NYFA Alum Raul Sharma named one of Austin Film Festival and MovieMaker Magazine's '25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2023'

NYFA MFA Screenwriting Alum, Raul Sharma was named Austin Film Festival and MovieMaker Magazine's '25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2023'. His script TURNSTILE was a semi finalist at the Austin Film Festival. Raul spoke to NYFA about his recent success and future projects.

NYFA Alumni Network: Can you tell us a bit about yourself, where you're from, and what brought you to New York Film Academy?

Raul: I’m a Kiwi-Indian screenwriter known for penning dark genre features and adult animated pilots. I was born in India and grew up in New Zealand, where I’m currently based. As for what brought me to NYFA – serendipity! I visited L.A. with my family in 2016, which is also when I was considering pursuing a career in screenwriting. As we exited the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, I saw the NYFA Burbank building across the street. We went in for a tour and I was thoroughly impressed with the facilities and curriculum, and well, the rest is history!

NYFA Alumni Network: What projects have you worked on since graduating? 

Raul: Since graduating, I’ve written several features and pilots on spec, which have garnered recognition both in New Zealand and internationally. My thrilling sci-fi feature TURNSTILE received the coveted New Zealand Writers Guild’s Seed Grant and placed in prestigious contests including the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting and the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition.

I was also selected for Roadmap Writers’ Pitch Prep Programme by earning a second-place finish in their Diversity Initiative Competition, The Big Idea’s Toipoto Mentorship Programme, and have been a finalist in NZWebFest’s Pitch Competition two years in a row with my web series FRESH TO DEATH and IMMUNE.

Most recently, I worked as the Script Coordinator for Season 30 of POWER RANGERS and the MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: ONCE & ALWAYS 30th-anniversary special. I have also been included in Austin Film Festival and MovieMaker Magazine’s “25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2023” list.

NYFA Alumni Network: What was your reaction to making the list of Austin Film Festival and MovieMaker Magazine's '25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2023'?

Raul: I was truly surprised and honored to make the list. It was certainly a moment where my imposter syndrome flared up again, but that monster is now back in its cage! I’m incredibly grateful to be recognized and championed by AFF and MovieMaker Magazine, and for the opportunity to showcase my work and connect with other talented screenwriters.

NYFA Alumni Network: Tell us more about your latest script TURNSTILE? What was the inspiration behind the story?

Raul: My feature script TURNSTILE is a grounded sci-fi thriller set in a future where humans live indefinitely and the world’s population is strictly controlled via a one-in-one out policy, and follows a lawful couple as they desperately search for a way to save their unborn triplets before the government has them forcibly aborted. Think CHILDREN OF MEN meets SOPHIE’S CHOICE.

They say “write what you know” and this story is no different. In TURNSTILE, my protagonist’s parents gave their lives so that he could be born. Though he yearns to become an artist, he believes he needs to do something more significant with his life and find a purpose worthy of his parents’ sacrifice – i.e. raising his triplets. This paralleled what I was feeling at the time – my parents worked their entire lives so that I could do anything with mine – is pursuing my dream of becoming a screenwriter really worthy of that? Additionally, as someone with a tinge of thanatophobia, I was keen on exploring a world where people lived indefinitely and its deficiencies.

NYFA Alumni Network: What did you learn at NYFA that you applied directly to this project and others?

Raul: Everything, really – in terms of screenwriting theory and execution. But one of the most valuable skills I picked up at NYFA was probably the art of giving and receiving notes. After all, screenwriting is an iterative process and the only way to craft a compelling script is by being open to and applying constructive feedback – which has been invaluable not only for my own projects but when collaborating as well.

NYFA Alumni Network: What are you working on currently? Are there any future projects you'd like to share with us?

Raul: I’m currently writing a single-location superhero psychological horror feature titled DIAMONDBREAKER, which once again draws from my personal experiences and fears – this time exploring my need for perfectionism and my fear of failure. Think SUPERMAN meets THE BABADOOK.

I am also working on several adult animated pilots, including SAVING SAM – a half-hour sci-fi mystery dramedy in which an audacious journalist discovers she’s a nerve cell inside an aging alcoholic and teams up with Homeland Security (Sam’s immune system) to take down the corrupt cells in power and save both him and her world. Think HOMELAND meets INSIDE JOB.

NYFA Alumni Network congratulates Raul on his success! 

If you want to stay up to date with Raul's project you can check out his website www.writtenbyraul.com or follow him on social media: @WrittenByRaul