Akanksha, a young immigrant (“originally from India but actually grew up in Saudi Arabia”) is dogsitting Timothee, the baby Frenchie of Instagram influencers India and Harry while they’re on a trip to India. Akanksha’s sister is scheduled to visit her soon—they haven’t seen each other in nine years. While she waits, Akanksha bonds with Timothee, enjoys the spoils of white money, has her friend Sophia over to engage in judgy hijinks, and muses over why she stays away from her home country.
Akanksha Cruczynski
Akanksha Cruczynski* is a writer and filmmaker based in New York City. Originally from India and having grown up in Saudi Arabia, Akanksha moved to the States in 2008, getting a BA in Physics and Creative Writing from DePauw University and an MFA in Cinema Directing from Columbia College Chicago. She trained in improvisation and sketch comedy at The Second City, iO Chicago and Annoyance Theater Chicago. Her graduate thesis film ""Close Ties to Home Country"" is premiering at Sundance Film Festival in January 2022. It won the Student Academy Award, was on the shortlist for the 2021 BAFTA, won a $10,000 grant from The Gotham (formerly IFP), and was honored at the 2021 Gotham Awards. Close Ties has also played at other Oscar-qualifying festivals such as Telluride Film Festival and New Orleans International Film Festival, and won awards at them, including the Chicago Award Honorable Special Mention at Chicago International Film Festival, the Audience Award at Aspen Shortsfest, Best Comedy at Heartland Indy Shorts International Film Festival, and a $5000 grant from LUNAFEST. Akanksha is passionate about telling stories from underserved communities and using humor to make them accessible.
*Polish? No. When her parents divorced, 14-year-old angsty teen Akanksha changed her last name to her favorite character's—Clementine Kruczynski in ""Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."" She did not know it was a Polish name or that that mattered.
Akanksha, a young immigrant (“originally from India but actually grew up in Saudi Arabia”) is dogsitting Timothee, the baby Frenchie of Instagram influencers India and Harry while they’re on a trip to India. Akanksha’s sister is scheduled to visit her soon—they haven’t seen each other in nine years. While she waits, Akanksha bonds with Timothee, enjoys the spoils of white money, has her friend Sophia over to engage in judgy hijinks, and muses over why she stays away from her home country.
Akanksha Cruczynski
Akanksha Cruczynski* is a writer and filmmaker based in New York City. Originally from India and having grown up in Saudi Arabia, Akanksha moved to the States in 2008, getting a BA in Physics and Creative Writing from DePauw University and an MFA in Cinema Directing from Columbia College Chicago. She trained in improvisation and sketch comedy at The Second City, iO Chicago and Annoyance Theater Chicago. Her graduate thesis film ""Close Ties to Home Country"" is premiering at Sundance Film Festival in January 2022. It won the Student Academy Award, was on the shortlist for the 2021 BAFTA, won a $10,000 grant from The Gotham (formerly IFP), and was honored at the 2021 Gotham Awards. Close Ties has also played at other Oscar-qualifying festivals such as Telluride Film Festival and New Orleans International Film Festival, and won awards at them, including the Chicago Award Honorable Special Mention at Chicago International Film Festival, the Audience Award at Aspen Shortsfest, Best Comedy at Heartland Indy Shorts International Film Festival, and a $5000 grant from LUNAFEST. Akanksha is passionate about telling stories from underserved communities and using humor to make them accessible.
*Polish? No. When her parents divorced, 14-year-old angsty teen Akanksha changed her last name to her favorite character's—Clementine Kruczynski in ""Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."" She did not know it was a Polish name or that that mattered.