Summary
Aneesh Chaganty (/əˈniːʃ ˈtʃɑːɡənti/;[1]Telugu pronunciation: [əniːʂ tʃɑːɡəɳʈi] born January 30, 1991) is an American film director and screenwriter. He made his feature film directorial debut with the 2018 thriller Searching, for which he won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.[2]
Aneesh Chaganty | |
|---|---|
 Chaganty in 2018 | |
| Born | January 30, 1991 Redmond, Washington, U.S. |
| Education | University of Southern California |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2011–present |
Early life and background edit
Aneesh Chaganty was born in Redmond, Washington,[3] and grew up in San Jose, California.[4] His parents, originally from Andhra Pradesh, India, moved to the U.S. in the 1980s.[4] His father, who obtained an MS degree in computer engineering from Drexel University, serves as a director and Chief Technology Officer at a software publishing, consultancy and supply company[5] founded by both his parents, AppEnsure Inc.[6]
Chaganty attended Valley Christian High School from 2005 to 2009.[7] He graduated from USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2013 with a degree in film and television production.[8]
Film career edit
In 2014, Chaganty's two minute short film, a Google Glass spot called Seeds, became an internet sensation after garnering more than 1 million YouTube views in 24 hours.[9] Following its success, Chaganty was invited to join the Google 5 team at Google Creative Lab in New York City, where he spent two years developing, writing and directing Google commercials.[3]
After working on over 25 short films and videos, Chaganty directed his first feature film, Searching, which was originally pitched as a short film but was offered a production budget for a feature instead,[3] was released on August 24, 2018 before opening wide on August 31,[10] also premiering at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2018.[11]
Chaganty's second film Run, a thriller starring Sarah Paulson and Kiera Allen, was set to be released on January 24, 2020,[12] then May 8, 2020,[13] but was pushed back because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and was released on Hulu on November 20, 2020,[14] and internationally by Netflix on April 2, 2021.[15]
Filmography edit
Short films edit
| Year | Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Notes | ||
| 2007 | Nug | Yes | Yes | Also film editor and producer |
| 2008 | The Sound of Evanescence | Yes | Yes | Also film editor |
| 2009 | Starving! | Yes | Yes | Also film editor |
| 2011 | Alibi | Yes | Yes | |
| 2012 | Monsters | Yes | Yes | Also film editor |
| Microeconomics | Yes | No | ||
| Adventure, Wisconsin | Yes | Yes | Also sound editor and producer | |
| 2014 | Seeds | Yes | Yes | Sponsored by Google Glass |
Feature films edit
| Year | Film | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Producer | Notes | ||
| 2018 | Searching | Yes | Yes | No | Feature directorial debut |
| 2020 | Run[16] | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2023 | Missing | No | Story | Yes |
Acting credits edit
TV roles edit
| Year | Title | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Role | Note | ||
| 2018 | Made in Hollywood | Himself | Season 13
|
Film roles edit
| Year | Title | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Role | Note | ||
| 2010 | The Liaison | Himself | Short film |
| 2014 | Google Glass: Seeds | Traveller | Short film |
Awards and nominations edit
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Locarno Film Festival | Variety Piazza Grande Award | Searching | Nominated |
| Sundance Film Festival | Best of Next! | Won | ||
| Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize (shared with Sev Ohanian) |
Won | |||
| Sydney Film Festival | Best Narrative Feature | Nominated |
References edit
- ^ "'Run' | Anatomy of a Scene". The New York Times. November 20, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 23, 2018). "'Search' Wins Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Film Prize – Sundance". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Career Lessons From A Creative Who Left A 'Dream' Job For His Dream Career". Forbes. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ^ a b "Aneesh Chaganty's Mother's Day message is the new viral sensation". The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ^ "Sri Chaganty : Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg". Bloomberg. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ Zack, Jessica (August 16, 2018). "'Google Five' filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty gets smart with thriller 'Searching'". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ "Compelling Movie Thriller Directed & Co-Written by 2009 Alumnus Aneesh Chaganty". AMSE. April 9, 2018. Archived from the original on September 12, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ "SCA Alumni create viral video, "SEEDS"". USC School of Cinematic Arts. July 3, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ "Google Glass short film 'Seeds' hits the spot for Mother's Day". Tech Times. 11 May 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 16, 2018). "Screen Gems Adds John Cho-Debra Messing Thriller 'Searching' To August Schedule". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ^ "2018 Sundance Film Festival: Feature Films Announced". Sundance Film Festival. The Sundance Institute. November 29, 2017. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (January 31, 2019). "Lionsgate Suspense Thriller 'Run' Sets 2020 Release Date". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (January 17, 2020). "Lionsgate Thriller 'Run' Release Date Pushed Back 4 Months". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
- ^ "Aneesh Chaganty's Thriller 'Run' Starring Sarah Paulson Lands Release Date at Hulu". 22 September 2020.
- ^ "Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen's thriller Run, directed by Searching helmer Aneesh Chaganty, to stream on Netflix India from 2 April". First Post. March 20, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ McNary, Dave (June 7, 2018). "Lionsgate to Develop Thriller 'Run' From 'Searching' Filmmakers (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved September 15, 2018.