Spotlighting the stupendous class of Young Guns 20
Nearly 100 renowned industry professionals made up the jury for Young Guns this year. And after revealing the 84 finalists, it is finally time to unveil the 31 winners who make up the class of Young Guns 20.
Every year, we add another class of young talent from all over the globe to the exclusive Young Guns community. The winners of Young Guns 20 are your next project directors, animators, designers, editors, illustrators, artists, photographers, storytellers, coders, and writers. So this is your cue to follow them on Instagram immediately– because they are our industry’s future legends after all.
In two weeks, the winners will fly into NYC from around the world to celebrate their accomplishments, make new friends, have a few cocktails, and take home their official Young Guns Cube. We can’t wait to celebrate with them at Sony Hall on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, at 6:30 PM– and we hope to see you there too!
Before the party begins, we took the time to get to know each of our winners so you can read up on the highly creative individuals who make up Young Guns 20.
ALEXANDER FARAH
DIRECTOR & EDITOR
Based:
VANCOUVER, CANADA
Hometown:
NEW WESTMINSTER, CANADA
How did you first hear about Young Guns?
From a dear friend and previous winner.
Congrats on the win! What made you enter this year?
Now or never, baby. It was my first time entering - I felt enough momentum in the past year and curated a strong batch of projects that reflect the work I care most about.
Young Guns is as much an exercise in self-curation as it is in sheer creative talent. After all, you are only allowed to submit six projects. How did you decide which pieces were best to enter and truly reflected you and your work?
I submitted the pieces I feel closest to – projects where I felt a significant amount of creative agency. Projects that made me understand the mark that I, and others, have left on each other as collaborators, and by extension, the work itself.
What went through your mind when you discovered that you won, especially knowing how difficult it is to make it into Young Guns?
I was living. Honoured and flattered. I hope to never have to knock on anyone's door for the rest of my career.
How would you describe your personal brand?
Somewhere among "the diaspora" at the intersections of honest, emotional and self-aware. In my lane, if you will. A lane that's constantly under construction. I'm not sure. Says to ask again later.
Whoare some of the biggest influences on you and your career?
I return to the works of Asghar Farhadi, Sean Baker, and Andrew Haigh regularly. No notable mentors, but more and more, my fellow peers and collaborators. It's been endearing this festival season, seeing so many friends premiering their debut features after years of hard work. It feels inspiring and encouraging.
"No notable mentors, but more and more, my fellow peers and collaborators. It's been endearing this festival season, seeing so many friends premiering their debut features after years of hard work. It feels inspiring and encouraging."
Now that you’re in the Young Guns crew, are there any past winners you look up to and admire? What is it about their work that you love?
A.V. Rockwell (YG16) and Maceo Frost (YG15) come to mind. I admire the uniqueness of their voices, and how the medium of film lends itself so compellingly to each of their storytelling sensibilities.
Name a professional dream that you have yet to fulfill — hey, maybe Young Guns can help propel you in that direction! Who would you love to collab with?
It's an endless list. I've been recently blown away by a live performance from Alok-Vaid Menon– would love to work on something narrative with them. I admire the composers Max Richter, Micah Levi, and Abdullah Siddiqui. And on the shamelessness of serving "pick me" energy, my pipe dream music video collaborations include Seinabo Sey, FKA Twigs, Lykke Li, Sigur Rós, Solange, and Sevdaliza.
This is YG20, but what do you imagine you’ll be up to when YG30 rolls around in 2032?
This hurts to think about.
Best piece of advice to share?
My best piece of advice is to get into dentistry or tech. Or maybe consider being a colorist. File your taxes. Live with intent. Is the current project you're working on, something you'd like to be buried with? If not, are you in the headspace to receive information that could possibly hurt you? Just teasing. Remember– there can be a hundred people in a room.
Come party with us and celebrate all the Young Guns 20 winners on Wednesday, November 16 at Sony Hall!
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