Voyager's "Shanti Rides Shotgun" Gears Up for SXSW World Premiere

Jan. 24, 2025

Directed by Charles Frank of Voyager, “Shanti Rides Shotgun” is heading to Texas for its world premiere at SXSW. Produced by Daniel Lombroso (“White Noise,” “Nina & Irena”) and Meliz Yilmaz, with editing by Nico Frank of Leap Year, the short film takes viewers on a ride through the bustling streets of Manhattan alongside the city’s most iconic driving instructor as she prepares students for the road ahead. 

Frank shared:

“It’s a huge honor to premiere our film at a festival as prestigious as SXSW. I have always appreciated their taste in documentaries and have discovered some of my favorite work through their platform. With ‘Shanti Rides Shotgun,’ we sought to make a film that matched Shanti’s charisma and I hope audiences have as much fun watching it as we did making it.”

 

The film follows Shanti Gooljar, New York City’s most known and highly talked-about driving instructor, as she hits the jam-packed streets of Manhattan with her students. Known for her unfiltered personality and an impressive 99% passing rate over her 30-year career, Shanti’s teaching style is as unique as it is effective. The film offers an intimate look at her life, capturing both her personal journey with an up-close look at what makes her lessons unforgettable.

Producer Daniel Lombroso said:

“Shanti’s charisma has taken New York City by storm. Pair her with Charles Frank, one of the brightest minds in filmmaking, and you have an emotional roller-coaster of a short film. Shanti’s car takes us across the thrilling mosaic that is New York – an expansive world ready-made for a television show.”

 

Building on the success of the short film, the Voyager team and Lombroso are now developing “Shanti Rides Shotgun” into an ongoing series, with more to come soon.