I would say pick and choose your projects wisely. I know sometimes it can feel like if you turn down a job you may never work again but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. When you are working on a project you are passionate about, it can often not feel like work at all. That being said however, try to manage your time as efficiently as possible. Give yourself annual leave and take time off to enjoy other hobbies.
As a part of our series about “Filmmakers Making A Social Impact” I had the pleasure of interviewing Kiosa Sukami.
Kiosa Sukami is a BIFA long-listed, award-winning British-Congolese Writer & Director from London. He is known for his cinematic realism approach to film-making and has had works screened at several BAFTA & Oscars® qualifying film festivals.
Kiosa recalls the first time he fell in love with films at a tender age of 7, when he and his family travelled from Kinshasa to the UK to seek asylum from the Second Congo War. To teach him English, his mother would buy him VHS tapes from local car boot sales and he would sit in front of the screen for hours reciting the dialogue from his favourite movies.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Thank you for having me, I’m glad to be here. Sure. I was born in Kinshasa and moved to London aged 7 when my family and I fled a war-torn Congo. I was raised an only boy in a family of 5 children and my early childhood was spent fighting over the TV remote with my sisters. I was enrolled in school pretty much straightaway so adjusting to a new language and culture was pretty tough but having a strong family unit really helped.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
To learn English, my mum would buy me cassette tapes from local car boot sales and I would sit in front of the screen for hours reciting the dialogue from my favourite movies. I was fascinated by how these people were moving around on my little screen and the rest is history!
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I put out a teaser trailer of my short film ‘A Letter to Black Men’ and an American actor called Noah Centineo somehow came it across it, loved it and followed me on Instagram. I remember seeing him on a show called The Fosters when he replaced Jake T. Austin so when I was shocked when he reached out to give me some really helpful advice. He’s smashing it now, playing Atom Smasher in the new Black Adam film but he was still kind enough to connect me with director Julian Holmes, who he was working with at the time, to also share any pointers. He’s playing Atom Smasher
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
Failure is the best part. A lot of people looking into this career path are probably perfectionists, just like me, who want to make sure everything is right before sharing it with the world. I held myself back from filmmaking out of fear of the unknown and changing my mindset has been the biggest help. The first few films you make will definitely be crap but that’s how you get better overtime so just make a start.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
I think diversity brings new stories and different ways of thinking. There’s been a push recently for more underrepresented voices to be heard and we are already seeing the impact on young people aspiring to get into the entertainment industry. What draws anyone in is being able to see people who look like them doing what they one day wish to do. If you cannot point at someone who looks like you in your field, it’s very difficult to stay motivated or be inspired to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
I don’t have specific stories for these examples but I’ll list them anyway with a reason why:
- Learn how to invoice — fundamental as most jobs are freelance
- Your network is your net worth — the industry is built on relationships
- Equipment is not important — story is more important, you can make films with phones
- Find your collaborators — they will be your shoulder during tough times and your champion
- Become a Sound Recordist — there’s a lot more demand and your job is pretty much done when crew wra
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
I would say pick and choose your projects wisely. I know sometimes it can feel like if you turn down a job you may never work again but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. When you are working on a project you are passionate about, it can often not feel like work at all. That being said however, try to manage your time as efficiently as possible. Give yourself annual leave and take time off to enjoy other hobbies.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Thank you, that’s a massive compliment. I would probably inspire a movement to get people laughing more. We’ve been through a tough couple of years with the Covid-19 pandemic so a little humour is needed right now. The UK is historically known for good drama but there is definitely an appetite for comedy from audiences/
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’ve still got ways to go in my career so I would probably say my frequent collaborators have been a big help, particularly my First Assistant Director, Laurelle Jones. We met through a mutual friend on set of a low budget web series and I knew she would play a big part in my future. I live in a world of controlled chaos and I can sometimes have blinders on in pursuit of a single goal but she helps me take a step back and compartmentalise a project we are working on.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I have 2 actually. “Go with the flow because you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be” is the first one. I think a lot of people try to control how things work out but I learned very early on that you can’t no matter how hard you try. I have found that everything that’s happened to me has happened for a reason, even if it didn’t feel like it at the time. Weirdly things seem to always work out in the end.
My second life lesson/quote is “When one door closes, another one opens”. I was scared of rejection very early on in my career but I quickly realised just how many opportunities are out there. You will get a thousand no’s before you get that one yes and sometimes its because that thing many not be right for you.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Tyler Perry. I’m an entrepreneur as well as a filmmaker and he is the epitome of both to me. He is someone who has fought to have what he has now and doesn’t care what the industry is saying or doing. He focuses purely on providing good quality entertainment to an audience he has cultivated and that passion is what got me into the industry to begin with. A lot of people get into this industry because they see the glitz and glamour of winning awards but I think with him entertainment comes first and he now has his own 330-acre film studio complex in Atlanta.
How can our readers follow you online?
I am on Twitter & Instagram under @kiosasukami
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Thank you!
Filmmakers Making A Social Impact: Why & How Filmmaker Kiosa Sukami Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.