The 2020 Adobe Stock Film Festival Celebrates Young Creatives.

As we slowly emerge out of lockdown and back into a feeling of normality, we caught up with photographer/filmmaker Vivek Vadoliya about how the pandemic’s affected him, the power of creativity in lockdown and his brilliant new short film ‘The Portal’, created for the 2020 Adobe Stock Film Festival. The Adobe Film Festival will kick off from Wednesday 15^th where a series of short films from creatives around the world will be screened virtually. Each filmmaker was tasked with producing a film in under five days using only Adobe Stock footage, audio from Epidemic Sound, and Premiere Pro to showcase what the future of creativity looks like. Check out the live screenings here.

Tell us a little about yourself?

I am a photographer and film maker currently based in London. My work focuses on using a documentary type approach that explores overlooked communities, subcultures, and their identity.

What inspired you to do what you do?

Learning that I could use a camera to have conversations with people and tell their stories through my work.

How has covid:19 affected your work?

It has definitely slowed things down, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs, but I feel really lucky to have had the time to reflect, which is something I easily forget when busy. I also used it as a time to watch, read, and gain insight into my own creative process including trying out some new ideas that I’d like to get going at some point. 

What was the biggest challenge of working from home whilst in self-isolation?

I’m quite used to working at home, but as a photographer and filmmaker, my practice is based around people so not being able to go outside and work freely has definitely been challenging.

What is The Portal about…What inspired you to create it?

We’re living in an unprecedented time, everything is in flux. As we leave one construct of normal, we have to define something new. I was really inspired by the words of Arundhati Roy’s ‘The Pandemic is a Portal’ as the film presents an imaginary world capturing a satirical journey from one world to another. My film explores ideas of control, fear, and re-balance through poetic Adobe stock imagery.

What was your intention when curating the stock footage, what story were you trying to tell us?

I used the extensive Adobe stock footage archive as a sort of mood board to help tell the story. It’s about an imaginary journey from one place to another. The key message I wanted to convey was for people to look around themselves and think about what they can see and what impact can they have? How can they move forward and create positive change? The film is about rebirth and rebalance as much as the feeling of a journey.

What are some of the highlights/successes you’ve had most recently?

I recently did a project where I photographed a group of young horse riders from the Ebony horse club in Brixton, which has been nominated for the Portrait of Humanity prize. I’ve also been working on some other local projects with younger people in Bradford and London, which I’m hoping to do more work on.

What’s next for you on your journey?

I’m working on a longer-form documentary that will be shot in India as well as my first book which is coming outwards the end of the year. It explores the body through the discipline of Mallakhamb, an art form that uses wrestling grips and yoga poses to move the body. It’s been something I’ve been working on for a while so i’m excited to share the final piece.

What would be your advice to other creatives, struggling to maintain creativity and motivation in isolation?

Use your creativity as your voice, it’s such a powerful tool to be able to interact and have conversations with the world, especially in times of crisis. Don’t be afraid to try lots of things out! Not everything needs to be perfect, the best things come from happy accidents. Spend the time to get to know yourself and trust your intuition.

What are your top film recommendations for this summer?

• Persona by Ingmar Bergman
• The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 by Göran
• Olsson Portrait of a Lady on Fire by Céline Sciamma
• Do the Right Thing by Spike
• Lee The Lunchbox by Ritesh Batra

Check out the GUAP Arts & Culture section, to discover new art, film, and creative individuals.