Born and raised in Forest Park, Illinois, Sreejith Nair has had a passion for film ever since he watched his first movie, Disney’s Dinosaur, at the age of five. His family is from Kerala, a southern state in India.
Sreejith grew up loving monster movies like Godzilla and King Kong, but realized he could never be a part of those films because there are no roles for Indian actors or filmmakers.
He started making short videos in high school and went on to attend Columbia College Chicago to study film, graduating in the class of 2016.
In his junior year of college, Sreejith started making short films starring only Indian actors and helped program Chicago South Asian Film Festival. Since then he has dedicated his work to give South Asians, and other people of color, a spotlight.
Currently, trying to make it in the Hollywood Film Industry, Sreejith’s ultimate goal is to make big monster films like Godzilla one day, with people of South Asian background.
Being born and raised in Chicago by a family from Kerala (South India) has definitely given me a unique perspective on the world.
My favorite movies are Jurassic Park, King Kong, Godzilla and Transformers. I have always imagined myself fighting dinosaurs, or saving the world from aliens. But I have often been told that American audiences don’t want to watch Indian actors play such iconic roles.
My personal drive as an artist is to break cultural boundaries and prove that wrong.
For as long as I have known, I have always wanted to tell stories about characters from different backgrounds overcoming impossible odds. Whether it’s about two people from different cultures learning how to get along, or about a young human teaming up with an alien robot to save the world.
Whether I am telling a story through a single image or an entire film, I tell stories to give people hope and remind everyone that despite how impossible things seem, you can overcome challenges. Whether it’s about your race, sexuality, or even your personality, there is only one “you” and you are here for a reason.
Los Angeles feedback film festival 