Today we’re excited to be connecting with Heliya Alam again. If you haven’t already, we suggest you check out our prior conversation with them here.
Heliya , always such a pleasure connecting with you and thank you for sharing your stories, insights and inspiring messages with our community. We’re looking forward to getting the download and what you have been up to since our last interview, but first can you briefly introduce yourself to folks who might have missed the prior conversation.
My name is Heliya Alam, and I am a writer, producer, and director.
I remember being that one child in our family to gather the rest of the kids in the neighborhood and assign them all roles while I held our family’s 90s giant camcorder with my tinny little hands. Fast forward fifteen years later, I recieved my degree from USC School of Cinematic Arts and jumped into the field right away. I started out in video marketing as an intern at Warner Bros. and, six years later, had the incredible opportunity to lead-produce marketing campaigns for Disney shows such as Dancing With The Stars Season 31, The Kardashians Season 2, The Dropout, and Tehran Season 2 for Apple TV. While growing both as an individual and as a producer in the video marketing and advertising world, the filmmaker within me never wavered—because at the heart of everything I do is what has always driven me: The love of storytelling and being an independent filmmaker.
For the past eight years, I have been simultaneously producing for entertainment and video advertising agencies while also creating independent projects. In short, it’s been all work, no play. Except, I found myself having some time here and there, to grab my surfboard and head to the water.
In 2017, in addition to short films, I started producing indie films and to date I have produced six feature films in genres of physiological thrillers, comedy, and horror. My experiences in the field as an independent producer helped me tackle obstacles I never would have known how to handle in my corporate roles, and vice versa.
I’m a firm believer that every individual’s path is unique, and mine has allowed me to pick up a variety of skills along the way. Through my corporate experience, I tackled writing, producing, editing promos and/or juggling multiple sets for a show launch and I carried these skill sets with me into y film sets.
Great, so let’s jump into an update on what you have been up to since we last spoke. What can you share with us?
I fully shifted my focus toward writing, directing, and producing in the film and TV space in 2023. I started directing narrative commercials, started production for a comedy feature, and started developing a drama show. However, shortly after, the Hollywood writers’ strike and industry-wide layoffs hit, pressing the industry’s big ol’ pause button.
After a year and a half of figuring out how to proceed, I realized that with fewer opportunities in an already over-saturated field, Hollywood’s ways were shifting. So I joined forces with two of my producing partners and dear friends at VP Independent, and started producing feature films by using a specific model, breaking all industry rules and ways of how to make a film. Through that, my small little production company (LBM Pictures) was born.
LBM Pictures focuses on producing thrillers, dark comedies, and psychological dramas with heart, all within contained budgets that still look fantastic, by using a specific formula. Currently, there is one feature film in post-production called The Hermit and two exciting projects—two feature films and a TV series—in development.
Alright, so let’s do something a bit more fast-paced and lighthearted. We call this our lightning round and we’ll ask you a few quick questions.
- Favorite Movie: Young Woman and the Sea
- Favorite Book: Fourth Wing
- Favorite TV Show: The Queen’s Gambit
- Favorite Band or Artist: KarolG
- Sweet or Savory: Sweet
- Mountains or Beach: This one is tough! I have to say both!
- Favorite Sport (to watch): Soccer
- Favorite Sport (to play): Tennis
- Did you play sports growing up (if so which ones): I was aa runner. I ran cross country and track
- As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up: A singer
- French Fries or Onion Rings: French Fries for sure!
- Favorite Cartoon growing up: Captain Tsubasa – a Japanese manga series
- Favorite Childhood movie: The Sound of Music
- Favorite Breakfast Food: A parfait
What are you most excited about in the coming year?
In the new year, I’m excited for everyone to see The Hermit, a thrilling story directed by Andrew Vogel, and Cali Girls, a comedy highlighting professional women bikers, directed by Jen Whalen. In addition, there will be more exciting news around two new features that we hope will go into production in this new year.
Our combined producing team is actively looking for more scripts that fit our model, and I’m always on the lookout for producing partners and bold individuals from diverse backgrounds to join me at LBM Pictures—those who share my passion for telling compelling, edge-of-your-seat stories that also explore strong social, cultural, and ethical themes.
Before signing onto a project as a producer or starting to write a script as a director, I always ask myself the simplest but most effective question: ‘What topic, story, or character am I most excited to watch? Let’s make that!’
Cheers!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.heliyacreations.com/
- Instagram: @Heliya.creations
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heliya-alam-70a933b2/
