🎥🎬📽Film Director & Startup Stiwdio Member Nominated for Cannes Film Awards 2023 – With great pride and excitement, we announce the nomination of Startup Stiwdio Member, Running Cliche Co-Founder & Film director Mahesh Madhu Naidu for the prestigious Cannes Film Awards 2023. Mahesh has been recognised for his short film Lazy Bones, as Best Student Film. 🎉🎊
The Cannes Film Awards, which take place annually in the French city of Cannes, are widely regarded as one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. This year a total of 2,836 films from 119 countries were submitted, and only 245 films made the nomination shortlist, one of which is Lazy Bones.
Mahesh started his career and trained as an actor through Radaan Acting School in India. After acting in various projects, Mahesh broadened his skills by producing his first short film, No Evom (Dramma/Triller), which was published on Amazon Prime in 2020. To further his career, he decided to undertake a Master’s in Film Direction at USW in January 2021. During his Master’s, he met his business partner, Sam Griffiths; together, they are Founders of Running Cliche Production House.
Through his Final Major Project brief, Mahesh outlined the idea of Lazy Bones, and writer Dave Slocombe crystalised the idea into a screenplay. Lazy Bones was initially 15mins; once completing his Master’s in August 2021 Mahesh felt that Lazy Bones needed more refinement and spent the next year focussing on recomposing the music and reshooting the ending and beginning scenes.
In July 2022, Mahesh became a Startup Stiwdio Sefydlu member, providing a more professional environment for him to work from. He had the opportunity to screen Lazy Bones to other Studio Members to provide necessary feedback. The Startup Stiwdio not only provides an incubator space for Lazy Bones, but it also continues to benefit the growth of Running Cliche, which Mahesh states, ‘This is an excellent space for Networking, and the Startup Stiwdio provides a professional space to meet clients and other film industry professionals.
Lazy Bones would not be successful if not for his team (Please see credits below) and the Executive Producer – Madu Naidu – Mahesh’s Father, who believed in his vision and commissioned the production of Lazy Bones. Lazy Bones is a short film that follows the journey of Ted, a 25-year-old man-child, who lives under the roof of his rich girlfriend Sarah.
Although he is clever and a knowledgeable accountant, Ted’s laziness makes it hard for him to find and keep any job. Ted wants to be able to provide more than empathetic emotional support to his girlfriend and sets on a journey to find himself a job. Somehow, he stumbles upon a profession unlike no other that perfectly matches his personality and lifestyle, helping him provide for his girlfriend.
Film Festival: Once the second production phase was completed, there was a stagnated period on how to market for Industry Reach. This stagnation initiated the application to film festivals in January 2023. Since February 2023 Lazy Bones has made quite an impression on the film festivals – nominated for Best Comedy Shot for Nomadic International Film Festival in LA,USA; Winner of Best Student Alternative for International Comedy Festival USA; Nominated for Best Comedy Film for Georgia Comedy Film Festival Atlanta USA; Nominated Best Student Film for Cannes Film Awards France.
I caught up with Mahesh:
Q1 How did you feel when you were nominated? M: “Cliche- I couldn’t believe it!” – very on-brand. “I had to double-check the website to ensure this was correct, I then told my mom, dad and brother. ”
Q2: What would you like the future of Lazy Bones to be? M: “Feature Film – it has scope for a Feature Film.”
Q3: How have these nomination recognitions influenced running Cliche? M: “It boosted both Sam’s & my confidence. The aim is to make passionate short films, and now we are pushing boundaries to produce bigger films whilst remaining grounded in our value which is the passion for film production.”
Q4: What is the future of Running Cliche? M: “To produce Feature Films- In addition, we have made a pilot for a sitcom and currently pitching it to studios. And working on a preproduction of a short film. “
Mahesh’s nomination is a testament to the power of independent filmmaking and a reminder of the vital role that filmmakers like him play in resilience and persistence. We congratulate him on this well-deserved honour, and wish him the best of luck.
Cannes Film Awards results will be on the 29th April 2023. For more information on Mahesh and his work, please visit runningcliche.co.uk Contact: Running Cliche – Mahesh Madhu Naidu and Sam
Giffithsrunningcliche@gmail.com Instagram: @runningcliche
Written by Tasha Cole, Kiff Media Hub. – 25th April 2023
