Meet the Filmmakers

Purchase College worked with Are We There Yet? Films to produce the films in support of this fundraising campaign, a production collective whose four of five founding members are Purchase alumni.

Collective Conversation 

Film major Kunga Choephel ’23 recalls the impromptu meeting outside the Music Building when the idea for Are We There Yet? Films first formed.

Speaking with fellow film majors Tobias Nikl ’23 and Desta Mutisya ’23 and new media major Blake Albano ’23, the group brainstormed how they could protect themselves after graduation in an industry that so often exploits young talent.

“Talking with the group, we found similar qualms with the industry that we hoped we could solve by creating our own company,” Blake says. “And fortunately, because it was created in good faith, it’s been working for us thus far, and I’m so excited to see it grow.”

They landed upon the film collective model, in which they all work together to find work and team up to look out for each other’s best interests.

“We knew we’d be a good team because not one of us had the same creative style, but had similar ideas of how we wanted to work,” Blake adds.

Teaming Up

They often rely on other Purchase alumni to fill out the project teams, as they did on this one. 

Kunga took the lead as director, producer, and DP. Blake served as assistant director and 2nd camera operator, while  Jonah Bravo ’22 provided sound operation, and Noah Hart ’22 was the behind-the-scenes photographer.

Since their organization is essentially leaderless, they rely on each other’s work ethic to succeed, which they hope to leverage in the future.

“I always had hope, but also held just as much doubt that this sort of plan could work out for us,” says Blake. “But every step of the way, we held each other to higher standards than we thought we were capable of, and eventually got us to where we are now—confident to successfully get work in an industry that we also dream to change one day.”

And the Name?

Blake explains what inspired the company’s name.

“Are We There Yet? was a question we liked as a company name, because we have so many big dreams/goals as a collective, but no way to tell when/if we’ve achieved them. Time will tell, but we’re doing good so far.”

Agreed, they are certainly on their way.

(Above left to right: Bravo, Hart, Albano, Choephel)

The offices of Institutional Advancement and Communications + Creative Services gratefully acknowledge the team’s talent and professionalism. We collaborated effortlessly to achieve these fabulous results.