Mumbai: FridayFictionFilms, a film production house, is celebrated for its unparalleled dedication to storytelling that transcends the ordinary. With accolades gracing its shelves, including the esteemed Limca Book of Records, FridayFictionFilms reigns supreme, masterfully crafting narratives that not only entertain but also inspire change. Their repertoire spans from blockbuster commercial ventures to soul-stirring shorts, each imbued with a profound sense of purpose. FridayFictionFilms is renowned for its unwavering commitment to social causes.
Whether it’s shedding light on pressing societal issues or igniting empathy through the lens, every frame they capture is a testament to their dedication to making the world a better place, one story at a time.
Indiantelevision caught up with FridayFictionFilms -founder and CEO Tanmay Shah to talk about the challenges he has encountered as a filmmaker advocating for social causes and the unique approach his company takes in collaborating with brands to create impactful commercial films while staying true to its commitment to social good
On the inspiration behind establishing FridayFictionFilms
After I made my first film, I felt a lot could be done beyond what I knew. This medium can be explored to not just make films about social issues I am exposed to but can cater to individuals, companies, and brands already working towards a cause they care about. It’s also quite humbling and inspiring to listen, talk, and see how things operate at the grass-roots level. An accumulated sum of all this made it clear to start FridayFictionFilms and make films that matter.
On the significant gap in your YouTube channel’s content, particularly the last video titled ‘Horn ok please’’; Are you currently involved in the development of new projects
After the successful completion of the 52 Films Project, we started working on real-life stories. We moved from fiction to nonfiction and made two short documentaries, one feature-length documentary, and many in collaboration with NGOs. These films garnered 33 international film festival awards and ran across continents. This also led us to work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through CWAS (Centre for Water and Sanitation) in India and Circulate Capital to fund innovations in ocean recycling and upcycling in Southeast Asia. Currently, we are working on two short documentaries and a feature-length documentary about the art and craft of local artisans.
On the challenges that you have faced as a filmmaker, especially in advocating for social causes through your work
What I have realised over the past decade in making films with social causes is that we have to be deeply invested in the cause or have a mindset towards progressively weaving the voice of the film towards a larger goal to be able to bring about any real change of any kind. If the film only leads to a space where it will be stuck at the same point as the cause itself, I guess it won’t be able to transcend the block. This entire process then becomes quite challenging because now how much to deal with stakeholders beyond the film and how much to pursue beyond making the film becomes an interesting self-journey.
On FridayFictionFilms collaborates with brands to create impactful commercial films while maintaining its commitment to social good
Brand and social good can also be a subtle introduction. It has to come out in company communication internally and externally and not necessarily always as leading the front for a cause voice. It could be more implementation-driven by showing how a brand first cares as an establishment and how it cares for and manages its employees and stakeholders and builds trust in the market. We bring out these subtle underlying aspects of brands and include them in the narratives we build for them.
On FridayFictionFilms setting itself apart from other film production companies in terms of its USP
We at FridayFictionFilms, utilise film as a solution and not just as a service. We use film also to simplify a lot of internal communication between companies and brands. The process of making the film goes even beyond making the film, it becomes a step towards bringing together the underlying values of the company to its employees and stakeholders and gives everyone more ways to connect with company goals and objectives.
