Nik Sysuev: Bringing A Creative Spark To Film Production That Is Turning Heads And Captivating Audiences

As the night came to an end after the awards ceremony at the renowned 2022 Dances With Films festival in Los Angeles, there was a feeling of excitement in the crowd. The kind of excitement that brings emotion to life, exhilarates the senses and gets people talking. A recently released short film that was produced by a film student while studying at the American Film Institute had just won the prestigious Audience Choice Award. In order to achieve such, this student would have to be a prodigy of filmmaking that was gifted with all the right skills to achieve greatness. He or she would have to have not only an extremely creative mind but also the know-how to put together stories that touch souls and leave powerful impressions. However, as Nik Sysuev stood there taking in the events that had just occurred, the fact that he is the aforementioned talent was not even on his mind. What he was thinking about was what his next pinnacle to achieve would be in order to continue his passion to bring stimulating and meaningful films to the world of cinematography.

The 1980s was a difficult time in the Soviet Union. It was apparent to many who lived there that the system had failed the people. Poor living conditions, lack of basic necessities, and corruption were rampant. From watching his mother build him a locker for kindergarten out of scrap wood to waiting in long lines to get food, Nik's childhood was filled with important life lessons that have molded him into the talented, creative, and ambitious person that he is today. During these times he learned that in order to get where you want to be, you have to be innovative. This means looking at every approach to solving a problem that is possibly viable. This unique ability, however, had still not grown to fruition during his formative years and he had no idea how beneficial it would be to him in the future.

As he entered his teenage years, Nik became known in his circle as the "movie guy". Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the influx of movies from the US became enormous and he watched as many of them as he could. However, unlike most people, a movie meant so much more to him than just a cheap form of entertainment. It was a form of art that encompassed the power of emotion while making an unforgettable impression on its viewers. To Nik, things like lighting, music, color, and camera angles mixed with compelling stories open a whole new way of communicating with the world. But bringing this passion to life was not in the cards at that point in his life. Something else was waiting around the corner for him that would temporarily distract him from his love of cinema.

When Nik was 16, his parents, wanting the best for him, decided to send him to a boarding school in England. There, he was introduced to a whole new world that gave him a different perspective on life and the great possibilities that exist for the average person. Like many young people, the fascinating world of banking and finance caught his attention and he decided to take a job in London working in equities trading after completing his university education. Like anything Nik Sysuev shoots for, he caught on quickly and moved up through the ranks eventually taking a VP position in his company. Living in a world-renowned city with a successful career, it seemed that he had it all but inside, the flame of his true passion could not be doused and he knew that to be truly happy, he had to be closer to cinematography.

As the wheels of the airplane hit the runway at the Los Angeles airport a year later, Nik was full of anticipation and excitement. He had been accepted to the prestigious American Film Institute Conservatory in L.A. and was about to embark on a whole new journey. As he settled into his new life as a student, his mind was alive with enthralling ideas and ambition. He knew that he was exactly where he needed to be. As time flew by for him at his university, he soaked up every ounce of knowledge that he could to bring to life his dreams of filmmaking.

Today Nik is catching the attention of film enthusiasts everywhere. With highly respected short films like KUSH: A Bubble Gum Western, produced in 2021, and the award-winning Why Don't You Like Me?, produced in 2022, under his belt, the future is promising. His current projects in development include a dark comedy based on his mother's life in the Soviet Union as well as an intriguing film about his father's career in politics which are both guaranteed to be crowd-pleasers.

Creativity, drive, and skill like this are something that you won't find often and those of us who are passionate about cinema understand and appreciate how important Nik Sysuev is to an industry that is in desperate need of new fresh talent. We are truly excited to see the releases of his next projects and know that whatever he does, it will be nothing less than the very best.