Edreace Purmul graduated from San Diego State University’s Film and Business schools in 2006. Heavily favored by his film professors, he spearheaded his first feature, “Mozlym”, on a shoestring directly after graduation. Incidentally, his first attempt post-graduation became his first debut into the cinema limelight as a visionary filmmaker with an authentic voice. His micro-budget feature film Mozlym received immediate international acclaim and interest for its controversial and socially conscious appeal. Mozlym received a Nomination for Best Picture in 2008 at the Cairo International Film Festival gaining Honorable Mention and won the Audience Favorite award at Riverside International Film Festival. It also was selected for official competition at International Film Festival Thailand, South Africa Film Festival, and British Film Festival of Los Angeles, where Purmul received multiple nominations for Best First Time Director.
The acclaim gained from Purmul’s first film led to coverage by Middle Eastern, African, French, and Italian press and newspapers- giving Purmul a broader exposure to the international industry and launching his credibility at the early age of 24. The film made such a statement regionally, that Purmul was later invited to return to the CIFF and served as a jury member for the official competition the following year.
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Purmul’s hands-on background initially started in satellite broadcasting. From 2004 – 2006 he worked as a writer and editor for local satellite networks and public access television thus giving him versatility as a developing filmmaker. It was during that time between studios where Purmul moved towards documentary production while concurrently finishing film-school at SDSU.
Purmul was a left-handed artist in his childhood, drawing and painting at top in his class. During his senior year in high school, his freehand earned him notoriety at a local portrait gallery exhibit. His entry led to a scholarship offer from a leading local art school, which he denied in turn to study business at SDSU. During his time in college, Purmul was drawn towards the subjects of psychology, sociology, and anthropology which eclectically led him back towards his passion for the arts. He began studying theater and dramatic arts concurrently with his marketing major. Exceeding in theater arts, he expanded his storytelling prowess by focusing his studies on Film. Purmul very rapidly became favored by his film professors who deemed him ahead of his class and encouraged him to take advantage of his talent. This led to his direct leap into embarking on a full scale independent feature fresh out of film-school.
In 2006, Purmul joined with Scimitar Productions Inc. to direct Mozlym written initially as a short film. Purmul wasn’t satisfied with the script, which he then expanded and rewrote to fit the scope of a feature-length motion picture. The screenplay birthed the project that he was to direct and oversee for the next two years.
In 2012 Purmul founded SplitWorld Pictures and began pre-production on The Playground in 2014. The Playground won San Diego’s Best Narrative Feature Award at the San Diego Film Awards and was released in late 2017 – receiving recognition and acclaim from critics nationwide and local press.
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Filmography
The Playground (2017) – Writer/Director
Mozlym (2008) – Writer/Director