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This week's episode might be our most informative yet! We welcome filmmaker Nardeep Khurmi, who is the writer/director of "Land of Gold," the winner of the AT&T / Tribeca Untold Stories Program which grants the film a $1 million budget, a guaranteed premiere at Tribeca Film Festival 2022 and distribution on HBOMax! It also happens to be the film that our very own Keertana Sastry is producing with producing partner & sister (and our consulting producer) Pallavi Sastry! Nardeep talks about the highs and lows of applying to different film/TV grants, mentorship programs, screenplay competitions, and more! From how to structure your essays to how to schedule your applications in the most efficient way, Nardeep gives ALL the tips and tricks he has used over the years. We also get to shoutout some of the amazing South Asian film/TV community members who have helped Nardeep during his years of applying for these programs (including some friends of the pod and previous guests)! "Land of Gold" has also launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for COVID safety costs. Check out the info for that Seed & Spark campaign on @thechaatroompod Instagram bio to find out how you can support and contribute!