Reflecting on the Production Process of ‘Ajotin’ -a Student Academy Award Semi-Finalist short produced by Matias Contini

Ajotin, a 20-minute short film about an illegal Kurdish refugee who borrows the car of his dreams for a joyride around London but freedom starts to get blurry when a series of misfortunes comes his way, leading him to make a fateful decision was produced by Matias Contini and directed by Muhammed Seyyid Yıldız as part of their MA Film graduation project in 2020.

‘Ajotin’ was Semi-Finalist at Student Academy Awards (2021) and was selected for Academy Award and BAFTA qualifying festivals including the 58th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, 19th In The Palace International Short Film Festival, London Short Film Festival, Aesthetica Film Festival, Norwich Film Festival and 22nd İzmir International Short Film Festival.

Matias Mario Contini was born in Buchillon, Switzerland but has frequently moved between homes throughout his childhood. He lived in the USA, South of France, Australia, and now in London, UK. After finishing his postgraduation degree in MA Film from LCC, Matias graduated as a Producer before going on to work as a Producer’s Assistant to an Executive Producer. Currently, he is in Belgium working on a feature film.

We caught up with Matias to discuss his work as a producer on Ajotin, the importance of a producer’s role, and his way into the industry

1.How was the director-producer collaboration on Ajotin and why is it important for the success of a film?

The writer/director Muhammed Seyyid Yildiz pitched me his idea early in the MA Film program, and we immediately decided to pair up to make our short film happen. From that point on, we were inseparable from each other, and we went straight to work on the script and looked for locations to make it work. But COVID happened, making us work harder to make this film a reality. Of course, a film’s success relies on an excellent director-producer collaboration, but what’s more important is that both the director/producer should be willing to go to any lengths and work all hours in trying to make the film. Having a lot of passion will go a long way.

2. What did you do every day as part of the role?

Every day was new, as there was a lot to work on to make this film a reality; I looked over locations, contracts, logistics, hiring crew, equipment hire, speaking with the car owner, gaining permits, and paperwork, and attaining approval from the university. So it constantly changed according to what was the priority of that day.

3. What were the challenges of the production, given it was filmed during COVID?

Filming in COVID was a nightmare! We were the first production to happen at UAL, so all the pressure was on us as our course leaders and cohorts expected us to shoot the film successfully so the subsequent short films could follow. Therefore, we had to plan every scene to the smallest detail and show how we would prevent COVID on set. In the end, I handed a 66-page document to our professors so we could film our short film with all of the latest COVID guidelines.

4. How did you make sure of on-set safety given there were some difficult-to-pull-off scenes, especially in a moving car?

Safety was a priority on our set since we were the most overlooked project in our class. To achieve this, we had to film only on private roads with locked-off entrances so no cars/ pedestrians could pass by when we were filming. We also drove the vehicle at low speeds, and no cast/crew were allowed to walk on the road unless the Producer/Production Manager gave it the clear. We were fortunate to find a location far from any civilization, so there wouldn’t be any reason for pedestrians to be in that area; It was like our own gated film set.

5. What was the biggest takeaway from the experience?

The biggest takeaway from this experience was finishing the shoot, as it felt like we would never make the film. With all the struggles we endured, with COVID being a significant factor. But I remember fondly the final scene we shot by the cliffside as it was the moment we all realized we did make it to the finish line. This experience taught me how to produce, and now I don’t feel as stressed when I join other projects. I remember getting a call from Ray three days after we wrapped, saying that we needed to help another cohort on producing the next film; it proved that theory, and we managed to make the film in under a month.

6. Are there any producers who inspire you?

Jason Blum sincerely inspires me; his producing approach is how I desire to do it. I love how he is rewriting the horror genre for the better and showing the world that even with a film of USD 15,000 budget still can make headlines worldwide. It’s not about the cast or budget; it’s all regarding the story/concept and finding different ways to tell a story. He gives Directors the final say on the film and backs the director against the Studio financing it, also providing creative solutions on how a film can be told.

7. Can you tell us about your (work) experiences after Ajotin?

After finishing Ajotin, I worked on a Band 3 HETV show as a post-production runner and went straight into the next season of the same show as a Producer’s Assistant to two of the Executive Producers. Once that ended, I jumped onto a short film as a Line Producer, and now presently, I’m on a feature film that’s being shot in Belgium as a Producer’s Assistant.

8. Are there any tips for students or recent graduates who want to work as producers in the industry?

My biggest advice for recent graduates who want to work in the industry as Producers is to keep creating as much work as possible. But don’t try to do easy work only; try to make challenging films, as that’s where you see your work as a producer come in. And to apply everywhere, grab every chance you can; don’t not email because you think you won’t get a response. It took me six months till I got a response and sent over 700 emails.

9. Were there any takeaways from the MA Film program?

The takeaway from the MA Film program would be making the short film as that’s where I learned most about Producing, and it made me realize that this is exactly what I want to do; to produce films, the same as you are probably reading this.

You can watch the Trailer of “Ajotin’ HERE

A Q&A of Matias and Seyyid about ‘Ajotin’ at In The Palace Film Festival is available to watch on YouTube.