MEET DESIREE AKHAVAN
“At its best, meeting and working with other artists can yank you out of the navel-gazey/masturbatory bullshit decades of operating as a working artist can lead to, and remind you of what brought you to storytelling in the first place.”
Location: Englewood, New Jersey
Disciplines: Narrative film (fiction), Nonfiction/essays
Desiree Akhavan is a filmmaker and writer whose work includes Appropriate Behavior, the Hulu original series The Bisexual and The Miseducation of Cameron Post, which won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize. As a television director, Akhavan’s worked on a breadth of shows including the Emmy ward winning HACKS and RAMY. Her first book, YOU'RE EMBARRASSING YOURSELF, was published by Random House in 2024.
Work
mentor profile
What interests you about mentoring?
“I love the collaborative nature of diving into another person's world and working together to figure out how I can best support them. At its best, meeting and working with other artists can yank you out of the navel-gazey/masturbatory bullshit decades of operating as a working artist can lead to, and remind you of what brought you to storytelling in the first place.”
Given your experience and interests, what kind of emerging artist do you feel best positioned to support?
“I'm open to working with anyone! That said, my experience and taste lie in narrative filmmaking, so if someone was interested in making more experimental/avant-garde work I might not be the best fit.”
As a mentor, what would you like to offer an emerging artist? What would you like to receive?
“I can offer my honest opinion/advice/experience. I'd love to work with someone who's focused on making the best work possible rather than networking their way into a career. That’s not my hustle.”
Have you had mentors of your own? Who have they been?
“Ira Sachs was someone who provided a lot of hope and wisdom as I was first finding my voice.”
This Mentor is open to working with Fellows either remotely or in-person!