New York Film Academy (NYFA) Filmmaking alum Dhruv Sachdev has been very successful since taking the 1-Week Filmmaking Workshop, winning several awards for Redrum and A Gift of Love: Sifar.
Both films adapt classic American authors; Redrum is based on a story by Edgar Allen Poe while Sifar is based on The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. Sachdev’s next film will be an adaptation of O. Henry’s The Last Leaf.
Sachdev, who originally hails from New Delhi, India, attended the Filmmaking Workshop in 2016 at NYFA’s New York campus. “At NYFA we were taught a basic rule,” says Sachdev, “that every scene, every shot, or every dialogue has to strike a chord with the audience—and that can only be done by a filmmaker who understands which emotion is to be captured. Thus, we not only learned the technicalities of filmmaking, but in the process also learned to observe the complexity of emotions.”
Sachdev took that lesson to heart, and his work has been recognized at multiple festivals for its strong craftsmanship. Here is a list of the awards and nominations won so far by A Gift of Love: Sifar:
Winner – CKF International Film Festival, England – Best Feature
Winner – Crown Wood International Film Festival – Best Indian Feature
Winner – Cult Critic Movie Awards – Best Debut Director
Winner – Calcutta International Film Festival – Best Debut Director
Winner – Mahul Woods International Film Festival – Outstanding Achievement Award – Best Feature
Winner – Mahul Woods International Film Festival – Outstanding Achievement Award – Best Debut Director
Winner – L’Age d’Or International Arthouse Film Festival
Winner – Virgin Spring Cinefest
Winner – Five Continents International Film Festival, Venezuela – Best Independent Feature
Winner – Five Continents International Film Festival, Venezuela – Best Actress in a leading role
Winner – Five Continents International Film Festival, Venezuela – Background Score
Winner – Gold Movie Awards – London – June 2019 – Best Producer
Winner – Los Angeles Film Awards
Winner – Druk International Film Festival – Best Debut Director
Winner – Druk International Film Festival – Best Feature
Winner – Druk International Film Festival – Best Actress
Winner – South Film and Arts Academy Festival – Best Drama Feature
Winner – South Film and Arts Academy Festival – Best Screenplay Honorable Mention
Winner – South Film and Arts Academy Festival – Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film
Winner – South Film and Arts Academy Festival – Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner – South Film and Arts Academy Festival – Best Cinematography Honorable Mention
Winner – South Film and Arts Academy Festival – Best Editing Honorable Mention
Winner – South Film and Arts Academy Festival – Best Production
Winner – South Film and Arts Academy Festival – Best Art Direction Honorable Mention
Winner – Bacalar International Film Festival, Mexico
Finalist – Oniros Film Awards (award pending)
Semifinalist – Near Nazareth Festival – Israel
Official Selection – Rome Independent PRISMA Awards
Official Selection – Miami Independent Film Festival (award pending)
Official Selection – Berlin Flash Film Festival (award pending)
Official Selection – New York Aphrodite Film Awards (award pending)
“Once you start understanding human emotions,” Sachdev adds, “your journey towards being a filmmaker begins.”
New York Film Academy congratulates Filmmaking alum Dhruv Sachdev on his growing list of accolades and looks forward to his upcoming projects!