THE
TRIDENT - written and directed by Anurag
Mehta (American Chai) and starring Aalok
Mehta (American Chai) , David Carradine (Kill
Bill), and Anup Sugunan. Currently on the festival
circuit.
27,000
DAYS - (website)
written and directed by Naveen Singh starring Subash
Kundanmal with Anup in a supporting role as his son
- was not only accepted and screened twice at the South
by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival, it won the coveted
Special Jury Award for Best
Experimental Short Film. Check site for upcoming
screenings as well as other past festival screenings.
WEDDING
- (website)
a gripping short film about two people at the ends of their
rope marks the debut of Anup directing someone else's script.
Written by Donn Swaby (Passions, G.I. Jane); produced by Donn
Swaby, Katia Bokor, and Roopashree Jeevaji. Cinematography
by Derek Fullagar. Starring Katia Bokor (The Shield)
and Mark Berry (Blade: Trinity). Currently in post-production.
Check back for updates.
TERRORIST
TV - Ever since 9/11 the world has changed. It has
changed for Americans more so than anyone else. But what if
you are an All-American, but look middle-eastern to the general
population. Imagine the feeling you have when walking onto
to a plane with a full beard. That is an interesting stimulus
that churns one's brain as a writer. Now mix that with being
an American, who looks middle-eastern, and was raised on comedies
like "Airplane!" and "Spaceballs". That
has to have an interesting outcome. One of those outcomes
is "Terrorist TV".
Cinematography
by Chad Zuber; Original Music by Rob
Gironda ; everything else by Anup.
L.A.
TAKEDOWN - (website)
- marks another feature lead role for Anup. He also
served as 2nd unit director as well ad director of photography
on the project. Written and directed by K. Raj Srivastiva
and also starring Ashish Wahi, Malena Teves, Sunny Surat,
David Scott and more.
This
film is currently in post-production. Check back for
updates.
DORRYWOOD
- a spec commercial for the SuperBowl starring Roopashree
Jeevaji and Anup Sugunan. Written & directed by Anup
Sugunan. Cinematography by Matt Stedman. Music by Rob
Gironda & Carrie
Weiland.
NECESSARY
ILLUSIONS - (view
trailer - requires quicktime)
recently an Official Selection at Torino Film Festival
in Italy and also won the Visionary Award
at the Washington D.C. Independent Film Festival with
Anup as the lead marks a nice milestone for him. The
story is about Sharia Keirostami's trials and tribulations
with the airport security in a post-9/11 setting. The
movie's title is a nod to controversial author Noam
Chomsky's book of the same title.
GIPPY
GREWAL & YUDHVIR MANAK - "GABROO"
Anup
shot and directed this guerilla-style music video as
a departure from Gippy's other music videos. The video
can be seen on all stations and is doing quite well.
Edited by J.Cee.
ROYAL
KILL - (website)
- the final film with the beloved Pat Morita
(Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid) is currently in
post-production. Anup was the production coordinator
on the west coast for this project. Written and directed
by Babar Ahmed.
A
GIRL AND A GUN - (view
trailer - requires quicktime)
A story about a guy, his girl and his gun. This is the
first time Anup work on a San Diego film for the precocious
writer/director Adam Thomson. The film was shot on 16mm
by director of photography Sean Desmond.
INTERMINAL
- Writer's Cut (view
trailer - requires quicktime)
marks the debut of the screenwriter in Anup. This short
film was the labor of love of Anup, who also served
as producer, and Ivan Gozali (story by & director)
along with a hungry team made the words on the pages
come to life. This film is currently in post-production
and will hit the festival circuit in Fall 2004. Check
back soon for screening dates and official site.
Synopsis:
Zoe enters a train terminal but doesn't really know
what to make of it. With the help of a kind soul, she
is on a quest to figure out what is not right.
IT'S
A MISMATCH - A story about two different families
clashing culturally in a modern Romeo & Juliet take.
Anup is the co-writer on this film starring Indian film
legends Anupam Kher & Boman Irani. For trailer, pictures,
and more info visit the official
movie site. Shot on 35mm.
INDEPENDENCE
DAY starring Roopashree
Jeevaji, David Bianchi, Vito Morte screened at the festival.
Anup edited this version of the film for USC director Nabila
Lester and producer/DP Brad Crowe. The haunting music is by
Chris
Murphy. This film screened at the recent 6th Annual Indo-American
Arts Council Film Festival in NYC along with Varun Khanna's
American Blend.
DADA
JI - It's Dada Ji's last chance to mend his relationship
with his daughter. He's willing to do whatever it takes
to make that happen...even if it means driving Rima up
the wall. Just goes to show that family isn't always a
cup of tea! The film stars Kumar Pallana (The Royal
Tenenbaums, The Terminal, Bottle Rocket)
and the talents of Tania Kapoor, Michael Connolly, Jamen
Nanthakumar, and Rajeev Chhibber. Anup edited this film
along with Sabina Shamdasani for Karma
Theory Films.
SLAVES
AND ENSIGNS: THE FAR SIDE OF THE BORDER
Synopsis:
One of the biggest movies of 2003 could not have been
made without these crucial individuals: The Specialists
(Glorified Extras) of Master and Commander: The
Far Side of the World. Slaves and Ensigns takes
a jovial look at the day-to-day lives of the special-ability
extras (trained in sword fighting, hand-to-hand combat,
pike, old world sailing, etc) during their time off-the-set
in this 15 minute documentary.
Anup
Sugunan interviewed nearly 50 members of the cast during
the five-week shoot at the Fox Baja studios near Rosarito,
B.C., Mexico. Their answers along with Anup's personal
venture to make it in the acting world gives this documentary
a light-hearted look at the 'way, way behind the scenes'
of a blockbuster-budgeted movie starring one of the
biggest actors of all time: Russell Crowe.
Trade
Offsmarks the debut acting performance
and first producing experience for Anup. The movie was shot
entirely in San Diego on weekends from July 4th to Labor Day
weekend 2002. Initially, Anup was asked to compose music for
this film. Anup states, "Music is very personal to me, much
more than filmmaking, so I declined the offer and asked to
audition instead." In addition to acting, he jumped into the
role of producing as well because of his experience and contacts
with the ndie film scene.
Synopsis:
Sapna and Manu enter a new world during a time of unparalleled
prosperity and late 90’s American excesses. One arrives
with bright eyes destined to be tempted. The other, skeptical,
soon to be deceived by a mirage. During their search to make
their lives complete, decisions are made which will alter
their planned course. We all make trade offs. What's yours?
LOOKING
FOR COMEDY IN THE MUSLIM WORLD - (view
trailer - requires quicktime)
The hilarious story of what happens when the U.S. Government
sends comedian Albert Brooks to India and Pakistan to
find out what makes the over 300 million Muslims in the
region laugh. Brooks, accompanied by two state department
handlers and his trusted assistant, goes on a journey
that takes him from a concert stage in New Delhi, to the
Taj Mahal, to a secret location in the mountains of Pakistan.
Anup has a featured role in this film.
DIFFICULT
HENRY - "RAPTURE" - Anup acted in this
music video along with Kaleti Williams for Director/DP Patrick
Guera. "This was the most grueling shoot I've ever had,
but one of the most fun and rewarding. I'm so happy with the
way it turned out", he stated.
FUJI
MINX - "CAT WINE" music video has Greta
Valenti leading the band. Anup plays Greta's misogynistic
love interest in the video directed by Lady Ransom.
THE
SLEEPING - "DON'T HOLD BACK" music video
teams up Anup - in a cameo role - with director Adam Thomson
and DP Sean Desmond again - their first time out was in A
Girl And A Gun.
THE
NUMBER TWELVE LOOKS LIKE YOU - "LIKE A CAT" - Director
Darren Doane featured Anup in this "public service announcement"
music video.
Anup
worked on the set of Master and Commander for five weeks in
Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico. His role was that of a
specialist, a special ability extra who was trained in sword,
pike, and hand-to-hand combat as well as sailing skills. Anup's
acting skills proved to be viable when he caught the eye of
2nd Assistant Director Tyler Romary who chose Anup out of
200 people several times for selected scenes. One of the scenes
included a one -on-one with Russell Crowe, with director Peter
Weir instructing the two. Unfortunately for Anup, that scene
never made it to camera as they wanted a uniformed officer
and Anup was just a warrior. "This industry is all based on
rejection. For every one actor you see on the screen, there
are thousands who are rejected. So, it gave me a taste of
what's to come. It was a good lesson," chimed Anup. He had
time to release steam during a rugby match against Russell
Crowe's English team. Clips of the match showed up on the
behind the scenes footage on the the 20th Century Fox Demo
Disc # 3 which was released Spring 2003.
