BEHIND THE SCENES

WITH THE MAKERS OF THE FASHION FILMS

Fashion and Film is now an integral part of the Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) as it invites aspiring film Directors to showcase their work on a fashion platform. Each selected Director is paired with a CFW designer to create a 1-minute preview of the designer’s inspiration or the mood for their collection. Each film is recorded entirely on a smartphone and will be unveiled prior to each collection taking the

ramp. The launch of the inaugural ‘Fashion Film Festival’ on the 25th of February 2019 at the Galle Face Hotel is dedicated entirely to showcase the Fashion Films and will also kickstart the Colombo Fashion Week that is set to take place from the 25th of February to the 2nd of March 2019. Today we talk to some of the film makers behind this season's fashion films about their work.

Zeeshan Akram Jabeer 1 Tell us about yourself. 2 When did you start film making and why? 3 What would you say is your signature style? 4 What inspired your film? 5 What was the concept for the film and how did it tie in with the designer's collection? 6 What kind of equipment did you use to shoot the film?

1 I’m not just your stereotypical carefree, hipster, filmmaker (Maybe I’m a tad bit of a hipster), I have a bachelors in Software Engineering (which still baffles people, for some reason) and I’m pursuing my MBA. I make films of all kinds for a living, passionately.

As a kid I’ve always been a hoarder of memories, may it be photographs or little video clips. I used to be that kid who’d ask for your phone and just take a bunch of candid pictures of people and fill your memory up. Capturing something in its natural essence in that very moment in time is probably the most valuable thing to me, personally. 2

I started it right here, for the very paper you’re reading. I was blessed with such a great opportunity and it put a lot of things into perspective for a confused 18-year-old. I got to work with all genres of content, because of the journalistic work I found myself in telling stories of people, people bleed emotion, capturing it is probably the most satisfying thing and the rest is history. In the last four years, I’ve worked on projects ranging from non-profit documentaries to TV commercials. It’s been quite a ride.

Being a Sci-fi buff I’ve always wanted a time machine, little did I know it was hiding in plain sight. 3 I wouldn’t call it a signature style yet, for it’s ever-changing but if there is something that’s stuck throughout it would be my love for visuals and audibles, because they both in their own respective forms can tell a story like no other but put together, they can tell two sides of the story and bounce off each other to piece together something thought-proving and soulful. 4 I got to collaborate with Aslam Hussein and Sonali Dharmawardhe for the second time, They’re both amazing designers and two sides of a spectrum if I must say, Sonali is about the beauty in chaos and Aslam is about the beauty in perfection, I take inspiration from their personalities and incorporate and make it a form of expression, so it’s not only a film about their collection but a reflection of some sort, and I hope I did them justice. 5

I started off with making sure the designers and I were on the same page so that the fashion film and the concept worked hand in hand and didn’t feel like they were forced together. I don’t want to give too much away but if you want to see the film it’ll be up on my instagram @ zeeshanakramjabeer.

The fashion film for Aslam Hussein, is very elegant yet cheeky, bold yet quirky. The fashion film for Sonali Dharmawardhane is something else, it’s symbolic, it’s a feeling, an emotion, it’s an expression in its purest form. If I have to quote her it would be “Love, Life, and Hope”. 6

It’s one of Colombo Fashion Weeks guidelines that the film should be shot on nothing but a smartphone, in addition to lights and gimbals to enhance it. It’s been quite an experience.

Being a Sci-fi buff I’ve always wanted a time machine, little did I know it was hiding in plain sight”

Indi being a creative mastermind gave me a no boundary opportunity to try out what I want”

Ezra Roberts 1 Tell us about yourself. 2 When did you start film making and why? 3 What would you say is your signature style? 4 What inspired your film? 5 What was the concept for the film and how did it tie in with the designer's collection? 6 What kind of equipment did you use to shoot the film?

1 I'm Ezra Roberts, I was a tea taster and a ruggerite, played for Kandy Sport Club and then switched to photography and film making. 2

My interest about film got kindled while I was a ruggerite and watching documentaries and videos. I had the knack of capturing the perfect moment and that led the way to click some jaw dropping photos at weddings and then I moved to filming because of the broader art form and as it's visually more creative. 3

My signature style would change from season to season because I firmly believe that creativity is a flow and if kept at one thing I will not progress. So I guess my signature style would be not sticking to one thing at all times but to try to push my creative limits every time I get the opportunity to do so. 4

I'm very inspired by a clean style and pace these days and Indi Yapa Abeywardena with her collection really matched with the flow of what I wanted to do. And Indi being a creative mastermind gave me a no boundary opportunity to try out what I want. So what inspired me was a blank slate and a great designer.

5 Cconcept wise it was the eco friendly and new Biralu (Local handmade Lace) concept that gave me a very bold and clean idea as the concept. So I encourage everyone to watch the film, why spill all the beans here. 6 We used an iphonex and an Osmo to stabilise the footage. Everything else was props and manipulation of what's available. That's why the concept was a huge thing from the start, the rest is just visual manipulation that's hopefully pleasing to the eye.