In an exclusive interview with You! this talented director talks about his work and his likes and dislikes…
celebrity interview
Nuh Omar is a Pakistani filmmaker who has worked globally in film and advertising. He attended The New York Film Academy and Full Sail University, graduating as class valedictorian. Since he was a child, Nuh knew that he wanted to be a filmmaker. “My grandfather had a library of old films on VHS I would watch. I knew I wanted to make movies since I was 5, and my mother never discouraged my dreams,” says Nuh. He officially started his career in 2007 with music videos, shorts, documentaries and commercials and worked as an Assistant Director as well.
His film ‘Mojiza-E-Fun’ (The Miracle of Art) about late sculptor and South Asian arts pioneer Shahid Sajjad was shown at the Engro Excellence Awards. He has written and directed over 100 episodes for the YouTube web series ‘The Fortress of Dorkness’. He is a fan of science fiction and fantasy, particularly of magical realism. He has lived and worked in Los Angeles, New York, Karachi, and Dubai. These days, Nuh is working on three projects for television, two feature films, and a short. “The work I’m doing with New York writer Mark Davis on ‘The Alexandrian’ is up first, and currently writing my own TV project, titled ‘I’m Here’. And of course, I work on the show ‘The Fortress of Dorkness’ on YouTube,” tells Nuh. In an exclusive interview with You! this talented director talks about his work and his likes and dislikes…
I am a director and writer by trade, but I think you are not really specialised in a particular field in filmmaking. I have done shorts, commercials, docs, music videos, promos, bumpers, and I am now moving into television and feature films.
My favourite genres in film are fantasy and science fiction, particularly magical realism. I, of course, love the classics, like ‘Lord of the Rings’, ‘Star Wars’ etcetera. But I’m a big fan of some of the ones you usually don’t see as dominant giants of pop culture, such as ‘The Dark Crystal’, ‘Willow’, and ‘Blade Runner’.
Gosh, something like 25-30+ short films, commercials, and web ads. Around 100+ web series episodes. Now entering TV and feature films, which is a bigger commitment.
My film on the late sculptor Shahid Sajjad, ‘Mojiza-e-Fun’ (The Miracle of Art).
Steven Spielberg. His ‘Jurassic Park’ inspired me to become a filmmaker.
My old boss and a personal mentor, producer Scott Gardenhour.
Werner Herzog.
The late and great Omar Sharif. ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ is one of my top three films.
I love playing practical jokes on people, but it doesn’t always go the way you want!
Dishonest, unable to accept their flaws.
Tornadoes.
A baby photo of my little brother I’ve had in my wallet since I was a child. It’s transferred with me from wallet to wallet over the course of 25 years.
‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ by Journey.
Being idle, not being able to explore. I need to keep the cogs moving at all times and discover and try new things, which hasn’t been easy in the last year with Covid and all the lockdowns.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups! Forget eating healthy while those are lying around.
I have, and I have actually done work here too. It’s just a hard market to sell projects like mine, like magical realism stories for example. On top of certain cultural restrictions on the kinds of topics you can discuss here in your stories. It’s very limiting as a storyteller.
‘Village Lanterne’ by Blackmore’s Night. If you enjoy folk and fantasy, highly recommend it.
One of the first civilisations, ancient Sumer.
‘Super Trouper’ by ABBA.
Two toys: Masters of the Universe Origins He-Man & Skeletor. Big fan of MOTU, and these updates to the vintage figures were too good to pass up.
At the moment I am re-reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s works in chronological order, starting with ‘The Silmarillion’.
Journaling! Writing with a cup of coffee in hand is the most calming way to express myself and relax.
I’m pushed into conversations I am not part of. I’m a social butterfly, but I like my privacy, and it’s uncomfortable being forced into a situation you have no involvement in.
A tossup between the Natural History Museum in LA or House of Secrets in Burbank, CA.
Communicate, be honest, and trust. A relationship isn’t a one-way street, and both parties need to understand that.
I am a huge nerd! Besides films, I love comics and old cartoons from the ’80s and ’90s. I have been described as an encyclopaedia of pop culture. I also love collecting action figures as a hobby. I have hundreds of them, and they actually come in handy when you are story boarding or mapping out a scene for a film!
Lying in bed by myself or spending time with someone I care for. Watching ’80s & ’90s cartoons with a cup of coffee nearby.
Still doing what I love, telling stories.
I’d probably settle in Los Angeles, it’s my home away from home, but I love to travel. You go where the work is, so you never really settle anywhere in this industry. I feel with the kind of storytelling I do, the US is the ideal place to channel my creativity at the moment.
Make my dream project, and use the proceeds to start an initiative. I want to help people who don’t have the capability of helping themselves. Something to help build opportunities for others, for sure.
