Panta Mosleh: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker
Interview with Guernslye Honorés
Never give up. If you give up then that is it for us in our career. We are in the line of work that we need to build thick skin and get used to rejections and getting back out there again and trying regardless. So if you feel strongly about a project you are working on then never give up and keep pushing to have it made.
As a part of our series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker”, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Panta Mosleh.
A graduate from Groundlings School of Comedy in Los Angeles and a recipient of the 2021 SNL scholarship, Panta Mosleh is a Queer Muslim Middle Eastern- Canadian Writer-Producer- Director who splits her time between Los Angeles and Vancouver. She is an Alumni of the women in director’s chair, Reelworld Warner Access and Bell Producing Program, NSI EAVE development program, Sundance writing for television program, and Sundance Directing program. She is currently part of the Emerging top 20 writers in Canada program with Reelworld. She is a member of the DGC and the CMPA and has worked in productions for a decade as a production coordinator, production manager, producer and a director. Her newest film that she directed, “12 Dares of Christmas,” is out now!
Mosleh has recently directed three films for A&E, Lifetime and TF1. She is currently working on a feature documentary for TELUS Optic TV and developing a new haunted series with BLUE ANT MEDIA. She also has a half hour comedy series in development with INCENDO for CBC.
Panta draws from her personal experiences, struggles and accomplishments which makes her a very personable and relatable storyteller. She is very passionate about joyful representations of minority groups.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?
I am a test tube baby made in Singapore but born in Iran so my life already started internationally.
I have lived in Singapore, Iran, Japan, Canada, and the US. I speak Farsi, Japanese and English. I grew up watching a lot of Japanese animation so I think it has influenced a lot of my style of storytelling.
When I first moved to North America, the school I went to didn’t think my name would be easy to pronounce or get used to for the teachers and students at the school so they prefered if I used a more Westernized name. I noticed my other immigrant classmates also had their names changed to something more palatable at the time anyway for the school. So, fun fact! For a short period of time I went by “Penny”. As much as I have respect for anyone named Penny, it just wasn’t my name so eventually I pushed back on it and asked to be called by my own name.
So also growing up I always saw Middle Eastern or West Asian roles on television as villains or misrepresented in a negative light. Like in the movie “300” for example.The film seemed to rely on exaggerated stereotypes, presenting the Persian characters in a one-dimensional and historically inaccurate light. It felt like a missed opportunity to provide a more nuanced and accurate representation of historical events. Or in the 2010 film “Prince of Persia” there was another missed significant opportunity by casting a non-Persian actor, in the lead role set in ancient Persia. There was such a lack of proper representation and cultural authenticity and highlighting the importance of accurate portrayal of diverse cultures in Hollywood. This sparked a fire in me. So I wanted to grow up and be in the film industry and have a contributing hand in changing the industry. Thankfully we are already heading in the right direction ever so slowly but slow changes are better than no changes at all.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I always loved telling stories weather its acting in front of the camera or on stage or taking a beautiful script and giving my spin on it when I tell it. But when I really knew this is what I wanna do was actually in elementary school. That was in Iran. There was a tv drama that came to our school and they chose our classroom to film a scene in. And I saw all the camera, lights, actors, crew and everyone was working so hard to tell this one story and bringing the scene to life. I knew then and there that this is what I wanted to do. I got bit by the film bug and it stayed with me ever since.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your filmmaking career?
There are so many funny stories but let me tell you a couple of funny ones that happened on the set of this Christmas movie. Our lead male cast Sean Yves Lessard had a scene where he had to walk through the snow with cup of coffee and lose his footing just a bit. I called action and the scene went to well and when the slipping moment happened, he did it so well that the entire crew thought he was actually slipping and we all went to help him and he was like, it’s called acting guys. We laughed and thankfully we went to help him after his bit was done so we still had in on camera.
Another funny moment in the movie was a scene where our Lead female Brittany Underwood goes to open the door because she hears a knock and it is supposed to be here sister dropping an envelope in front of her door and running away so you basically see her open the door and no one is there. But Sean and I couldn’t help it so we planned a prank on Brittany. So Sean was supposed to be wrapped and gone home so he hid in one of the rooms in the house until the scene was pretty much all shot so I just told her lets do a safety take. Secretly messaged Sean to get into position. She goes to open the door and Sean is standing in front of the door frame doing a power pose saying well “hello there” Brittany lets out this squeak that we caught on camera. So we captured that fun jump scare moment forever and it is still in our dailies footage for us all to enjoy and laugh about. I like to have fun on set. Yes we are working all seriously but we are also there for long chunk of the day so we might as well make it fun for all of us. I also love finding new ways to surprise the cast or crew if there is a birthday on our shoots. I always find new ways to surprise them and keep them on their toes!
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
Actually my most interesting memory was working with super star and someone I grew up watching on movies. Johnny Depp was actually on a movie I was working on as a production coordinator and I wanted to go on set and see how an A lister does their magic. And it was so amazing for me to see his work. It was magical really. We ended up chatting ni between takes and resets and I learned that he speaks a little Farsi which in itself is so freaking cool but when they were ready for him he would go back in the vehicle in front of the greenscreen and get right back into character and as soon as the director yelled cut he would come back out and continue the conversation with me from exactly where he left it off and seeing that switch between the character coming on when director said “Action” to where it became him again after “cut” was said was amazing. And seeing him work long hours everyday like 16 or something and then still go and talk to every single fan waiting in line to see him and take a picture with him without ever saying he is tired and then leaving once he was done talking to the last fan waiting for him was such a treat to see. It made me thing wow this is how A listers truly are. Kind at heart and caring for their fans and so dedicated and naturally good at what they do in front of the camera as well. I actually still have a photo from the time I worked with him as well.
It was actually during this movie set that we found out that JD would go to kids hospitals dressed as Captain Sparrow to entertain kids without telling any news outlets but ofcourse one of the time he went there someone tipped off the news in Vancouver and captured him doing this lovely act. I have so much respect for him as a person and as a performer. And my dream as a director is to someday collaborate with someone of his caliber in my movies.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
It is very true that nothing can be done alone and the quote “it takes a village to make a movie” is super accurate. You have to have a wonderful team with you to be able to make it happen. There are honestly so many folks that helped me along the way to get to where I am today. But I think the most grateful I should truly be is to my mother who brought me to this country to even have a shot to be able to work in Hollywood movies. So honestly I am most grateful for my mom immigrating here and bringing us to a country where dreams do really come true and you can be whatever you want to be if you work hard towards it and never give up.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Be nice to everyone.” I know it sound cliche and cheesey but honestly it is my hugest pet peeve to see folks being nice only to a producer or director and then treating the production assistant poorly. I believe everyone should be treated with equal respect and care. Making a movie is like completing a puzzle peace and every piece is important to achieving a completed puzzle piece. So treat every pieace of that puzzle with the same amount of care. Besides just being a nice person and treating everyone polietly you never know who is who. Some one may be working as a PA but is developing their script and tomorrow that PA could become your boss so why not be nice to everyone and respect everyone I say and if someone has an idea or script they want to send your way then don’t dismiss them because you might be losing a chance of a lifetime. Give it a read and if it doesn’t align with your direction or genre you want to move forward with then just let them know but never dismiss anyone and always be nice to everyone.
I am very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
I think diversity is very important especially in this day and age. Honestly growing up I never saw anyone that looked like me on television when I moved here. So I never felt represented in the Western media and the Western world. So I would try to find ways to fit in by trying to straighten my naturally curly black hair or dye it in a lighter color.
It hit me that this lack of diversity in leading roles was a more significant deal than my hair struggles — it’s about making sure the next generation doesn’t go through the same thing. We’ve got to show kids today that they can see themselves on screen and that who they are and how they look are totally cool and unique to them. Diversity in film and TV is not just about being real; it’s about telling stories that reflect all of us. Imagine the impact when everyone can find characters they relate to, breaking stereotypes and making the world a more open and understanding place. It’s not just entertainment; it’s a game-changer for how we see ourselves and each other.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I am dual so I work both in Canada and the US. And right now I have a series in development with a Canadian Broadcaster, BLUE ANT MEDIA titled SPECTRAL SECRETS and that is pretty much all I am allowed to say at this point about that series but I am excited to have a series in development with a network! And to see where it goes.
Which aspect of your work makes you most proud? Can you explain or give a story?
We make stories to entertain everyone and to make everyone feel things so for me to see someone have a smile on their face when they see a comedic scene I directed or their heart flutters when they see a romantic scene then it makes me feel proud to see them feel the feeling I was trying to convey in the movie. I grew up watching a lot of romantic comedy genre Japanese anime so it is one of the biggest influences in my style of filming. The framing, the beats and the character developments. So if someone ever catches and notices those beats it makes me gitty. Also makes me excited to connect with another anime lover. Also another part of my work that makes me proud is the ability to have a hand in being able to increase the visibility of minorities groups and under represented folks in the media industry. As a director I can make a suggested to the production to have some characters be changed to one of a diffent ethnicity to bring a new flavor to the project and I have a hand in helping cast more diversity into the project. I remember working with a wonderful actress Nikki Mackenzie in my movie “THE WEDDING CONTEST” and she is of Philippine decent. Not only was it unique for us to have an Asian woman as a lead of a romantic comedy movie but we also tried to encorporate her language and cultural background into the script as well and it made the movie so much better and more colorful and diverse. So it makes me proud to be able to do things like this in my line of work. Because growing up I didn’t have anyone that looked like me on Tv much or I didn’t see people of color in leading roles so it is also part of my duty to make sure that doesn’t happen to the children of our future generations and that little kids can look at the screen and feel like the character is someone they can relate to in stories they see on the screen.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1)Never give up. If you give up then that is it for us in our career. We are in the line of work that we need to build thick skin and get used to rejections and getting back out there again and trying regardless. So if you feel strongly about a project you are working on then never give up and keep pushing to have it made.
2)Keep making films, A director directs. Even short films are good! So for example during the strike it may have been hard to book a big movie to shoot but I kept working by making a short film I got funding for so I always keep busy and keep that movie making muscle working. You grow with every film that you make. Big or small so always keep making movies.
3)Don’t be shy to ask for help. If you keep to yourself no one will ever know you want to be a director. Talking about the project gets the word out and asking for help is not a weakness but a strength to know that you may be good at something but know that you lack something else and you can find a lovely person willing to help and is good at the thing you aren’t and you can complement each other’s strengths and help reach the goal line together.
4)No in film doesn’t always mean no when it comes to getting funding or crewing up for example. So if you get a rejection in getting funding for example, keep working on the project to elevate its content and your pitch material and style then try to apply for the funding again because with a stronger pitch, the project could get a yes the next time you pitch it!! So if you belive in your project enough keep pushing for it. You might get a 100 No’s before you get that one Yes!
5) Be nice to everyone. You never know who is who on a set of a movie so why not be nice to everyone. The background actor or production assistant today may be your boss and the producer on the next movie you work on. You never know so be nice to everyone. Also as a person respecting another person just be nice. I say this because I used to be that Production assistant and I remember folks not being as nice and I promised myself I would never want to be that when I become a director. So that is my biggest advice to anyone working in any position in film is to be nice.
When you create a film, which stakeholders have the greatest impact on the artistic and cinematic choices you make? Is it the viewers, the critics, the financiers, or your own personal artistic vision? Can you share a story with us or give an example about what you mean?
Honestly I like to make a movie that I would like to watch so my audience is me. But as for collaboration, I love to work with the writer to get the script to where I feel like it could elevate the story. With the performers I love to give space to them to bring their own flavour into the character as well. And with my director of photography I love to discuss and collaborate on coming up with the most unique ways to tell the story. I really love collaborating with cast and crew because making a movie is like making a painting where someone brings in the canvas and someone brings in the paint and someone does the sketch and I get to color it together with the actors. It is a collaboration in making of art that everyone is proud of part taking in. So for example I always try to plan my days to get exactly what is in the script but coming from an improv background myself, I love to give my cast a chance to have a play take and often times it is the play take that gets selected in my directors cut and stays there in the movie after the executives have seen the film and enjoyed the direction we took it in. So in almost every movie I have done there is a bit of improv in there and I will continue doing that with all my films moving forward as well because you never know what magic may come out of it.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I believe in giving back to the community. I was given a chance to shadow directors to get to learn and to get to where I am today so I believe in giving back to the community and also for keeping the good karma circle going. So if there is anyone that would like to shadow me on their next movie then I am totally open to it. Ofcourse it takes the network to approve, production company and director to approve and it is a process but I am totally open to it.
So if anyone wants to contact me about that or if anyone wants to just go out for a cup of tea or something to just chat movies I am totally open to it.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this. :-)
Oh my gosh! There are so many people!! Melissa Macarthy and Mindy Kaling hands down!! Both of these wonderful women are my role models who work both behind and in front of the camera and they are so unique in their story telling voices. But if anyone from VC funding reads this! Well Hi HELLO!!! Hit me up if you are interested to fund my movies haha!
How can our readers further follow you online?
You can follow my journey on Instagram at @pantamosleh
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
About the interviewer: Guernslye Honoré, affectionately known as “Gee-Gee”, is an amalgamation of creativity, vision, and endless enthusiasm. She has elegantly twined the worlds of writing, acting, and digital marketing into an inspiring tapestry of achievement. As the creative genius at the heart of Esma Marketing & Publishing, she leads her team to unprecedented heights with her comprehensive understanding of the industry and her innate flair for innovation. Her boundless passion and sense of purpose radiate from every endeavor she undertakes, turning ideas into reality and creating a realm of infinite possibilities. A true dynamo, Gee-Gee’s name has become synonymous with inspirational leadership and the art of creating success.
