Sasha Nathwani studied at the same film school as filmmaking legends Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee (Tisch @ NYU) and you know what he learnt? That film school is an “elitist, expensive waste of time”.
Sasha grew up watching classic films with his Persian grandmother. From Gone With The Wind to Casablanca to The Godfather. Next he read the screenplays – reverse engineering the films just as a mechanic takes a car apart and puts it back together. That is how they do it, right?
It’s this film-make-it-yourself attitude that keeps Sasha fresh, intuitive and instinctual. He strives to be completely present on set – watching what’s unfolding in the moment, giving the subject his undivided attention. This clarity and connection means his films are by nature profoundly heartfelt and emotionally charged.
Never one to blindly follow the latest filmmaking trend, he strives to find the very best approach and aesthetic to serve each story. Nothing looks cool for coolness sake. Whether short film, commercial or music video, Sasha strives to let the subject be seen, allowing the audience intimacy with them, in a stunningly cinematic approach. His films are emotive and engaging, pulling the audience into the worlds of every individual character.
Sasha’s music video catalogue includes three consecutive best video nominations at the Brit Awards with over a billion hits on youtube. His music video filmography features work for Izzy Bizu, Jasmine Thompson, Snakehips, MK, Brother Leo and Becky Hill.
His narrative work includes the 2017 short film Play The Game, starring Malcolm Kamulete of Topboy, about a footballer struggling to reconcile his sexuality with his rising fame. The film premiered at the Pristina International Film festival and won Best International Film at the Kinsale Sharks. His experimental short doc The End of the Line was the recipient of an endorphin award for best direction and concept.
His recent work includes the touching 2021 Short Film “Raj’s Story” about the Royal Navy’s first Sikh submariner which was a recipient of a One Point Four and Channel 4 Diversity Award; a global campaign for New Balance “Impatience Is A Virtue” starring Jaden Smith and Coco Gauff was the recipient of a Endorphin Award, and is indicative of his youthful style of visual storytelling for sports content and a music video catalogue which includes two consecutive best video nominations at the Brit Awards with over a billion hits on YouTube for artists such as Izzy Bizu, Jasmine Thompson, Snakehips, Brother Leo and MK.
His debut feature film Last Swim, produced by Caviar, recently had its global premiere at the 2024 Berlinale and was awarded the Crystal Bear. Last Swim will be the first film from Sasha’s slate of forthcoming projects presently in development, each one an exploration of the duality of identity, a core theme in all of Sasha’s work.