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March 2013
Adrian Saba
B.A. '10
Q & A:
- What was your favorite class, who was your favorite professor, or what is your fondest memory of Hofstra?
Many, many… it’s hard to decide! I enjoyed my film classes very much. Senior film, RTVF 47, Introduction to Film, Cinematography. But I also enjoyed the classes I took for my minor and outside my major. I minored in anthropology and I loved my classes; they expanded my views on the world and what we are. I took classes in the theater department like directing and acting, which also help me a lot in my work today. I wish I had time to finish my French classes, too! I also loved getting certified in scuba diving while I was at Hofstra! - What was your first job after graduating from Hofstra, and what was the most valuable thing you learned there?
I'm a filmmaker, so I've never really had anything “stable.” I did corporate videos, advertising, and worked as an assistant director in two plays while I was preparing my film. - What is your field of specialty, and how did you come to work in the industry?
Film directing. After I graduated from Hofstra, all I wanted to do was to shoot a film. That's all I had in my mind, and I decided that I wanted to come back to Peru because of my identity. I had to be introduced to the world as a Peruvian filmmaker with a Peruvian film. I am now part of the industry, but I've only been in it a very short time (I graduated in 2010). I made a foreign independent film that is doing really well around the world, and now I'm working on preparing the next one. - What advice would you give current Hofstra students?
Enjoy school as much as you can! And start pursuing your dreams while you are at school. Find that thing you love and do it. It's the greatest pleasure, no matter how hard it can get. There's nothing like doing what you love. - In one word, how would you describe Hofstra?
Outset. - Coming from Peru, what made you decide to attend Hofstra?
Hofstra’s film program and the scholarship I received. Filmmaking is all about taking risks; it's a bunch of people taking the risk that makes a film (and, in my case, a career) come together. Hofstra took the risk by supporting me for the whole four years. - Who in your field do you most admire?
Wow. Big question. Many, many people. I could start with my professors at Hofstra and my classmates who are out there. - Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Where do you see your career progressing to in the future?
Hopefully making more movies!
Adrian Saba (B.A. ’10) founded the company Flamingo Films in February 2011 to start producing his own films. His first film, El Limpiador (The Cleaner), had its world premiere at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, where it won the Jury's Special Mention. Since then, the film has been shown at festivals around the world. His next film, currently in development, was part of the official selection for screenplays at the 2011 La Habana Film Festival. It was also part of BoliviaLab 2012 and Cinefilia Executive Production Course 2012 with a full scholarship from Ibermedia.
Most recently, Adrian was accepted into the Cinefondation Residence Program from the Cannes Film Festival. They invite only six filmmakers from all over the world to live in Paris, all expenses paid, so that they can develop their next screenplay under the umbrella of the Cannes Cinefondation. The duration of the residence is four and half months, beginning March 1, 2013
Adrian was born in Madrid and was raised by the two contrasting worlds of his Peruvian father and Dutch mother, both of whom were involved in theater. At the age of 5, he moved to Peru, where he grew up surrounded by the world of the arts.
He completed his Hofstra studies in May 2010 with his senior film, The River, which screened at various film festivals worldwide and won Best Director at FilmoCorto (Perú), Best Short Film at FENACO (Perú), and Martil Film Festival (Morocco) where he was also invited to be a jury member for the documentaries in competition the following year.