Meet Nika Agiashvili | Writer, Director, Producer.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nika Agiashvili and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nika, what is the most important factor behind your success?
This is a business where you hear a hundred “No’s” before getting that one “Yes.” The key is to keep moving forward, constantly writing, and working on new projects. The industry is always evolving, but the foundation is always a compelling story. If you have a unique narrative and a strong voice, it becomes easier to open new doors.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I feel like I have a long journey ahead, and it’s been an interesting ride so far. I’ve only done a few films, and hope to make many more, but the feature “Tbilisi, I Love You” is probably the project that’s dearest to me, since I produced it alongside my father, David Agiashvili and brother, about the city that I was born and raised in. We spent several years making the film, and eventually got it into the Cities of Love franchise, following ‘Paris, je Taime’ and ‘New York, I Love You’. It was bittersweet since our father passed away the morning of the screening, but we were able to hold it in his memory that night, with about three hundred of his closest friends and collaborators.
Coming from a family of writers has given me a strong storytelling foundation. The business is challenging, with long development times, but having the right creative team and valuing their input makes the process smoother. I started studying at the Los Angeles Film School just days after arriving in Hollywood, where I learned the most about producing films. Two books that left a lasting impression on me were given by one of my teachers there: Memo from David O. Selznick and William Goldman’s Adventures in the Screen Trade. The first taught me how to navigate the film industry, and the second reminded me that “Nobody knows anything. Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what’s going to work. Every time out it’s a guess and, if you’re lucky, an educated one.” I soon realized that if you want to direct, you can’t wait for someone else to give you the opportunity, you have to make it happen yourself. This mindset has become the foundation of my career.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We always have friends and family visiting us, and there’s so much to do in Los Angeles. We’ve got it down pretty well depending on their personalities, usually either staying on the Westside in Venice Beach with a trip up to Malibu or exploring Silverlake and Downtown LA. And you can never go wrong with a quick trip to Palm Springs if they want to get away. For dinner, we like to pop into Musso & Franks for its old-school Hollywood feel. Famous dirty Martini’s at Jones across from Formosa. And a nightcap at La Poubelle in Franklin Village. But the great thing about Los Angeles is that there is always something new to discover.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My brother, George Finn, has been a key collaborator from the start, and we’ve been fortunate to have a close-knit circle of friends, family, and a talented crew who’ve become like family over the years. I have a few key collaborators that I constantly work with, my producing partner Johnny Lee and Deanna Plascenica, cinematographers Tari Segal and Ryan O’Hara, editors Jason Zeni, Tony Wise, and David Hopper. And I’ve gotten great advice about the industry from a number of people, but a few who have constantly supported my ideas, and led me down the right path have been two great Directors of Photography Phedon Papamichael and David Klein, and producers Michael Becker, Jim Regan, and Kevin DeWalt. As François Truffaut said, “The films of the future will be made by adventurers,” and I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by a bunch of them.

Website: https://vimeo.com/storymanpictures

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFke4uYiyK8

Image Credits
Storyman Pictures.