Nicholas Marakas

Coming from a diverse cultural background, Montreal-based filmmaker, Nicholas Marakas, immersed himself in the visual arts at the young age of 5 by picking up pencil to paper and drawing incessantly. From urban environments to people, he developed an eye for detail that earned the attention of his teachers and peers. As soon as he caught wind of what movies were, his heart was dead-set on making a few of his own, not knowing exactly whether he'd fit best in front of the camera or behind it. Relatively amateurish at first, Marakas began dabbling in theater while writing and directing a few short videos with his close friends during high school - even attempting to make a James Bond fan film at one point, which has never seen the light of day (and probably never will). Applying to both CEGEP and university in the Cinema/Video/Communication/Film departments, he was able to hone his craft through trial and error, harnessing his creativity and extending it to both graphic design and concept art. Marakas surprisingly joined the Canadian Forces in 2009 as a means to pay for his studies while working long hours every summer to garner as much experience as he could. Following his graduation in 2011, he spent an insurmountable amount of time doing jobs for the Navy, leaving very little room to pursue his life-long attempt at becoming a true filmmaker. During his tenure however, he was able to go on contracts at sea, land a top supervising position for two years, and receive notable prizes, in which he became the very first low-rank non-commissioned member to win the prestigious 'Sailor of the Year Award' for his tireless work ethic and professionalism back in 2013. When Marakas decided to take the plunge at going freelance full-time in early 2015, he went back to the drawing board, revamped his brand, studied and perfected his skills, and finally applied his personal visual style into commercials, music videos, short films, short music films, corporate events, photography, storyboarding, and illustration. A jack-of-all-trades when it comes to his productions, he heavily relies on a hands-on approach by writing, producing, directing, shooting, and editing his own work. Meticulous, uncompromising, stubborn, relentless, workaholic, sympathetic, affectionate... these are some of the terms people have used to describe him over the years. He has the need to go above and beyond what is expected - sometimes resulting in working as little as three projects at a time for the sake of quality. Marakas' trademark and concepts all come from truth, masked in entertainment and riddled with personal and emotional experiences. He is very selective when it comes to picking his projects and is more interested in the life of the downtrodden, the underdog, conflicting and dark characters, setting a specific mood, harsh realities, red and blue color palettes, and architecture. Although he does try to make himself available to shoot events, take part in editing jobs, and working on design and illustration, his real passion lies in film and storytelling. His big dream still remains making a full-length feature, as he is always willing to push himself harder, take risks, and step away from his comfort zone at all times. A talent to be reckoned with, the idea of 'giving up' or 'quitting' is completely foreign to him.