Episode 18: Solvan "Slick" Naim, "It's Bruno!"

Caroline spoke with Solvan "Slick" Naim—writer, director, rapper, actor, and creator of the Emmy-nominated Netflix series IT'S BRUNO!—about the ways that music informs and shapes his work, the importance of diversity-focused mentorship programs in the entertainment industry, his advice to those who are just starting to try launch their careers in film & TV, translating his love of his dogs into his show, and much more.

Solvan "Slick" Naim is an Award winning Algerian-American writer, director and rapper who was born and raised in New York City. Slick's filmmaking career started by way of his music career: as a rapper, he wrote treatments to his songs and began directing his own music videos.

His debut feature, FULL CIRCLE, won 5 festival awards including the Audience Award at the 2013 HBO Urbanworld Festival and was acquired by EOne.

His short film "Stanhope" was one of five shorts selected by HBO for their 2015 HBO Short Film Competition and took home the grand prize for Best Film. The film won several other festivals including NBC Universal's Short Fest, receiving the Best Director and Audience Awards.

In 2015, Slick was selected by Sony Pictures as a finalist in their Diverse Directors TV Program. He was a second unit director for several episodes of the Netflix series THE GET DOWN. Slick was later selected for FOX and NBC for their TV Director programs, and eventually went on to direct shows for them as well. IT'S BRUNO! is his debut as a series creator.

IT'S BRUNO! - which premiered on Netflix in May - follows a Brooklyn native and his Puggle dog, Bruno, through the small adventures they encounter every day as they navigate their native Bushwick.

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