Film student’s passion for producing takes her across the world
Kiara Agrawal, who is graduating this fall with a BFA in film and media production from The Sidney Poitier New American Film School at Arizona State University, on a production set during her internship with Fox Entertainment Studios. Courtesy photo
Kiara Agrawal knew since she was a child growing up in Mumbai, India, that she was destined for a life in film.
“My parents are producers back in India, so I grew up on film sets,” said the 21-year-old film student, who graduates this fall with a BFA in film and media production from The Sidney Poitier New American Film School at Arizona State University. “I think I always knew that film was what I was going to do.”
Agrawal, who loves traveling and meeting new people, specifically wanted an international college experience.
“I came to Arizona because ASU gave me the opportunity to be part of a great film program with amazing faculty that was affordable with my scholarship.” Agrawal was also drawn to the school’s Semester in LA (SiLA) program, which allows Arizona-based film school studentsThe Sidney Poitier New American Film School operates from Mesa and Tempe, Arizona, and from Los Angeles. to study and work in Los Angeles while staying on track for graduation.
“I’d been to LA before, and I really like it here. When I found out about the SiLA program, I knew I had to do it, especially because getting an internship in LA would be such a great experience.”
After a revelatory internship with Fox Entertainment Studios, Agrawal is ready to pursue her dream career as a producer.
Read the below Q&A to learn more about Agrawal's ASU experience and plans for the future.
Note: Answers may have been lightly edited for length and/or clarity.
Question: Why did you choose The Sidney Poitier New American Film School?
Answer: It was one of the few places that stood out to me. With my parents being producers, that’s the only part of the industry I had experienced. The program offered me the time and space to explore all of the roles within the film industry. And with ASU being a public university, I was able to study courses I was interested in outside of film and get a certificate in sales and marketing. I took courses like women’s studies and art history, which was really fun!
Q: What’s something you learned that surprised you or changed your perspective?
A: What truly surprised me was just how supportive the professors have been. Director Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Associate Director Sharon Teo-Gooding, and professors Horacio Velasquez, Andres Torres and Adam Collis have all played meaningful roles in helping me navigate both my academic journey and my time at SiLA. Their guidance has genuinely changed my perspective on what college professors can be: approachable, encouraging and deeply invested in their students’ success.
Q: What is something memorable you did in the SiLA program?
A: I attended the Film Independent Forum, where I sat in on a conversation between director Gina Prince-Bythewood and actress and producer Lena Waithe. Hearing Prince-Bythewood discuss her experiences making “Love & Basketball” and “The Woman King” was incredibly inspiring.
I also had the chance to watch an early screening of “Roofman” followed by a Q&A with director/writer Derek Cianfrance and producers Jamie Patricof, Lynette Howell Taylor and Alex Orlovsky. Another highlight was visiting the Sony Digital Media Production Center, where I explored their camera lineup and participated in a hands-on workshop filming a scene on their professional set. One of the most memorable events arranged by our professors was a visit to Lionsgate. We met with their recruiter, marketing team and vice chairman, Michael Burns, and caught an advance screening of “The Housemaid.”
Q: What has it been like getting real-world industry experience through your internship?
A: I did a current series internship at Fox Entertainment Studios. I was actually on the 20th Century Fox Studio lots and had an amazing time. I got to read pilot scripts from writers at different staffing levels, and it helped calibrate my brain to understand what a “good” script is. Since I’m most familiar with student scripts, reading scripts from professionals was a very different experience both in story and structure.
All the interns had to pitch a project to the FES executives, which was so nerve-racking, but they were all very supportive. I was able to see what the corporate side of the film industry looked like, and it made me realize I would be open to going into corporate.
Q: If you were given a blank check to fund your own creative project, what would you make?
A: In my internship, I had the opportunity to pitch a TV show to the executives — that’s what I would use the blank check to fund. The logline: While profiling four elite women of Istanbul, Turkey, American documentarian Anna is pulled into their turbulent inner worlds, uncovering the battles each woman is facing including cultural identity, religious tension and feminism in a patriarchal society. The show would be filmed in Istanbul, and the locations would be iconic city landmarks that would require a lot of money to get permits for as well as needing to fly out cast and crew for.
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