Mrinal Desai Cinematographer www.mrinaldesai.com
[email protected] +1.437.345.2651(Toronto mobile) +91.98205.46947 (Mumbai mobile) +1.917.684.2995 (New York mobile)
SELECTED AWARDS
Awards Film Category Festival International Jean Rouch 2016 The Day the Sun Fell Prix Mario Ruspoli Swiss Film Award 2016 The Day the Sun Fell Best Film Score Venice Int’l Film Festival, 2014 Court Best Film, Orizzonti Venice Int’l Film Festival, 2014 Court Lion of the Future, Best Debut Film Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, 2014 Court Siyad Best Film MAMI Film Festival, 2014 Court Golden Gateway, Best Film MAMI Film Festival, 2014 Court Golden Gateway, Best Director Tribeca Film Festival, 2012 The World Before Her Best Feature Documentary Hot Docs, 2012 The World Before Her Best Feature Documentary BAFTA, 2011 The Battle for Haiti Best Director (Factual) BAFTA, 2010 Terror in Mumbai Current Affairs Asia Pacific Screen Awards, 2008 Siddharth Grand Jury Prize 50th National Film Awards, 2003 Narayan Gangaram Surve Golden Lotus, Best Documentary Film 50th National Film Awards, 2003 A Few Things I Know About Her Golden Lotus, Best Director SELECTED FEATURES
Title Director Production Company Court, 2014 Chaitanya Tamhane Zoo Entertainment Nainsukh, 2010 Amit Dutta Reitberg Museum, Zurich Slumdog Millionaire (2nd Unit), 2009 Danny Boyle Celador Pictures Siddharth, 2008 Pryas Gupta Moviscorp SELECTED DOCUMENTARIES
Title Director/Producer Producer/Broadcaster Send us your Brother, 2020 Nisha Pahuja NFB Canada Earthrise – Ice Stupa, 2017 Lisa Dupenois Grainmedia / Al-Jazeera The Day the Sun Fell, 2015 Aya Domenig Ican Films Terror at the Mall, 2014 Dan Reed Amos Pictures/BBC & HBO The World Before Her, 2012 Nisha Pahuja Storyline Entertainment Children of the Tsunami, 2012 Dan Reed Renegade Picutres/BBC & SWR The Battle for Haiti, 2011 Dan Reed Quicksilver/Channel 4 & PBS Frontline Terror in Mumbai, 2010 Dan Reed Quicksilver/Channel 4 & HBO In Search of Gandhi, 2007 Lalit Vachani Steps International “Why Democracy?” Series Narayan Gangaram Surve, 2002 Arun Khopkar Khayal Trust A Few Things I Know About Her, 2002 Anjali Panjabi Films Division SELECTED TVCs, CORPORATES & WEB BRANDING
Client Director Producer/Agency Moneygram Vikram Acharya Candid Generation Woo Oni Sen Electric Dreams Film Company L&T Zafar Hai Haimark Films SKII Paul Austin Austin Advisory Donna Karan Paul Austin Austin Advisory Spice Moblie Razneesh Ghai Via Us Sky Jewellery Razneesh Ghai Via Us eSYS Oni Sen Illusion Kingfisher Oni Sen Illusion Mrinal Desai Cinematographer
www.mrinaldesai.com
+1.437.345.2651(Toronto mobile) +91.98205.46947 (Mumbai mobile) +1.917.684.2995 (New York mobile)
DRAMA credits as DP
Romil & Jugal (Web Series) 2016
Shortcut Safari 2015
Court 2014 Best Film – Orizzonti, 71st Venice Int’l Film Festival 2014 Lion Of The Future - Luigi De Laurentiis' Award For Best Debut Film 71st Venice Int’l Film Festival 2014 FIPRESCI Award – Viennale 2014 Golden Gateway, Best Film & Best Director MAMI Film Festival 2014 Golden Lotus, Best Feature Film – 62nd National Film Awards India’s Official Entry For Best Foreign Film In The 88th Academy Awards
Nainsukh 2010
Siddharth 2008 Best Actor, Osian Cinefan 2008, New Delhi Grand Jury Prize, Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2008, Australia
La Terre Ferme 2007
Mahek 2007
The Elephant’s Egg 2003 credits as 2nd unit DP
Slumdog Millionaire 2008 11 Oscars credits as camera operator
Marigold 2006
Looking For Comedy 2005 Mrinal Desai Cinematographer
www.mrinaldesai.com
+1.437.345.2651(Toronto mobile) +91.98205.46947 (Mumbai mobile) +1.917.684.2995 (New York mobile)
DOCUMENTARY mako & ken (working title) / aya domenig / beauvoir films (in production) 2019 right to fail (additional camera) / thomas jennings / pbs frontine 2018 after the fall / talya tibbon / thomson reuters / cgtn 2018 send us your brother / nisha pahuja / notice pictures (in production) 2018 no passport required (2nd unit) (3 episodes) / vox media / pbs 2018 for all we care / sambuddha mitra / greenbench (in production) 2018 starbucks unfiltered (addl camera) / luc hermann / premieres lignes 2017 gerrymandering (addl camera) / barak goodman / ark media 2017 christiane amanpour : sex and love around the world (2nd unit) (delhi episode) / sally freeman / zpz / cnn ` 2017 katie couric series pilot ep. / jean-marie condon / lincoln square productions / nat geo 2017 earthrise / lisa dupenois / grain media / al-jazeera 2017 gold world medal : environment & ecology, new york festivals international flm & tv awards 2018 polio / talya tibbon / show of force (india schedule) 2017
flush revolution / lily zepeda / latrine dreams productions (india schedule) 2016 fabric of indian design / shuchi kothari & katherine sender (in production) 2016 sons of speed / navneet prakash / parody films (in production) 2015 the day the sun fell / aya domenig / ican films 2015 Fünf Seen Filmfestival, Horizonte-Filmprize 2016 Bozner Filmtage, Special Mention 2016 Filmkunstfest Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Special Mention 2016 Festival International Jean Rouch, Prix Anthropologie et développement durable 2016 Festival International Jean Rouch, Prix Mario Ruspoli 2016 Festival International Jean Rouch, Special Mention: Fleury Doc Green Image Film Festival, Tokyo, Green Image Award 2016 Bozcaada International Festival of Ecological Documentary, Fethi Kayaalp Grand Prize - 2nd Prize 2016 Swiss Film Award, Best Film Score 2016 Swiss Film Award, Best Documentary Film 2016 (Nomination) terror at the mall / dan reed / amos pictures / BBC & HBO 2014 the prism of terror / tom jennings / PBS 2014 the world before her / nisha pahuja / storyline entertainment 2012 primetime emmy nomination 2014 best documentary feature: tribeca film festival, 2012 best canadian feature documentary: hot docs film festival, 2012 special jury mention: guanajuato film festival, warsaw film festival san diego asian film festival, 2012 canada’s top 10 films of 2012 : TIFF Bell lightbox children of the tsunami / dan reed / renegade pictures / BBC 2011 ground zero mosque / dan reed / ctvc / channel 4 & PBS 2011 the battle for haiti / dan reed / quicksilver / channel 4 & PBS frontline 2010 BAFTA, director (factual), 2011 tales from napa / lalit vachani / psbt 2010 the bible story, episode:jesus / dan reed / pioneer / channel 4 2009 terror in mumbai / dan reed / quicksilver media / channel 4 & HBO 2009 BAFTA, current affairs, 2010 primetime emmy & royal television society nomination 2010 success against all odds / krishna govender / diverse / sky tv 2009 the other olympics / nayantara kotian / al jazeera 2008 the bootcake (bombay schedule) / kathryn millard 2007 in search of gandhi / lalit vachani / steps international’s “why democracy?” series 2007 atlas india (2nd unit) / william hicklin / discovery-usa, lion films-uk 2006 the last viceroy (2nd unit) / blast films-uk / channel 4 2006 miranagari / anjali panjabi / india foundation for the arts 2006
1-800-INDIA (addl camera) / anna cater / SBS-australia,PBS-usa 2005 the house on gulmohar avenue / samina mishra / psbt 2004 toda stories / anjali panjabi / psbt 2004 natak jari hai / lalit vachani / india foundation for the arts 2004 soul of india (addl camera) / steven silver / PBS 2003 narayan gangaram surve / arun khopkar 2002 golden lotus, best non-feature film at 50th nat’l film awards 2003 unlimited girls / paromita vohra 2002 a few things i know about her / anjali panjabi / films division 2002 silver conch, mumbai international film festival 2002 golden lotus, best director, 50th national film awards 2003 Mrinal Desai Cinematographer
www.mrinaldesai.com
+1.437.345.2651(Toronto mobile) +91.98205.46947 (Mumbai mobile) +1.917.684.2995 (New York mobile)
SHORT FICTION & EXPERIMENTAL
shit one carries / directed by shuchi kothari 2017 bol / directed by meghna haldar for the Canadian Arts Council 2010 the fiction / director spandan banerjee 2008 starring anju srivastava / nid workshop film 2003 before anyone else / director anu srinivasan / ftii diploma film 2000
MUSIC VIDEOS, TV COMMERCIALS, WEB BRANDING & PROMOS
many over the previous years for perlmutt productions, candid generation, electric dreams film company, bubblewrap films, austin advisory group, mephisto films, lensflare films, via us, , illusion films, overdose films, ogilvy outreach colombo, famous animation, equus, o&m bombay, cine-assist, channel V, sahara filmy, colours, utv, milestone films etc.
PHOTOGRAPHY, EXHIBITIONS AND BOOKS
one hundred years one hundred voices // meena menon and neera adarkar // seagull books // 2004 shantiniketan – resettlement gone wrong // a photo exhibit // 2005
Mrinal Desai Cinematographer www.mrinaldesai.com
[email protected] +1.437.345.2651(Toronto mobile) +91.98205.46947 (Mumbai mobile) +1.917.684.2995 (New York mobile)
Mrinal initially studied to be an engineer and worked in the oilfields of Egypt, UAE and Kuwait observing the years of reconstruction after the Gulf War. Soon after he went on to study Motion Picture Photography at the Film & Television Institute of India.
His career as a cinematographer has now spanned two decades and has taken him across the globe filming with directors & producers on many different types of films. He has worked on feature length documentaries that have taken years to complete, television documentaries with strict broadcast deadlines, TV & web series with leading personalities, award winning feature films as well as high end branded content and TV commercials. This wide range of experience across cultures, working styles and technologies stands him in good stead while working on any project.
Mrinal’s documentary credits include the Primetime Emmy nominated, Tribeca and HotDocs winner for 2012, ‘The World Before Her’ directed by Nisha Pahuja, the BAFTA winner (2010) & Emmy nominated, 'Terror in Mumbai' & 'The Battle for Haiti' (BAFTA winner 2011) both directed by Dan Reed. Other films with Reed include ‘Terror at the Mall’ (BAFTA nomination 2015), 'The Ground Zero Mosque' (Channel 4/PBS) and 'Children of the Tsunami' (BBC/SWR).
His other documentary credits include “In Search of Gandhi” directed by Lalit Vachani, one of the 10 films made for the “Why Democracy?” series which was broadcast in October 2007 by over 40 broadcasters worldwide, Anjali Panjabi’s “A Few Things I Know About Her” & Arun Khopkar’s “Narayan Ganagaram Surve” both of which won Golden Lotuses at the 2002 Indian National Film Awards.
More recently he worked on some of the episodes of the Christiane Amanpour series for Netflix : Sex & Love around the World and the Marcus Samuelsson series for PBS : No Passport Required.
Mrinal’s last feature film, ‘Court’ was an astounding critical success winning 19 awards internationally including 2 Lions at the 2014 Venice International Film Festival and Golden Lotus for Best Feature Film at the 2015 National Awards. He was second unit Cinematographer on Danny Boyle's 2009 multi Oscar winning 'Slumdog Millionaire'. His other feature films include Amit Dutta’s “Nainsukh” for the Reitberg Museum in Zurich and Pryas Gupta’s “Siddharth” (Grand Jury Prize, Asia Pacific Screen Awards, 2008).
When not filming Mrinal enjoys being close to nature, spending time with friends & family, and Vipassana meditation. Initially based in Mumbai for many years and then New York, he is now settled in Toronto.