Film director and executive Bardya Ziaian is the president and CEO of SITTU Group Inc. There, he and his team consults with companies, design systems, and invests in early-stage businesses. However, despite being an expert in the fintech industry, Bardya also had a keen fascination with filmmaking. He always loved telling stories, ever since he was a child. This led him to later develop his own film production company, Bardya Ziaian Pictures Ltd.
Q: You said that you’ve always been interested in storytelling as a child. How did that passion translate into your respective career paths?
BARDYA: I’ve worked in the tech industry for years and held many leadership roles. What I learned is that you can’t allow self-doubt and fear to influence your decisions or stop you from taking chances. I have loved storytelling and films from a very young age, and I firmly believe that I have the resources to make my dreams come true. And that’s exactly what we did. Unfortunately, it just so happened that a global pandemic hit at the same time we were in production, which made the process more difficult. But the production of my first feature film, “Super Dicks”, actually provided a lot of valuable jobs for a group of very talented people.
Q: How do you balance managing SITTU Group and Bardya Pictures Ltd.?
BARDYA: With tact and skill. Truthfully, in both positions, I am lucky to have a great team of people that help me balance the day-to-day operations. That’s a big part of being in a leadership role; you have to find the people who help keep things moving forward and moving smoothly. For my second feature film, I’m lucky enough to have the help of veteran director Damian Lee. I feel grateful to have awesome professionals to help me achieve higher levels of success.
Q: How do you feel your experience in fintech was able to support your creative venture in filmmaking?
BARDYA: Having a good deal of leadership experience can help you accomplish just about anything. You’re conditioned to handle a great deal of pressure while managing the workflow of others. It requires you to do a pretty big balancing act and have your hands in multiple pots. That experience made it possible for me to seek out the right people and build a highly effective team of people to help get the job done. That’s how I feel my skills have helped me as an indie filmmaker.
Q: Where do you seek out creative inspiration?
BARDYA: I like to watch emerging artists’ films and tune into film festivals every chance I get. Getting to see how other professionals create films using new technology or techniques provides me with a lot of inspiration. It’s incredible seeing independent directors producing fresh approaches to filmmaking.
Q: What can you tell us about your future filmmaking projects?
BARDYA: We’re currently in the production of my second feature film, a comedy titled “Golden Boy.” As I mentioned previously, Damian Lee is working with me on the film and we’re very excited about it. I can’t say too much right now about it as we’re still working on it, but what I will tell you is that it’s a comedy and it will feature some incredible talent.
Q: What advice would you offer to someone who wants to transition from one career sector to another?
BARDYA: Don’t ever let fear stop you from pursuing what you want. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “Fear defeats more people than any other thing in the world.” It’s worth reminding yourself every chance you get: I can do this.
