UnLonely Film Festival 7
The Coronation
Dhruv Sud
In this rhinestone encrusted fable, A young boy sneaks out from his parents’ home in New Jersey to see his drag queen friends in New York City. While there, he is encouraged to try drag for the first time and he is crowned queen for a night.
Consider This
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Meet the Filmmaker
What is their why?
Dhruv Sud is a Writer, Director, and Educator based in Brooklyn and Hong Kong. He is a 2021 member of the prestigious BAFTA Newcomers Program, an inaugural recipient of the Joel Schumacher / Sophia Cranshaw Mentorship Award from The Gotham Film & Media Institute, and a recipient of the 2022 Phil Johnston Comedy Grant. He is a graduate of Columbia University with a MFA in Screenwriting and Directing and has worked as a Teaching Assistant to James Schamus and Robert King. He finds himself drawn to dark comedy and melodrama, often dealing with themes of queerness, community dynamics, racial identity, immigration, or privilege. He is interested in expressionism and subjectivity, and his work is characterized by a sense of experimentation, theatricality, and highly saturated aesthetics. His directorial debut THE CORONATION premiered in competition at the 38th edition of the Miami Film Festival and was screened at the Nashville Film Festival and Montclair Film Festival in 2021. He has directed branded content for Trojan and Youtube Pride.
“My aim was always to showcase a group of talented drag performers in a story that meaningfully engages with the complexities of their existence. Isolation in the young queer community is a huge issue, and I wanted to showcase the communal aspect of the craft. The ethos of drag was foundational to this film. At the heart of the story, the film is about the transformative power of the art form and that inspired how the team approached every element of the filmmaking.
I’m thrilled to have worked with a crew comprised of members of the queer community, women, and people of color. Film and drag both bring people together in the name of entertainment, and I’m so happy to have created an inclusive space for free play and experimentation.
THE CORONATION is an experimental and experiential celebration of the art form of drag under the guise of a narrative short. I am so thankful to have collaborated with the amazing queens, BAMBINA, THE BLAIR BITCH, ZENOBIA, and YUHUA HAMASAKI who dove head first into this journey with me. I can’t express enough how talented and multifaceted each one of them are.”
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What rites of passage have you experienced? How have seemingly insignificant moments taken on greater significance in shaping your identity? Have you found your tribe after years of feeling alone?
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