ABOUT THE STUDENT FILMMAKER
Nikhat Powell is an educator. She headed departments and worked with media and liberal arts colleges in Bangalore and Pune for nearly two decades before moving to the US with her American husband. Unable to work in higher education in the US without an MFA, she decided go back to full-time studying and get what she needed to teach the subject she loves. This film helped her get an Honors in her MFA in Digital Cinema from Los Angeles, USA. She is currently teaching in Jacksonville, Florida and can be contacted at nikhat.benefaction@gmail.com
Identifying a need for a unique film school offering high quality instruction to everyone who had missed the opportunity during college days, she started 'Magic in Motion' and ran it for 17 years before moving to the US. MIM taught intensive, short term, part time courses that a working professional could manage.
She earned her M.A. in Mass Communications from the premier institute for Filmmaking, the Mass Communications Research Centre (MCRC), New Delhi, India in 1990. Before transitioning full time into education, she worked as a Video editor for Zee TV and for different independent TV shows.
"The Benefaction" was created for the film program, but represents the core of her philosophy in life, where she encourages people to not judge others for they do not know their circumstances.