Alumni Spotlight: Apoorva Charan ’18
The Alumni Spotlight is a place to hear from the School of the Arts alumni community about their journeys as artists and creators.
Apoorva Charan ’18 is an LA-based producer who was born in India, raised in Northern California, and started her career as a digital producer in Singapore. Her producorial feature debut, Joyland, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival (2022) and won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, the Queer Palm, and Best International Film at the Independent Spirit Awards (2023). The film was Pakistan's entry to the 95th Academy Awards, was the first film from Pakistan to make the shortlist, and has screened at festivals around the world including Sundance, TIFF, and BFI London Film Festival. An alumnus of Columbia University's MFA Film program, Charan has produced multiple award-winning short films including Lonely Blue Night which won the Audience Award for Best Short Film at AFI Fest 2020 and is available to stream on HBO Max, 空间 Distance which won Film Pipeline's Best Film Award in 2020, and Interiors which premiered at TIFF in September 2018. She has also served on the jury for Palm Springs Short Film Festival. Charan was a 2019 Project Involve Creative Producing fellow, a 2020 Film Independent Creative Producing Lab fellow, a 2021 Women in Film Emerging Producers fellow, a 2022 Sundance Creative Producing Lab fellow, a 2023 BAFTA Breakthrough, a 2024 Gotham-Cannes Producers Network fellow, and has worked in development at Big Beach, Walt Disney Studios' live action department and at Blue Harp. Through her film and TV production company, All Caps, Charan aims to produce unique narratives for a global audience.
Was there a specific faculty member or peer who especially inspired you while at the School of the Arts? If so, who and how?
I was so inspired by Jack Lechner, Maureen Ryan, Ira Deutchman and continue to be so! Jack is incredible at balancing fine narrative taste with audience appeal, and producing his own films while continuing to teach. Maureen brings the most integrity to producing. She is such an excellent professor and is incomparable when it comes to the details of physical production. Ira Deutchman brings producing students to Cannes every year! An exhausting task, which he clearly continues to have the passion for. I was lucky to be one of his students who visited the festival alongside him and love crashing his annual Columbia dinner.
How did attending the School of the Arts impact your work and career as an artist?
Attending the School of the Arts impacted my work and career greatly! From teaching me how to produce a film, to shaping the narratives I'm drawn towards, and the creative collaborators I surround myself with - I have a lot to thank the School of the Arts for.
What were the most pressing social/political issues on the minds of the students when you were here?
We were students in 2016 during the Clinton / Trump election. That should tell you everything about what was on our mind.
What was your favorite or most memorable class while at the School of the Arts?
Elements of the Dramatic Narrative by Andy Bienen. I loved it so much I took it for the second time as a Teaching Assistant. It's an incredible course that breaks down the elements of a compelling story.
What were the first steps you took after graduating?
I moved to LA and got a job at a production company. Being able to observe producers, assess potential films, make financing and distribution decisions, and understand the landscape of the industry was integral to my learning.
What advice would you give to recent graduates?
Be persistent but patient! Our careers and lives are long. :)