kal karman | director | home | bio | films | contact | pose for kal

Kal Karman was born in 1974 in San Francisco.  Due to his father’s work as a Management Consultant worldwide, Kal spent much of his youth traveling the globe.   His mother worked as an English teacher for immigrants, so Kal was in some way always around foreigners.  At U.C. Berkeley he lived at the International House Dormitory, continuing to open his global field of view.

In 1996 Kal graduated in Film Studies, and then promptly moved south to Hollywood.  After work as an assistant cinematographer her returned north to join Industrial Light and Magic.  Three years of special effects work included “Star Wars the Phantom Menace” by George Lucas, “Magnolia” by Paul Thomas Anderson and “Celebrity” by Woody Allen.

In 2000 Kal decided it was his turn to become the foreigner, so he bought a one-way ticket to Milan.  He changed gears and began a career as a commercial and music video editor.  In addition, he edited Photographer Armin Linke’s film “Alpi” which won at the Biennial in Venice.  In 2002 his work grew naturally into directing music videos documentaries and commercials. 

In 2007 Kal moved to Barcelona where he applied his 360 degree knowledge in post production most notably directing for Freixenet’s Cordon Negro champagne, and L'illa Diagonal spots.  Becoming known as a ‘Visuals Director’, Kal was soon tapped by Gucci to try his hand in the fashion business, filming actresses Drew Barrymore, Claire Danes and filming their “Hysteria” campaign.

A return to films with a global view included films “Hikikomori” (a documentary which tells the story of the ‘missing million’ Japanese youth who close themselves off from society) , “Rear Window” (a one minute short film filmed in Rotterdam, Hong Kong and Milan which spies on all of us through our window frame – commissioned by Canal + Spain for Oscar Night on-air).