Directed by Charles Frank of Voyager, “Shanti Rides Shotgun” is heading to Texas for its world premiere at SXSW. Produced by Daniel Lombroso (“White Noise,” “Nina & Irena”) and Meliz Yilmaz, with editing by Nico Frank of Leap Year, the short film takes viewers on a ride through the bustling streets of Manhattan alongside the city’s most iconic driving instructor as she prepares students for the road ahead.
Click here to watch the teaser.
“It’s a huge honor to premiere our film at a festival as prestigious as SXSW,” shares Frank. “ I have always appreciated their taste in documentaries and have discovered some of my favorite work through their platform. With ‘Shanti Rides Shotgun,’ we sought to make a film that matched Shanti’s charisma and I hope audiences have as much fun watching it as we did making it.”
The film follows Shanti Gooljar, New York City’s most known and highly talked-about driving instructor, as she hits the jam-packed streets of Manhattan with her students. Known for her unfiltered personality and an impressive 99% passing rate over her 30-year career, Shanti’s teaching style is as unique as it is effective. The film offers an intimate look at her life, capturing both her personal journey with an up-close look at what makes her lessons unforgettable.
“Shanti’s charisma has taken New York City by storm," says Producer Daniel Lombroso. "Pair her with Charles Frank, one of the brightest minds in filmmaking, and you have an emotional roller-coaster of a short film. Shanti’s car takes us across the thrilling mosaic that is New York – an expansive world ready-made for a television show.”
Building on the success of the short film, the Voyager team and Lombroso are now developing “Shanti Rides Shotgun” into an ongoing series, with more to come soon.
Credits:
Production Company: Voyager
Director: Charles Frank
Producers: Daniel Lombroso & Meliz Yilmaz
Executive Producer: Andrew Hutcheson
Cinematographer: Peter Pascucci
Editorial: Leap Year Post
Editor: Nico Frank
Colorist: Grant Benesh
Sound Designer & Mixer: Hansdale Hsu
Music Supervisor: Rachel Helman
Music: September
About Voyager:
Voyager is a Brooklyn-based production company that tells stories of all sizes for agencies, brands, and audiences everywhere. Founded in 2015, Voyager quickly established itself as an incubator for new talent, garnering awards at D&AD, One Screen, YDA, Young Guns, and CLIOs for collaborations with clients such as Adidas, Facebook, Kia, McDonald’s, Nike, and Planned Parenthood, among countless others. Their films and documentaries are available for streaming on Hulu, Max, Prime Video, and Apple TV+, being recognized at festivals like SXSW, Tribeca, and DOC NYC. Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.