LYNCHBURG, Va. – Zeshaan Younus never imagined he’d fulfill his dream of becoming a filmmaker, much less screening his work at film festivals around the country. For most of his adult life, Younus has made a career in non-profit leadership, working alongside organizations in project management and government relations.
It wasn’t until around 2016, when Younus became involved with The Frida Cinema, a non-profit arthouse in Orange County that aims to connect communities through cinema, that he decided to pursue his passion in filmmaking.
“I realized very quickly that my dreams of being a filmmaker were much closer in reach than I had ever assumed,” Younus said.
Younus, 36, was born and raised in Orange County as a first-generation American. His father was born in Pakistan and his mother in Mexico. He says that he grew up fascinated with the arts, always sifting through his father’s expansive film and music collection.
“I just spent a lot of time experimenting and immersing myself in those mediums,” said Younus, who is also part of a blackened doom metal group called “Ancient Tome.”
Despite no formal film school education, Younus has written and directed multiple short films and two feature films. He says that his love for filmmaking has always maintained a strong presence in his life.
“I grew up with film as my central religion,” Younus says. “I used the art form to navigate a lot of childhood hardship.”
This Saturday, Oct. 25, Younus will be screening his sophomore feature film, “I’ve Seen All I Need to See,” at the Lynchburg Film Festival at 2 p.m., followed by an audience Q&A session. The film follows an actor who returns to her hometown after the sudden death of her sister in search of answers.
Since its premiere in August at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature, the feature has gone on an impressive festival run throughout the country, with screenings in Arizona, Alaska, Minnesota and more. Last month, the film won the MINT Spirit Award at the Montana International Film Festival.
Younus describes the film as an “experimental ghost story” and says that he wanted to explore the process of grief in his film.
“I wanted to play with grief, and this is a story about grief and recovery and acceptance,” said Younus, who added that his personal relationships were a catalyst for the film. “If you’ve gone through anything difficult like that in your life, you know that it’s not a straight line, and I want this film to feel like that process.”
As part of the audience Q&A session, Younus will talk to audience members about the challenges he faced in creating his feature film, which he shot over the course of just 10 days. Younus said the film’s first five days were shot in California, with the next five shooting days taking place in Arizona six months later.
Younus first heard about the Lynchburg Film Festival after last year’s success, saying that he admired the mission and attention to detail that the festival took in their approach to creating a festival that celebrated aspiring filmmakers.
“I’m really interested in getting connected with organizations that really care about the experience of the festival,” said Younus, who praised the festival’s directors, Natalie and Alex Zhort. “They have such attention to detail and care so much about cultivating a community in an area that really needs diverse voices and alternative viewpoints. I was really inspired by that.”
For Younus, the experience of viewing his films on a big screen inside a theatre has become a form of validation for him. He says that watching your own films surrounded by an audience is one of the most formative experiences for an aspiring filmmaker to have.
“It’s those experiences that help formulate a dream that can alter somebody’s life,” Younus said. “Knowing that you have a seat at that table is so special.”
The Lynchburg Film Festival will be held at the Academy Center for the Arts on Oct. 25. The festival will kick off at noon, with 40 films show throughout the day.
For more information and tickets, visit Lynchburg Film Festival.
