Feature Film & TV Production Grant integral to “Bending Light” success

Anand Ramayya is a successful grant recipient of our Feature Film & TV Production Grant for his upcoming documentary, Bending Light.

For Anand Ramayya, receiving the Feature Film & TV Production Grant from Creative Saskatchewan is integral to his success. “They are a key part of my financing models for all of my projects,” says Ramayya, who has been producing film in Saskatchewan for 22 years. “They are excellent, timely and flexible.”

Ramayya, along with his co-producers, Kelly Balon of Saskatchewan-based Karma Film and Mel D’Souza with Silo Entertainment, were successful in their grant for their project Bending Light, directed by Alan Goldman and featuring Bob McDonald. Bending Light is a feature documentary that tells the story of an incredible 1922 expedition to prove Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

Producing the documentary in Saskatchewan was certainly no accident. “The work ethic, community support and ease of interaction with our funding body make Saskatchewan one of the best places to produce in the country,” says Ramayya. “The range of locations is wide and relatively untapped as we can double for most major cities in North America and provide remote country-side locations. This combined with our soundstage allow us to accommodate almost any location imaginable. And with the community’s support, you’ll find locations more accessible and affordable than other jurisdictions.”

Ramayya sees only a bright future for film in the province. “The potential is limitless,” he says. “We have world class facilities, a strong funding program and a great talent base from which to develop our crews for documentary, live-action and animation.” With assistance from Creative Saskatchewan grants, he has high hopes for the future. “We’ve achieved a lot and continue to set our sights on bigger and better projects that we can produce in Saskatchewan.”

Creative Saskatchewan’s mandate of economic development fits perfectly for an entrepreneur like Ramayya. “Every dollar invested from Saskatchewan triggers many more from elsewhere and the way we spend stimulates a disproportionate amount of economic spin off,” he explains. “We spend a lot of money quickly and that acts to stimulate local economies in a very healthy way.” From a business perspective, the grant is invaluable. “It’s allowed us to grow from producing single projects to now having a slate of productions we can shoot and post almost entirely in the province and build our local community.”

Asked if he has any advice for businesses seeking support in the form of grants, Ramayya has a few pieces he can share. “Talk to the staff, ask for advice from local producers, generate strong projects with support from national players that can be done here and you’ll have the support you need. For any art to be sustainable you have to be entrepreneurial and seek out ways to be commercial and profit.”