How filmmaker Daniel Malikyar is 'Moving Forward' this award season

LOS ANGELES -- On the Red Carpet sat down with filmmaker Daniel Malikyar on the set of his latest project to hear how he's shining a spotlight on the importance of arts and culture this award season in partnership with Mercedes-Benz.

Malikyar shared his perspective on the collaboration with Mercedes-Benz, saying, "I hope the audience reflects on the times that we're in right now... how important art, culture, and ultimately artists - whether it's artists of the past or right now - are to society".

"Everybody had a different experience this past year, but all of us did lean into art and culture in some capacity, so I'm really curious to see how [the film] affects people."

Malikyar gave a glimpse into the short film premiering Sunday, April 25, saying, "This piece blends two worlds. There's the Hollywood world and the Mercedes-Benz world. For the Hollywood world, there is cinematography, dance, and music all going on at the same time in this sort of symbiotic ecosystem."

He added: "For the Mercedes-Benz world, we're shooting the car in a way that I've never seen before, so blending those two through seamless transitions is what really is bringing this to life and action."

So which shot excited Malikyar the most? "My favorite shot is going to be super dynamic where the drone starts in between two skyscrapers and nosedives straight down through the little skylight in Upper Grand into Lower Grand, which is an iconic location in LA, and the [Mercedes-Benz S Class] suddenly appears."

Malikyar's film "Moving Forward" premieres during On the Red Carpet and on social media on Sunday, April 25.

Sponsored by Mercedes-Benz USA