Amar Shah is an Emmy-winning producer, novelist, and co-founder of West Egg Ventures, a creative agency specializing in storytelling and fan engagement. His work has appeared in The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, and he’s been featured in Time, PBS, and CNN. A best-selling author with Scholastic, Amar’s books and films explore identity, ambition, and belonging through the lens of sports and culture. His latest documentary, The Patel Motel Story, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

How many years have you been a judge?

5+

What excited you about judging for the Telly Awards?

I’ve always admired the variety of content the Telly Awards celebrates. It’s one of the few platforms that truly honors creativity across all levels: community, national, niche, and global. There are so many incredible storytellers out there, and I love that the Tellys provide a democratic space where great work, no matter the scale, gets the recognition it deserves.

What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?

My first job in the industry was as a production assistant at ESPN, working on SportsCenter in Bristol, Connecticut. It was the Harvard Business School of sports media, an intense crash course in storytelling, collaboration, and hustle. Being thrown straight into the fire of live news and production taught me how to think fast, work as part of a team, and find the story in every moment.

What project are you most proud to have worked on?

There are a few that mean a great deal to me. Co-directing The Patel Motel Story has been a deeply personal journey, and seeing it connect with audiences and spark conversations has been incredibly rewarding. I’m also proud of my partnership with Scholastic, where I’ve written both a book series and a graphic memoir. Knowing that those stories are resonating with kids and helping them see themselves reflected in the world of sports and storytelling is more than I could ever ask for.

What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?

We’re living in a completely new era of media and content creation. The landscape is changing faster than ever, from AI to new platforms and an overwhelming flood of stories competing for attention. The biggest challenge is staying true to your voice while constantly reinventing yourself. But at the end of the day, if you’re a storyteller, the medium doesn’t matter. You’ll always find a way to craft your tale.

What do you look for to determine excellence in video?

Excellence in video always starts with story. No matter the genre or format, it has to connect on a human level and make you feel something. It should be authentic, well-produced, and visually strong, but above all, it needs to resonate. The best pieces create that visceral sense that you’re witnessing something truly compelling, whether it’s thirty seconds or thirty minutes long.

What are your current roles and responsibilities and what do you love most about your job?

Right now, it’s an incredible time. I co-founded a creative agency called West Egg Ventures, where we help brands and creators connect with fans and build communities through storytelling and strategy. I also produced and co-directed The Patel Motel Story, a documentary that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was featured on CNN. Alongside that, I continue to write and publish books, all rooted in my love for story, culture, and connection. What I love most is the chance to create work that sparks emotion and brings people together.

What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?

I’m juggling a few exciting projects right now. At West Egg Ventures, we’ve launched The Speakeasy, a podcast and vlog where we break down how brands are redefining fan engagement through storytelling and strategy. I’m also continuing to share The Patel Motel Story with new audiences on the festival circuit, and I’m deep into writing my first adult novel, set in the world of sports media. It’s an incredibly creative and rewarding stretch.

Do you have any specific practices you lean on to spark creativity?

I try to stay an open book. Reading is a huge source of inspiration; it’s a lost art, but every great story I read sparks new ideas of my own. I also find that walking around my neighborhood or traveling gives me space for ideas to surface. Talking to people, seeing the world, and staying open to possibility is where creativity truly lives.

What inspired you to pursue your career path?

I’ve wanted to be a storyteller since fifth grade. At first, I dreamed of being a novelist, and by high school, I wanted to be a sports journalist. I got an incredible early break writing for Slam magazine, where I became friends with Shaquille O’Neal and even appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated for Kids. From that moment, I was hooked. Being that close to the energy and emotion of sports showed me how powerful storytelling can be when you have a front-row seat to the action.

In your experience, what is a significant change you are seeing happen in the video, television, and/or film industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?

Early in my career, I worked at a small social media company called MySpace, at one time the biggest platform on the planet. And then, suddenly, it wasn’t. That experience taught me how fast this world can change. Today, television, social media, and filmmaking are all being disrupted, from short-form storytelling to AI to the rise of independent creators. But through it all, one truth remains: people crave authentic stories that connect and inspire. It’s an uncertain time, but also one filled with incredible possibility, and that’s what makes it so exciting.