15/12/2025
I was once in a career dilemma, a situation many people have been in. It felt like failure and it was so confusing. Statistics is my profession, which I am professionally trained in and gives me stability and credibility. On the other hand, film is my occupation, which occupies my mind, time, identity, and passion. How did I overcome the confusion?
The biggest mistake I almost made is believing I must choose one and abandon the other. But then I realized that I had both a skill and a calling. The two conflicting careers didn't have to cancel each other out. In reality, the strongest creative careers today are built at the intersection of skills.
I realized that film depends on statistics more than most filmmakers realize. Film needs statistics in:
1. Film festival data & programming decisions
2. Budgeting, forecasting, and revenue modelling
3. Grant impact reports & funding proposals
4. Streaming platform metrics & performance analysis
5. Audience analytics and viewership trends
I then decided to choose film work that aligns with leadership, curation, and strategy since I wasn't just "doing film" but I was already thinking strategically, which is rare. That's how I ended up founding , a platform that brings together filmmakers for networking and exchanges, mixed with fun. Statistics has driven this platform to where it is today. For this platform, statistical knowledge is used in data handling, programming decisions, budgeting, revenue modelling, funding proposals, impact reporting, and audience analysis.
I decided to build a bridge career, not a jump. I stopped thinking in "either" terms by using statistics as my anchor and not a cage, while letting film remain my long-term identity. Right now, statistics gives me power while film gives me meaning.
You can do it too. Whenever you're in a career dilemma, put yourself in my shoes and ask yourself this question: "If statistics disappears today, would I still find my way back to film?" and answer it truthfully.
I wish you all the best in your endeavours.
