The Pull is a drama short film that follows a struggling musician who must confront his difficult past and choose between fulfilling his lifelong dream of success or facing his fears and returning home to his dying mother.

The Pull was made in 2015 and was my second attempt at making a short film so I was determined to make the most of it. However, I was not confident in my abilities and struggled to see the potential the project had. In the past, I received feedback from friends and family about my work, but I didn't know how to take it in and use it to improve my skills. As a result, I had not been motivated to create films. I had hoped that the film school would lead the way for me.

 I had not been motivated to create films. I had hoped that the film school would lead the way for me.

In the fall semester of 2015 during my production class, we had to create three films- the final one being the longest. I feared my teammates were not as passionate as I was, so I decided to take on the project by myself. I struggled with the storyline, and it was only when my friend Koosha Hakimi introduced me to Mobin Maali, a writer, that things started to take shape.

I wanted to keep the story within a reality that was accessible and utilize my local and mental resources to the best of my ability.

Within 30 minutes of pitching the idea to Mobin, we made a solid timeline and started working together. Mobin did the writing and most of the directing and I did everything else. I wanted to keep the story within a reality that was accessible and utilize my local and mental resources to the best of my ability. From the beginning, I was thinking like a producer.

The Pull was awarded the Best Film Award, and was selected to be one of the nominees for the Emmys that year.

When Mobin and I finished editing "The Pull", we were hyped up, bouncing around my cramped little room. We were so amazed by the final product that we couldn't believe that we, a couple of film school students, had produced something of such quality. It was like we had stumbled upon a hidden talent for filmmaking, and we were over the moon with excitement.

If you worry about the end product, it can paralyze you enough that you don’t even start.

The next day, the project was due for voting before it was going to be premiered at the end of the semester to the public. The Pull was selected from projects that were being voted on. The project won all but one of the awards, and was a great validation for us.

The Pull was awarded the Best Film Award, and was selected to be one of the nominees for the Emmys that year. However, our experience at the Emmys was not what we expected. We felt that our project was too radical and that it did not fit in as much as it would now, what? with everyone suddenly eager to jump on the POC band wagon.

Reflecting on my experience with "The Pull'' six years ago, I now realize that I was sweating the small stuff way too much.

If you worry about the end product, it can paralyze you enough that you don’t even start. Sometimes just starting the process is enough to pull out something great- and hey, even if it's not that great, it can be used as an opportunity to learn how to add elements during the process that can elevate it to something worthwhile. So, to all the young filmmakers out there, don't wait around for perfection. Just keep putting out those projects, and don’t let the fear get to you like it got to me with the Pull. Who knows, maybe one of them will end up being your big break.

Thanks for reading!

Shahrooz

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