and order—like the police—on the body of a movie…but in the early ’70s I met [editor] Kim Arcalli, who made me discover that editing could be a fantastic moment, a creative moment…” –Bernardo Bertolucci

Exhibit Earth to screen at The Danish Film Institute in Copenhagen for the U.N. Climate Conference

Three years ago, I cut an environmentally themed science-fiction short called Exhibit Earth. In 2007, Exhibit Earth premiered at the Festival International du Film d’Environment in Paris, France, and was recently selected to screen at a very special film event. I’m pleased to announce that from December 7-19, 2009, the film will play at an environmental film festival in Copenhagen during the United Nations Climate Conference…

“I know that people who look attentively at my films see…”

“I know that people who look attentively at my films see a toughness in them…because my films are not sentimental, even if they are built on sentiment.” –Francois Truffaut

Rockin’ it with Rolling Stone at Bonnaroo 2009

This past summer I got a chance to cut web videos for Rolling Stone at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee. Featuring some of the biggest names in music, the festival is like a modern-day Woodstock but cleaner, more organized and admirably sustainable. For four crazy days I soaked in the Bonnaroo buzz and stayed up all night editing artist interviews and live performance footage. Unfortunately, it was more work than play but, even so, it was incredible to be there. Overall, I cut more than 10 videos; here are my five faves…

Why does Hollywood keep making the same movies?

A few nights ago, I watched (and enjoyed) the 70s cult classic Carrie online. When the movie was finished, Netflix recommended similar offerings I might possibly enjoy, and I sadly discovered that Carrie was remade for TV in 2002. Out of sheer curiosity, and with extremely low expectations, I watched the trailer. Not surprisingly, the TV version looked even worse than I imagined. It was a joke, a perversion of the original; a stale, vapid remake like so many other stale, vapid remakes…

“No biopics, no prequels, no sequels…”

“No biopics, no prequels, no sequels, no hero movies, no antihero movies, and definitely no superhero movies. Anything else I can handle.” –Pedro Almodovar

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