A film production student at Central Washington University has been turning heads as he makes his mark in the film industry.
Gurdil Dardi is in his junior year at CWU and has slowly been building his career as an independent filmmaker in Washington state.
The Kennewick native took film production more seriously after summer courses in high school left him inspired.
“I ended up falling in love with it,” Dardi said.
Recently, he received an official selection at the CWU Wildcat Film Festival 2025, a selection at the Lift-Off Global Network Film Festival and a nomination at NanoCon International Film Festival 2025, where 2,964 films are submitted from 194 countries.
This was for his film “Immiscer” — a modern retake on Jane Austen’s “Emma” — which follows Emma, a matchmaker who becomes determined to set up her friend Hailey and a man named Eric.
“Set across everyday conversations and quiet moments by a creek, ‘Immiscer’ is a short film about intention, miscommunication, and what happens when we’re too focused on fixing things to hear what people actually need,” Dardi said.
This film was made in 2025 when Dardi was 19 years old and had a budget of zero.
The production boasted five crew members, three cast members, and the director, camera and audio person.
Dardis’ films are dramatic and emotional-based.
“It felt good to make films that were comedic and emotional and seeing everyone’s faces while watching,” he said.
His original goal was to leave to New York City and pursue a master’s degree but he decided to change his route after some advice.
Dardi is currently being taught by a former New York University theatre professor who advised him to stay local and continue pursing film.
“It would’ve been too much of a financial burden on me,” Dardi added.
Dardi has since founded Arc Lens Production, a Washington-based film production company.
“I used that to help pay off my student debt and loans that I had from going to CWU,” he said.
Another film he is making is entitled, “To God.”
It’s a short drama about Gavin, a grieving mailman still processing the loss of his mother, who one day receives a letter from a young boy named Ishaan addressed simply “To God.”
“A quiet, tender story about loss, connection, and the letters we write to people we can no longer reach,” Dardi explained.
His big dream?
“Possibly make it into Hollywood one day,” Dardi said.
To stay in touch with Dardis’ new films, got to his website at gurdlidardi.com.