Interview with Multi-Award Winning UK Producer Director Arun Kumar at 2025 Cannes Film Festival

Multi-Award-winning Director + Producer Arun Kumar was born and brought up in London. He studied Economics at the University of Essex graduating with honors in 1988. After 18 months of traveling in Asia and filming his experiences he returned to London and studied film and video at Goldsmiths College, The University of London and at Thames Valley University in Ealing.

Arun has directed commercial work for Motorola, Sony, Kvaerner, and St John Ambulance. Arun has directed music promos for Sophie Barker (HoHum records), Laughing Buddha (EMI), and The Countess. In 1997 he won an Arts Council award to make a pilot for a comedy-drama series Fly on the Wall which began his career in drama. In 1999 he began to write a feature film screenplay which developed over the subsequent 3 years into the screenplay Venus. His critically acclaimed short film Looters (2002) won the jury special award in Termoli, Italy, Memorable award in Thessaloniki, Greece, and was shortlisted for a BBC talent award. Arun's second short film Eating Out (2004) won the bronze medal at the 2004 Westfest in Texas and awards for directing and screenplay in the 0110 Film Festival in India.

Arun directed his first feature film The Truck of Dreams from his own screenplay for Sahara Motion Pictures in August 2005. This won the World Cinema Best Feature Film Award in the 2006 Washington International Film Festival. In September 2008 Arun took over as Director on The Big I Am starring Leo Gregory, Vincent Regan, Michael Madsen, Paul Kaye, Michael Harvey, Steven Berkoff & Beatrice Rosen. He brought his own team on board after financiers halted the original production, which went considerably over budget. Arun brought the film in on time and on budget.

Arun is scheduled to shoot the pilot episode for the TV drama series Underbelly in September 2022. Feature films in development include Far Out Far In, Dr. Swapher, Alternative Therapy, Mafeking, The Bravehearts, Turkish Delights, Macalla and Soldier. Arun is developing the TV drama series Gatekeepers, Underbelly, Truman, The Ravenmaster, Six Miles to Seven, Wannabe Traveler, Sundown and Backbone. Arun has recently completed writing the screenplay for the forthcoming feature film Soldier.
 

Interview by Vanessa McMahon