Blanche Akonchong
“ON YOUR RADAR” IS A WEEKLY GRAD FILM NEWS SEGMENT THAT FEATURES A STUDENT PICKED AT RANDOM.
BLANCHE IS CURRENTLY A 3RD YEAR STUDENT AT GRAD FILM. WE ASKED HER A FEW QUESTIONS, AND HERE’S WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY:
1. Where do you consider home and what is it like there?
Riverdale, GA is my home. It’s on the southside of Atlanta. It’s warm, everyone is hospitable, and has a great sense of humor. It’s comprised of working class folk and a large immigrant population. If you’ve seen Atlanta or ATL those are great examples of it. Atlanta is full of cultural trendsetters.
2. What is currently inspiring you as a filmmaker?
Currently, I’m not ashamed to say Tik Tok has been inspiring me. I just downloaded it a few weeks ago and I’m addicted. There are so many young content creators on there who are enormously talented and innovative. I’m most enthralled by creatives who can do more with less. I’ve seen skits on there that make me want to step my game up as a writer. I love comedy and it’s the most entertaining bite size source for that right now. Filmmakers I’m currently most inspired by are Issa Rae, Michaela Coel, and Jordan Peele. Anything they touch does it for me.
3. What has been your most rewarding experience at NYU Tisch Grad Film so far?
My most rewarding experience at Grad Film has been developing meaningful relationships with my peers. I came into the program with the goal of being able to find community. I’ve been lucky to make friends and collaborators in this program I consider family which is truly rewarding. There are a lot of highs and lows as a filmmaker. Having people close to me who are also striving and making waves in this business is comforting and exciting.
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