Akiatta Productions

21/07/2024

As we look upon the curtain call for something that has been a huge part of my life for the past 20 months, I want to take a moment to share some thoughts with you all.

Films have been my sustenance for all my life. In sadness and happiness, I reach for the films that have affected me. Filmmaking gives me purpose.

But, Filmmaking is also a taxing process. It expects a lot out of you, possibly more than what you have in you. But you go through with it so you can achieve that one moment of glory.

Last night was our first step to get there. Nights like these make life worth living for. ✨️

Snap Shot Shorts, in my perspective, is the proud proclamation from this industry and the people who make it what it is. A testiment to our ambitions and dreams. A group of youngsters taking their destiny in their own hands.

And this is just the beginning. Years will go by, and more people will do what we have done, possibly better than how we did it. And that's the beautiful thing about all of this.

More and more young filmmakers are going to evolve into pioneers in this industry, and that is inevitable. And I feel happy that I got to put my small mark in that line of history.

I love all the wonderful people who worked with us, supported us, and cheered on for us. You all make us want to keep raising the bar, and we will make you proud.

Until next time,
Aki ❤️

04/07/2024

Some thoughts I've been having recently regarding art and ambitions.

11/06/2024

Good day to do script breakdowns with my Associate Director! 🔥

25/05/2024

Call on Hold - Crew Call Phase 1!

Kia Ora People!

Thank you again for the support you all have been giving us. We have been humbled to see the outpouring of positivity you all have given us, and we carry that with us as we march forward.

As mentioned in my earlier posts, we are getting started on the process of filling out our crew roles. Now, given the scope and scale of this production, we have decided to do our crew calls in phases, giving us the space to interact with you all and make well-informed decisions.

To kick us off, here’s the list of our Phase 1 Crew Call:

1st Assistant Director
Lighting Supervisor/Gaffer
Second Assistant Camera
Key Grip (preferably with some experience)
VFX Artist & Data Wrangler (Looking for one person to fill both roles)

We are currently looking to have our filming in November or December, with the film entering pre-production in late June. If you are interested in any of the above roles, please send me a message or email me at [email protected] with a brief note on your experience /interest in the preferred role.

We are beyond excited to have you join us on this journey. Looking forward to hearing from you. :)

22/05/2024

Last year, when I first met I was simply astonished by the amount of passion that she showed for her craft. Her passion and her dedication to her work are truly astonishing.
There is one moment that particularly comes to mind. It was the last day of our shoot for POM, and it had some of the most intense sequences in the film. Rosalind was not in the best health that day. Despite that, she came in with an energy and enthusiasm that is simply unmatched.
She carries that onto her daily life, too. Every interaction with her, you can sense that this is someone who deeply cares and puts so much effort into everyone she's interacting with.

I am honour to have gotten to know you. I wish you a wonderful birthday! Hope you have an amazing year and find everything that you are looking for! ❤️✨️

15/05/2024

Sprucing up my workspace! ✨️
Still have a few more films to add in there.

12/05/2024

I vividly remember meeting my wonderful friend in late 2022 on a Facebook thread. This random person who showed interest in this small story I was looking to tell. Little did I know the place we were about to venture into.

Lizzo is genuinely one of the kindest, sweetest, and awesome-est people I have met in my life. Every time I am with her, I have felt this sense of security and warmth that I have barely felt with anyone.

I wish my amazing Producer, 1st AD and friend a wonderful happy birthday! Hope you are having a great time! 💚

06/04/2024

Exactly a year ago from this day, our whole team was huddled in an apartment, making magic. And in honour of that, we would love to share with you all a small snippet of it.

We are excited to share with you all the official trailer of Pantry of Memories.

Do check it out on our YouTube channel. Link in bio! ❤️

20/03/2024

Kia Ora Everyone,

I have been working on something in the backgorund for a while now, and I feel it is time for me to talk about it. I am beyond excited to announce my next film, "Call on Hold," written and directed by yours truly.

This film follows the story of an immigrant janitor, as he struggles to find certainty and clarity with his ability to stay in this country.

This is a story I feel a lot of connections with, from my own experiences as an immigrant and the countless stories I have heard of my friends. As a film, this is something that is truly different from the kind of work I have done so far, and I am am excited to get into this journey. Like always, I would love to have your support as we venture into this.

If you are interested in coming on board in any capacity, please hit me up. More details to come soon in the next few weeks. 😊

Looking forward to hearing from y'all.

06/03/2024

I have previously pulled all nighters to finish scripts, but I've never pulled all-nighters to write two iterations of the same script. That was exhilarating! 🥴
Now the question in my head is, what's next? 👀

29/02/2024

We are beyond thrilled to announce that our film, "Pantry of Memories", has been selected as the finalist in Barcelona Indie Awards Season 2023/24 and will be taking part in the live screening event in Zumzeig Cinema, Barcelona, Spain!

We couldn't have gotten to this point without the support from our wonderful cast and crew, who poured their heart and soul into this film. We are eternally grateful to you, and we hope to take your amazing work to audiences across the world.

Thank you so much to for the honour! We are excited to be part of your wonderful festival, and we look forward to the screening.

We would also like to thank all the wonderful people who have been supporting us through the whole process of making this film. The love we have received is immense and heartwarming.

We'll keep you updated as we go along on our festival run. ❤️

22/01/2024

And that is a wrap on filming for our wonderful film, 'Dares'. I can't begin to thank all the people who have come on board as cast, as crew and as supports either through the fundraiser or through equipment and other ways... I owe so much to you all, and I would be forever grateful.

Dares is a story talking about love and togetherness. Peering beneath the emotions of what it truly means to be a teen and be q***r and in love. Our writer & director, has poured her everything into this, and it comes through in every frame of the film. I am forever in gratitude to her for having me be a part of telling this story to the world.

In honesty, this wasn't the easiest of the shoots to handle. Distant locations, extreme weather conditions, logistics issues... there were so many hurdles that came our way as we did our best to get through them all. And I am just astonished and proud of how our cast and crew handled it all. I bow down to you all, and I truly wish you all the best. I look forward to being on the sidelines and cheering you on as you reach new heights. ❤️

I can't wait to share with you all the film. But everything in its due time.

Until next time,
Love, Aki. ✌️

11/01/2024

We are starting our 2024 festival run with some wonderful new character posters!

We are working had on bringing our wonderful film to every part of the world for you all to see. Stay tuned to this space for more updates on selections and premieres. ✨️

Captured by 📸
Designed by Caiden Jacobson! 🎨

23/12/2023

Thank you all for a wonderful year in film this year. As a thank you, here's a small gift from my end: https://www.akiattaproductions.com/resources

07/12/2023

Last night at the All Guild Christmas Party was fun. Met a lot of new and veteran filmmakers from Aotearoa.

Guilds and Unions represent a great way for filmmakers to not just be able to meet fellow filmmakers. It's also a great way for you to protect your work and get the right representation. Make a difference by taking an active step towards improving conditions for all the people in the industry.

If you can, I'd recommend everyone consider joining your respective guilds. 😊

03/12/2023

Kia Ora Everyone!
I hope you all are having a wonderful day! I would love to reach out to the community for your support with our lovely little short film Dares!
Dares is a story of Cam & Elise, two teen girls who are trying to come to terms with their simmering feelings for each other.
Written and directed by my wonderful friend, Talia Hazelwood , this film is a wonderful depiction on the q***r experience and what it is like to be a teen in NZ.
We are seeking to raise some funds to put towards our production expenses and we would love to have your support.
Please share our campaign link to all your friends, family or anyone you think might be interested. If you can, please contribute to our boosted campaign. Every little bit helps!
Campaign Link -

Welcome to Aotearoa’s only arts crowdfunding platform. Our 86% success rate has raised over $8 million for arts in New Zealand since 2013.

03/12/2023

Ending the year with something exciting!

I am delighted to announce "Seasons", an anthology feature film highlighting four interconnected stories, themed around the four seasons.

We are looking for writers, directors, and more to join us on this journey.

Reach out to us if you are keen!

24/11/2023

I'm happy to share with you all that my third film as a director, "On the Rocks", Produced as part of Snap Shot Shorts series (.shorts ) with & , will be premiering in Sailboat Films YouTube Channel on Nov 30th! 🥳

I am so thankful for the opportunity to have made this film. From conception to the final stages, this was a film was a one of a kind experience! We have put together a very lovely film for you all this November, and I can wait to share more. 😊

"On the Rocks", A film by Akiatta Productions & Sailboat Films in association with Little Lizard Productions!
A Snap Shot Shorts Original Film!

21/11/2023

Never in my life did I think I would feel so proud of my own work. Pantry of Memories, a very special film in my life, has officially been completed!

There are so many people I need to thank... To start of, my wonderful producer & 1st AD, Elizabeth! ( ) I am so thankful for everything that led me to meet this wonderful person. I couldn't have done anything without her. You inspire me, Liz. I hope to be there to cheer you on as you reach the heights you are destined for!

My wonderful actors, ,
, , Sukruthi Kumar & ! You all brought your best into bringing this film to life, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have worked with you all!

And the most important of all, my wonderful crew! I am nothing without you all. Thank you all so much for the dedication and patience you all brought into this. Working with you all has been a privilege, and I hope to work with you all again and again! (There are a lot of them, so I'll tag them in the post 😊)

When talking about Pantry, there are so many more people who supported us through the whole film. .n.g who was there from the beginning, guiding me and supporting me in all the various steps. who came on and helped us bring all the whole film together with their wonderful food and support. and with the support they gave our team with the equipment. Screen Wellington and the Wellington City Council supported us a lot with the Cuba Street sequences. The .nz team and all the wonderful people who contributed to our fundraising efforts. And there are so many more... I am humbled by all the love and support you have given us, and I want to repay that by giving you the best films I can. ❤️

This film was lifechanging for me. And I truly believe this film has a way to be a beacon of hope to anyone who needs it. I can't wait to bring this film all over the world to spread the positivity this film has given me.

Until next time,
Love, Aki. 🫶

28/10/2023

Do you have a script that you would like to get some notes and feedback on?

Any Stories and Screenplay ideas that you would like some help to develop and tidy up?

Do you have a script that you aren’t sure how to pitch to producers?

If the answer is yes, then reach out to us for our Script Consultation Service! ✨️

Find out more in the post. Link in bio! 😊

16/10/2023

Kia Ora Everyone,
Hope you all are doing well. Thank you so much for the love and support you have given to us for the table read. We are now starting on with our Crew Call, and we would like to have the opportunity to work with you all. Here are some details about the film. 😊

Film Name: Dares
Filming Dates: 19th January 2024 to 22nd January 2024 (Main Filming Dates. Backup Dates TBC)
Written and Directed By: Talia Hazelwood ( )
Produced By: Akash Saravanan

Logline: Cam and Elise, two childhood friends, try to navigate their simmering feelings for each other, taking them to uncharted territories.

We are looking to fill quite a few of the roles for this film. The available roles are listed in our Google form. If you are interested in working on this film, please fill out the form(link in bio and stories) with your preferred roles. 🙂

30/09/2023

I'm extremely happy to announce my next project...

Dares, written and directed by

I fell in love with this story the first time I read it, and it got only better when I first spoke to our lovely director. The passion and care she put into this story is unfathomable and highly contagious. I am excited to join her on this as we work together to bring it to life in the most beautiful way. ❤️

We are entering into pre-production with this film, starting with a table read. We would love to have some of you join us for this. We are looking for actors and performers to read for the following roles. All roles are open to any ethnicity:

Cam - Female - Preferably Mid to Late Teens
Elise - Female - Preferably Mid to Late Teens
Ruth - Female - Preferably Mid 40's to Mid 60's
Peter - Male - Preferably Mid to Late Teens
Narrator - Open to Everyone.

We are conducting our table read over Zoom on Sunday 8th October at 6:00 PM. If you are interested in joining us for the table read, please send us a message or email us at [email protected].

We hope to have your love and support as we head into this new exciting adventure. 🫶😊

Do follow this space for more updates!

03/09/2023

This weekend has been truly special. After nine years, I got to spend a few days with my dad. I wanna talk a bit about that.

We spoke a lot, watched some movies together, visited some beautiful places in the lovely city of Mumbai...
But of all of that, my most cherished moment from these 5 days is when he saw my film, Pantry of Memories. A film that I had dedicated to him.

Earlier in the year when I was in pre-production with POM, I had not spoken to him in 2 years and hadn't seen him for 9. And I had come to terms with that. I wrote POM as a way to find some closure on that fractured part of my life.

However, just weeks before our filming date, I get a call. My dad had gotten sick and was hospitalized. I was completely broken. I didn't know what to do, so I had mentally prepared myself for the worst.

I was stuck in this dilemma, where a part of me wanted to be there with him and talk to him, while the other part was still resentful and didn't want to let go of the pain from the past.

Then something profound happened. In the rehearsals with my wonderful actors, we went through scenarios of what would happen to the characters before and after the events of the film, and what we discovered made me realise something.

It made me realise that making this film will allow me to find peace within myself and let go of the pain. And that's exactly what happened.

I vividly remember watching my actors do a run-through of a very crucial scene on set. It was the last scene we had to film. As they finished their run-through, I simply broke down. All the pain and resentment were gone.

It was a task to compose myself and finish our shoot that day, but I felt very proud of myself that day. I was finally able to start healing myself.

Months later, here I am with my father, seeing him laugh with a smile that I had not seen on him when I was a kid. We didn't need to have a confrontation to talk about what had happened. Both of us simply understood each other and were able to step into this new chapter in our relationship.

And I can't thank my cast and crew enough for giving this to me.

Until next time...
Love, Aki ❤️

13/08/2023

On the Rocks... What can I say about this one experience!

I'll start from the beginning. About 3 months ago, I was sitting in front of my computer booking tickets to India, planning my trip to be there for my friend 's wedding.
As I booked the tickets, I thought about my conversations with my friends. How years have gone by(even decades in some cases, 😉). I remembered sitting with my friends Prithivi, & in a coffee shop talking about how we'll be there on our big moments.
Made me wonder what drives friendships and what keeps them going...
Every year, we all get old and slowly become new people, but beneath all that, some relationships still stay the same.
It sometimes feels like these relationships we build are the anchor points that allow us to be more carefree and explore who we truly are, knowing that there are people for us, no matter what happens.

And that became the core for On the Rocks. An attempt to capture the emotions that I felt on that day in a random coffee shop with my friends.

But, making this wasn't such a small task. Our whole cast crew put so much of their energy into this film. Dealing with my various processes, handling the harsh conditions of Owhario Bay while making sure we are putting our best effort into bringing this story to life, despite the various hurdles that came our way.

I am humbled by the effort and love my cast and crew have put into this film. I hope to see them achieve all that they dream for! 🙌

The story of Kyle and Sam is not one of two individuals. It is one of the bonds that we as living beings make throughout our lives.

I can't wait to showcase it to you all. 🫶 You will find it on .shorts YouTube Channel.

Special mentions to my co-producers Shayyden() & Lizzo (). I love you guys, and I am looking forward to more and more adventures we have ahead of us. 😊

Until next time,
Love, Aki! ✌️😎

13/08/2023

After months of work and effort, it's finally ready(ish)!

We are now live on akiattaproductions.com! (LINK in Bio)

In there, you can:
⭐️ Watch our released Films and Projects!
⭐️ Subscribe to my Blog!
⭐️ Get updates on Ongoing and Upcoming Projects!
⭐️ Connect with me for collaborations and inquiries!
⭐️ Hire me for Writing and Media Production services!

As I take this step into following my dreams, I would love to thank all my friends and family for being there with me all along the way!

On to new adventures! 😎👽

20/06/2023

Writing tends to be a solitary experience for the most parts. But I feel like it doesn't have to be. So, in an attempt to keep you all in the loop, here's a bit of an update on something I have been working on for some time.

Red Acrylic Polish, a short film script that I wrote a while ago, has evolved into something bigger.

I am happy to say that I am now working on my first feature-length script as a director. Where would this take me? I truly don't know. But that's the fun of it. 🙌

Thank you all for the support. Without you all, I don't know if I would have found the strength to take this next step. ❤️

06/06/2023

It is nice to have a creative rush every now and then. Boy, was it a good weekend! ⭐️
Managed to write three scripts. Three stories I am really proud of and can't wait to share with the world.
For the first time in many years, I feel like I know what my purpose is. Why I exist.
Thank you all for supporting me.
Love, Aki! ❤️

12/05/2023

New Logo for New Beginnings! 🎬🎥🙌

12/05/2023

In this episode, we will be talking about all things to do with being an actor and/or a performer. Featuring actors, performers, and other industry specialists within NZ, going over the various facets that go into being an actor/performer in NZ.

Please reach out to us in email if you would like to take part in the podcast as a speaker. We have two open slots remaining at this point. You could be in any of the following roles.

Actors/Performers
Casting Directors
Intimacy Co-ordinators
Writer, Producer, or Director

You could also join the conversation by sending in any questions that you might have around acting and performance arts.

Reach out to us at [email protected]

11/05/2023

Have something exciting planned for this one... 😁🎙🌟
Check my stories tomorrow at noon for the details.