Mission: To engage audiences with stories that move and stir, where characters question and transform themselves or their reality in compelling and entertaining ways. Key focus areas include socially relevant material, cross cultural explorations and challenging accepted norms.
Award winning director, writer and Emmy nominated cinematographer Maninder “Indy" Saini grew up straddling two worlds, her American home base in rural Pennsylvania, and her dad’s homeland in Punjab, India. With her first passport at the age of 3, a passion for travel and a desire to understand different perspectives was planted, inspiring her creative journey as a filmmaker.
Combining her creative mission and her passion for motorcycle riding, Indy directed and produced the documentary "Women in the Front Seat.” Captured while braving her first solo cross country trip, the film discovers the diverse landscape and inspiring stories of women who not only drive their motorcycles but drive their lives. WITFS won numerous Best Feature Documentary and Audience awards on the festival circuit, was acquired by Indie Rights Studios, and is now available on Amazon Prime.
Her drive for stories with deep female friendships and finding hope in unexpected places sparked Indy’s narrative directorial debut "The Lesson,” a short film garnering international awards including Best US Narrative at the Women’s International Film Festival in Miami.
Indy’s documentary work as cinematographer took her to the arctic to film “Ice Bear,” a National Geographic Wild special for which she received an Emmy Nomination. Dedicated and driven regardless of the pursuit, Indy also developed technical prowess as a Digital Imaging Technician (DIT) learning ‘all things camera.’ Her extensive skills and ability to excel under great pressure landed her work with master storytellers such as directors Ang Lee and David Lynch, and legendary cinematographers Dion Beebe, ASC and Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, on projects including “Gemini Man,” “A Wrinkle In Time,” and “Twin Peaks” (2017).”
In pursuit of the next adventure-filled chapter as an avid traveler and lover of nature, between projects Indy can be found hiking a mountain in a far off country or at home in Los Angeles paddling around in her kayak.
