{{short description|American filmmaker|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Multiple issues| {{Notability|Biography|date=April 2022}} {{Like resume|date=April 2022}} {{BLP self-published|date=April 2022}} {{Unreliable sources|date=April 2022}} }} {{Infobox person |name = Tanuj Chopra |image = |caption = |birth_name = |birth_date = |birth_place = |death_date = |death_place = |occupation = Director, Writer & producer |years_active =2003–present |spouse = }}
'''Tanuj Chopra''' is an American film-maker. His debut feature film ''Punching at the Sun'' (2006) was screened at the Sundance Film Festival and was also nominated for the Humanitas Prize. He directed the Netflix web series ''Delhi Crime'' season 2 and season 3, whose first part was nominated for an International Emmy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-28 |title=Delhi Crime 2 director Tanuj Chopra defends show's graphic depiction of violence: 'We had to show the severity' |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/delhi-crime-2-director-tanuj-chopra-defends-show-s-graphic-depiction-of-violence-101661650602936.html |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Chopra was raised in Silicon Valley,<ref>{{cite web|website=Tribeca Film Institute |title=Tanuj Chopra |url=https://tribecafilminstitute.org/filmmakers/detail/tanuj_chopra|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006095008/https://tribecafilminstitute.org/filmmakers/detail/tanuj_chopra|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref> and obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Semiotics from Brown University in 1999.<ref name="njisacf.wordpress.com">{{cite web|title=Filmmaker of the Month: Tanuj Chopra |url=http://njisacf.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/filmmaker-of-the-month-tanuj-chopra/ |website=NJISACF}}</ref> He completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in film at the Columbia University School of the Arts in 2007, where he received the School of Art's Deans Fellowship and the FOCUS Film Fellowship.<ref name="njisacf.wordpress.com"/>
==Career== Chopra made his first student film, ''Hate Crime'', in the summer of 1998.<ref name="tribeca">{{cite web|website=Tribeca Film Institute |title=Punching at the Sun |url=https://www.tfiny.org/films/detail/punching_at_the_sun}}</ref> As an undergraduate at Brown University, he wrote, directed and produced ''Uljhan'', a 10-minute short film that played in festivals in New York and Los Angeles. In 2003, he directed, edited, and produced a short romance film entitled ''Butterfly'', starring Tillotama Shome, which was shot in New Delhi and screened at over 20 festivals across North America, Europe, India and Pakistan.<ref name="tribeca"/> ''Butterfly'' won "Best Film" at the Napa Valley Wine Country Festival and the Ivy League Film Festival, the Audience Choice Award at the 2003 Asian Film Expo in Lyon, France, and a Director's Citation at the 2004 Black Maria Film and Video Festival.{{cn|date=April 2025}}
In 2009, Chopra directed a short film entitled ''Chop Chop'' (2009) starring Sung Kang, Tillotama Shome and Manu Narayan.<ref>ChopFilms, Clap Clap, http://chopsfilms.com/clap-clap/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006075315/http://chopsfilms.com/clap-clap/ |date=2014-10-06 }}</ref><ref>Anderson Le, The Short List: CLAP CLAP, You Offend Me You Offend My Family (YOMYOMF.com), http://youoffendmeyouoffendmyfamily.com/the-short-list-clap-clap/</ref> He wrote and directed a sci-fi short film in 2010 entitled ''Pia'', starring Tillotama Shome and Pia Shah as an android/cyborg, for PBS's FutureStates project.<ref>PIA, FutureStates, New Jersey Public Television, http://www.njtvonline.org/programs/futurestates/pia/</ref>
In 2011, Chopra directed ''The King's Speech Parody LOL'', in partnership with the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), to highlight the 29th Annual San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival's focus on South Asian film and filmmakers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://chopsfilms.com/the-kings-speech-lol/ |title=The King's Speech LOL |website=chopsfilms.com |accessdate=2014-10-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006093946/http://chopsfilms.com/the-kings-speech-lol/ |archivedate=2014-10-06 }}</ref> He also directed and wrote a dystopian short film entitled ''Carbon Dated'' in 2011.<ref name="caam">{{cite web|website=Center for Asian American Media |title=Filmmaker Advice from Tanuj Chopra |url=http://caamedia.org/blog/2014/09/08/filmmaker-advice-tanuj-chopra/}}</ref>
In 2012, Chopra directed a web series, again in partnership with CAAM, entitled ''Nice Girls Crew''.<ref>Nice Girls Crew, http://nicegirlscrew.com/</ref> Season 1 screened in 2012, and Season 2 of the series screened in 20d.{{clarify|date=June 2024}}<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://caamedia.org/blog/2012/11/05/nice-girls-crew-season-1-on-youtube/ | title=Nice Girls Crew Season 1 on YouTube, Ready for Season 2?| date=5 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://blog.angryasianman.com/2014/04/nice-girls-crew-season-2-trailer.html | title=Nice Girls Crew Season 2 Trailer}}</ref> He also directed the season 2 of web series Delhi Crime.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-28 |title=Delhi Crime 2 director Tanuj Chopra defends show's graphic depiction of violence: 'We had to show the severity' |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/delhi-crime-2-director-tanuj-chopra-defends-show-s-graphic-depiction-of-violence-101661650602936.html |access-date=2022-09-05 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>
In 2014, Chopra wrote and directed a futuristic short film entitled ''Teacher In A Box'' (2014), again in partnership with the PBS FutureStates project, set in a future where teachers are replaced with digital avatars of themselves.
===Music videos=== Along with Prashant Bhargava, Chopra co-directed the music video for the Swetshop Boys' "Benny Lava". Chopra also directed the music videos for Chee Malabar's tracks "Harsh Truth", "Unbearable Sweetness", "Now Is Too Soon", and "Hamas 2.5". He has also directed various music videos and music pieces for jazz pianist Vijay Iyer.
===Documentaries=== Chopra has worked on several documentaries. His ''Project Heart: Uganda'' series focused on the work of the World Children Initiative treating children's heart disease in Uganda.<ref>Chops Films, Project Heart: Uganda, {{cite web |url=http://chopsfilms.com/world-childrens-initiative/ |title=Project Heart: Uganda | chopsfilms.com |accessdate=2014-10-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006163721/http://chopsfilms.com/world-childrens-initiative/ |archivedate=2014-10-06 }}</ref> His documentary ''SAYA! Turns Ten'' is a commissioned piece about the Queens, New York based non-profit organization South Asian Youth Action.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://chopsfilms.com/saya-turns-10/ |title=Saya Turns 10 |website=chopsfilms.com |accessdate=2014-10-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006123908/http://chopsfilms.com/saya-turns-10/ |archivedate=2014-10-06 }}</ref>
===Feature films=== In 2006, Chopra wrote, produced, and directed his first feature film, ''Punching at the Sun'', depicting the life of a troubled South Asian teen (Misu Khan) living in Queens, New York.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anderson |first=John |date=2006-02-06 |title=Punching at the Sun |url=https://variety.com/2006/film/reviews/punching-at-the-sun-1200518728/ |access-date=2023-11-23 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> It premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival as the first South Asian American film to be selected to the festival.<ref name="njisacf.wordpress.com"/> At Sundance, it was nominated for a Humanitas Prize.{{cn|date=April 2025}} The film also screened at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival and the 2006 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, where it won the Jury Award for Best Narrative film.{{cn|date=April 2025}} It has been screened at over 30 film festivals, and was released online in 2008 via Jaman.com.<ref>Jaman Delivers Award-Winning Film 'Punching at the Sun' to Movie Lovers Around the Globe, http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Jaman+Delivers+Award-Winning+Film+'Punching+at+the+Sun'+to+Movie...-a0173674203{{deadlink|date=April 2025}}</ref>
Chopra started work on the Kickstarter crowd-funded indie feature film ''Nature Boy'' in 2011, which tells the story of an ex-tennis champion who finds himself washed up and disconnected in his hometown at age 33.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://chopsfilms.com/biography/ |title=Biography |website=Chops Films |accessdate=2014-10-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006163235/http://chopsfilms.com/biography/ |archivedate=2014-10-06 }}</ref>
Chopra makes his films under the label "Chops Films".
==Filmography== {|class="wikitable sortable" |- !Year !Film !Director !Writer !Producer !Notes |- |- | 2006 | ''Punching at the Sun'' | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | |- | 2015 | ''Nature Boy'' | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | |- | 2015 | ''Grass'' | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | Story |- | 2016 | ''Chee and T'' | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | |}
==Miscellaneous== Chopra serves on the board of the Palo Alto International Film Festival, and assists with the New Voices for Youth Film-making Initiative.<ref name="caam"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|1397556}} *[http://chopsfilms.com/ Chops Films] *[http://nymag.com/movies/filmfestivals/tribeca/16860/ New York Magazine - Head-to-Head: Ajay Naidu and Tanuj Chopra]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chopra, Tanuj}} Category:Film directors from California Category:Living people Category:Columbia University School of the Arts alumni Category:Brown University alumni Category:American film directors of Indian descent Category:Year of birth missing (living people)