Q&A with Filmmaker Vinny Anand, Writer-Director of Chili Score

Sep 18

Written By mark wantoe

Chili Score • New York Premiere • BFF 2026

In the New York Premiere of the 10-minute heist comedy Chili Score, a federal import ban on green chilies sends prices soaring and throws NYC’s South Asian underworld into a scramble for an ingredient essential to authentic Indian food. Set against the culinary and economic upheaval of Jackson Heights, the film follows an estranged nephew and uncle brought back into one another’s orbit by a quarantined container of chilies.

Vinny Anand co-wrote and co-directed Chili Score with Ronald Austin, Jr. In this conversation, Anand discusses the real-life chili shortage that sparked the premise, the pleasures and pressures of mounting a chili-centered heist, and the patience required to build a creative life alongside everything else.

Tell us about the moment this film began for you.

It was 2015, there were no Indian green chilies, an essential ingredient in Indian food, anywhere in New York City. Fade in.

What scene, character, image, or idea was the key that unlocked the film for you?

The idea of an uncle and his estranged nephew forced to come together for their shared survival was the container that the film needed. It's about family and through the chili scare, they're forced to reconcile.

Chili Score Trailer

Why did this story feel important for you to tell now?

It's about supply chain issues and the opportunities that come with it.

What was the biggest creative challenge or risk you took in making the film?

Telling a heist film about chilies and getting the audience to understand the value of them when the chili scare hit.

Was there a point when you weren’t sure you would finish the film? What kept you going?

No, we always knew we would finish it, but the challenge of shooting it was nuts. We shot 10 pages in one day, over 10 actors and 4 different locations. All exteriors. It was quite a meal.

What surprised you most about the film as it evolved from the original idea to the finished work?

The editing style. We stopped being linear and started jumping all over the place. Trusting that the audience is way smarter than we are.

What do you hope audiences take away from experiencing the film?

Laughs and a new appreciation for Indian food.

Is there a particular scene or moment you’re especially excited for audiences to experience at BFF?

Shameen's scene. He's a gangster in Jackson Heights and steals the film with his swag and commitment to lines that no one else actually understands.

Has showing the film to audiences changed the way you understand it? If so, how?

Yes, it makes me understand how captivated people are by actual events.

Is there anything about this film, its inspiration, production, or your own journey that you think audiences or journalists should know?

The fact that I eat really spicy food, like really spicy, and so that is the reason this film exists. It's a perfect representation of all the things I love in life: spicy food, NYC, eccentric characters in real situations, and spicy food.

What are you working on or developing next?

The feature version of Chili Score.

Based on your experience, what advice would you give to filmmakers just starting out?

Do a lot of stuff so you know what stuff you don't want to do.

What film, TV show, or other piece of storytelling did you see this year that you absolutely loved?

There was a great podcast that Complex did on Pop Smoke. The storytelling was awesome and I have a connection to the Flatbush/Canarsie area, so that made it personal.

If you’ve been to Bushwick the neighborhood, what do you love most about it?

The messiness. Graffiti, trendy restaurants, abandoned warehouses, streets that look more like a busy alleyway in a packed Asian city—it's all there, in Bushwick.

What does “Make Time for Your Dreams” mean to you at this point in your creative life?

I never thought I would have to make time for my dreams. I dropped everything to pursue them. But life is tricky, and as I started to realize my life was bigger than just making films, that I wanted to have a family, I had to really remind myself what I was after.

I never had an issue with making time for my dreams, but after I had a kid, the meaning of that certainly changed. I didn't want to sacrifice everything for my dreams, I wanted to build my dreams alongside everything else. Which means I had to be more patient. And I hate being patient, but it's a skill I've had to learn. Because the work will always be there.

And the lifestyle, a healthy mind, body and soul are the habits I've built in order to achieve my dreams. So it's just a matter of time then, everything I want to achieve will happen, I just have to lose my own timeline and trust the universes. Also, eat less, you'll be way more productive.

See Chili Score at BFF 2026

NEW YORK PREMIERE

Thursday • October 8, 2026 • 7:00 PM

Uncharted

Williamsburg Cinemas

After a federal import ban on green chilies sends chili prices skyrocketing, NYC’s South Asian underworld scrambles to get its hands on the holy spice, an essential ingredient in authentic Indian food.

GET TICKETS → https://www.bushwickfilmfestival.com/tickets

The 19th Annual Bushwick Film Festival returns October 7–11, 2026, bringing filmmakers and audiences together for five days of independent film, conversation, and community across Brooklyn.

Vinny & Ron are a creative duo based in NYC, known for their dynamic storytelling and cinematic vision. They began collaborating a decade ago, bonding over their shared experiences as first-generation Americans.

🎟️

SEE IT AT BFF 2026

Chili Score