EXCLUSIVE: Filmmaker Adam J. Graves has signed with Authentic Talent & Literary Management for representation. This comes following a year of international acclaim, culminating in an Academy Award nomination, for Anuja, a live-action short that he wrote and directed.
Set in the garment factories of Delhi, Anuja tells the story of a gifted nine-year-old girl who is offered the rare opportunity to attend school — forcing her to make a life-altering decision that will shape her and her sister’s futures. The film was developed in collaboration with Graves Films, Krushan Naik Films, and several grassroots organizations supporting street and working children in the Delhi-NCR region.
Shine Global, the nonprofit production company known for championing children’s rights through film, partnered on Anuja to lead its social impact campaign. The short was acquired for global streaming by Netflix in March.
“Anuja is a heartfelt celebration of resilience and hope,” Graves said. “Thanks to Netflix, this story of remarkable young girls can now inspire audiences around the world.”
A philosopher-turned-filmmaker and published author, Graves serves as a Professor of Philosophy at Metropolitan State University in Denver. Frequently examining themes of truth, deception, forgiveness, and moral complexity in his work, he’s currently developing a slate of new projects for both film and television. Other past works include the award-winning 2021 short Cycle Vérité, as well as The Other Side of the Sun, a documentary he produced that follows an unhoused Anishinaabe man’s fight to reclaim land in the heart of Hollywood.
