Kahlil Joseph (filmmaker) facts for kids

Kahlil Joseph (born in 1981) is an American filmmaker. He also directs music videos and creates video art. Kahlil Joseph is famous for making short films that are deep and thoughtful. These films often focus on the experiences of African Americans in the United States. He won an Artadia Award in 2017.

Kahlil Joseph's Early Life and Learning

Kahlil Joseph was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1981. His father, Keven Davis, was a well-known lawyer for sports and entertainment. Kahlil's younger brother, Noah Davis, was a painter and helped manage museums.

Kahlil Joseph went to Loyola Marymount University. He learned a lot about filmmaking there. He was especially inspired by the experimental films of Apichatpong Weerasethakul, a director from Thailand.

Kahlil Joseph's Career Journey

Kahlil Joseph started his career in the entertainment world. He worked as an intern at a company in Los Angeles that finishes films. Later, he became a Production Assistant for music video director Hype Williams.

First Films and Awards

In 2012, Joseph wrote and directed his first short film, The Mirror Between Us. In 2013, he became well-known for a short film he made for Flying Lotus' song, Until the Quiet Comes. This film won a special award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Directing Music Videos

Since then, Joseph has directed music videos for many famous artists. These include Kendrick Lamar, FKA Twigs, and Beyonce.

BLKNWS Project

In 2019, Joseph showed his video art project called BLKNWS at the Venice Biennale. This project has been shown in many places since then. It was even screened at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. In 2022, it was announced that Joseph would direct a full-length movie based on BLKNWS. This movie is being made by the company A24.

Commercial and Music Video Work

Before becoming a director, Joseph worked as an assistant to photographer Melodie McDaniel. He also worked at a film company called Directors Bureau in Los Angeles. He has directed a commercial for the British phone company O2. He also made a short film for the fashion brand Kenzo.

Joseph has directed music videos for artists like Blvck Spvde (Black Spade), Flying Lotus, Shabazz Palaces, Sampha, and Kendrick Lamar.

Work with Beyoncé

Beyoncé Knowles first asked Kahlil Joseph to direct the film that went with her 2016 album Lemonade. Joseph and Knowles together won a BET Award for Video Director of the Year for the song "Sorry". Beyoncé later changed much of the film with other directors. Joseph's original version of Lemonade is now mostly shown only in art museums.

Museum and Gallery Exhibitions

Kahlil Joseph's work has been shown in many art museums and galleries.

Early Exhibitions

In 2014, artist Kara Walker included Joseph's work in an exhibition in Philadelphia. She showed his 2011 music video for Shabazz Palaces and his 2012 short film for Flying Lotus. In 2015, an exhibition called Oracle showed Joseph's art alongside other artists. His short film m.A.A.d. was shown for the first time there. It was projected on two screens. This film was also shown in 2016 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Joseph's first big museum show was in 2015 in Seattle. It was called Young Blood: Noah Davis, Kahlil Joseph, The Underground Museum.

Special Commissions

In 2017, the Tate Modern museum asked Joseph to create a short film. This film, called Black Mary, was shown as part of an exhibition. The six-minute film was inspired by the photos of Roy DeCarava. It features the singer Alice Smith.

Joseph first showed his film Fly Paper in 2017 at the New Museum in New York. The New Museum asked him to make this film. In 2018, Fly Paper was shown in Europe. It was later shown in London. The film was also shown in West Hollywood in 2019.

Kahlil Joseph's Filmography

Kahlil Joseph's Artistic Influences

Kahlil Joseph often talks about the artists who inspire him. He frequently includes ideas from other art in his own work. He also pays tribute to other artists. For example, his film Until The Quiet Comes was influenced by the work of Andrei Tarkovsky and Spike Lee. His short film Belhaven Meridian honors Charles Burnett’s 1977 film Killer of Sheep.

See also

In Spanish: Kahlil Joseph (director) para niños