Alex Kahuam

Last updated
Alex Kahuam
Alex Kahuam.jpg
Kahuam at the 2020 Sitges Film Festival
Born
Alma mater New York Film Academy
Occupations
Years active2011–present
Notable work

Alex Kahuam is a Mexican-American filmmaker best known for the films Red Light (2020), Forgiveness (2021), and Failure! (2023).

Contents

Early life

Kahuam was born in Mexico City, Mexico. [1] He is third generation of a Lebanese family who immigrated to Mexico. [2] After moving to Los Angeles in 2012, he graduated with a B.F.A in filmmaking at the New York Film Academy. [3]

Career

Kahuam's short film Red Light starred Ted Raimi and premiered at the Sitges Film Festival in 2020. [4] In 2021, his third feature film Forgiveness premiered at Frightfest. [5] His 2023 film Failure! was shot entirely in a single long take. [6]

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorWriterEditorProducerNote
2011Disaster DateYesYesNoNoShort film
2012EscondidaYesYesYesYes
2014Night Lights-Make Me SmileYesYesYesYesShort film
What's in the Case?YesYesYesYesShort film
So, You Want to Be a Gangster?YesYesYesYesShort film
2015Salvador Santana: Till the Mornin' LightYesYesYesNoShort film
2018LAXYesYesYesYesShort film
So, You Want to Be a Gangster?YesYesYesYes
2020Red LightYesYesYesYesShort film [7]
2021 Forgiveness YesYesYesYes [5]
2023 Failure! YesYesYesYes [8]

Awards and nominations

AwardYearFilmCategoryResultRef.
Sitges Film Festival 2020Red LightBest International Short FilmNominated [9]
Telluride Horror Show Best Short FilmNominated [10]
Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival 2021Best International Short FilmNominated [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Raimi</span> American actor

Theodore Raimi is an American character actor, director and writer. He is known for his roles in the works of his brother Sam Raimi, including a fake Shemp in The Evil Dead, possessed Henrietta in Evil Dead II, and Ted Hoffman in the Spider-Man trilogy. He later reprised his role as Henrietta in the television series Ash vs. Evil Dead, in which he also played the character Chet Kaminski. He is also known for his roles as Lieutenant JG Tim O'Neill in seaQuest DSV and Joxer the Mighty in Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sitges Film Festival</span> Annual film festival held in Sitges, Spain

The Sitges Film Festival and also translated as Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia and originally the International Week of Fantasy and Horror Movies, is an annual film festival held in Sitges, Catalonia, Spain. It specialises in fantasy and horror films, of which it is considered one of the world's foremost international festivals. Established in 1968, the festival takes place every year, usually in early October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Méliès International Festivals Federation</span> Film festival federation

Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF), formerly European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation (EFFFF), established in 1987, is a network of 22 genre film festivals from 16 countries based Brussels, Belgium, and dedicated to promoting and supporting European cinema, particularly films in the fantasy, horror and science fiction genres.

The Silver Medallion is an award given by the Telluride Film Festival in recognition of achievements in the film industry.

Patrick Rea is an American producer, writer and director known for the films Nailbiter, I Am Lisa, They Wait in the Dark and The Last Butterflies.

Alan Jones is a film critic, broadcaster, and reporter primarily focused on movies in production, especially in the horror fantasy genre. His first assignment was on Star Wars in 1977, after which he became the London correspondent for Cinefantastique magazine from 1977 to 2002 and reviewed for the British magazine Starburst from 1980 until 2008. A film critic for Film Review and Radio Times, he has made contributions to the Radio Times Guide to Films, the Radio Times Guide to Science Fiction, and Halliwell's Film Guide. He has also been a film critic for BBC News 24, Front Row on BBC Radio 4, and Sky News programme Sunrise. He has worked for Empire, Première, and Total Film. An article of his in the latter coined the term for the Splat Pack.

Patricio Valladares is a Chilean film director, screenwriter and comic book writer, best known for his work in horror films, who mixes elements of both arthouse and grindhouse, with an emphasis on modern extreme violence, action and some gore. He is also involved in comics and short movies, and frequently injects black humor or homages to grindhouse movies, along with artistic cinematography, somewhat intellectual dialogue and the occasional surrealism. His serial killers tend to make repeat appearances in his movies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fright Night Film Fest</span> Horror film festival

Fright Night Film Fest, also known as Louisville Fright Night Film Fest, is an annual horror film festival in Louisville, Kentucky. The festival was first founded in 2005 by Ken Daniels and is typically held in July at the Galt House, which is famous for housing guests for the Kentucky Derby. The focus of the Fright Night Film Fest focuses on genre films such as horror, science fiction, fantasy, action, and cult from around the world including new films from Asia, Africa, Middle East, Latin America, Europe and North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Izzy Lee</span> American filmmaker and writer

Izzy Lee is an American filmmaker and writer, known for her short films Re-Home (2019), The Obliteration of the Chickens (2019), My Monster (2018), and Innsmouth, which she produced through her company Nihil Noctem. She has written for multiple outlets such as Birth.Movies.Death, Rue Morgue, TwitchFilm, and Fangoria and has also helped program and curate film festivals like the Boston Underground and the Boston Sci-Fi Fest.

<i>Terrifier</i> 2016 slasher film by Damien Leone

Terrifier is a 2016 American slasher film written and directed by Damien Leone. The film stars Jenna Kanell, Samantha Scaffidi, David Howard Thornton, and Catherine Corcoran. The plot centers on partygoer Tara Heyes (Kanell) and her sister Victoria (Scaffidi), who become targets of the enigmatic serial killer only known as Art the Clown (Thornton) on Halloween night.

Tartan Features is a filmmaking network and distribution platform based in Scotland. It supports the production of micro-budget feature films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaac Ezban</span> Mexican film director

Isaac Ezban is a Mexican film director, writer and producer. He is best known for his work on the films The Incident, The Similars and Parallel.

They're Outside is a 2020 horror movie that was directed by Sam Casserly and Airell Anthony Hayles, the latter of whom also wrote the film's script.

<i>Red Snow</i> (2021 film) American horror comedy film

Red Snow is a 2021 American horror comedy film directed by Sean Nichols Lynch. The film stars Dennice Cisneros as a supernatural romance author living in Lake Tahoe who comes into conflict with vampires over the Christmas holidays. The film had its international premiere at London FrightFest on August 26, 2021 and was released on December 28, 2021.

Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes is a 2021 German mystery horror film directed by Kevin Kopacka and starring Anna Platen, Jeff Wilbusch, Luisa Taraz and Frederik von Lüttichau. It pays homage to European Gothic Horror and psychedelic films of the 1960s and 1970s. It premiered at FrightFest 2021 in London.

<i>Everybody Dies by the End</i> 2022 film by Ian Tripp and Ryan Schafer

Everybody Dies by the End is a 2022 found footage mockumentary film written by Ian Tripp and directed by Tripp and Ryan Schafer in their feature film debut. The film stars Vinny Curran, Bill Oberst Jr., Brendan Cahalan, Iliyana Apostolova, and Ian Tripp.

<i>Monolith</i> (2022 film) 2022 Australian film

Monolith is a 2022 Australian sci-fi/thriller film which premiered in Australia on 27 October 2022 at the Adelaide Film Festival, and internationally at SXSW in March 2023. It stars Lily Sullivan, the only on-screen actor in the film, as a journalist uncovering a mystery. Described as high-concept science fiction, it was written by Lucy Campbell, directed by Matt Vesely, and produced by Bettina Hamilton.

Forgiveness is a 2021 Mexican-American experimental horror film directed and written by Alex Kahuam. The film premiered at FrightFest in the United Kingdom.

<i>Failure!</i> 2023 film by Alex Kahuam

Failure! is a 2023 Mexican-American crime comedy film written and directed by Alex Kahuam. The film stars Ted Raimi, Merrick McCartha, Noel Douglas Orput, Melissa Diaz and Christin Muuli.

<i>Topakk</i> Philippine action-thriller film

Topakk, internationally known as Triggered, is a Philippine action-thriller film directed by Richard Somes. It stars Arjo Atayde, Julia Montes and Sid Lucero. The film was first screened at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in May 2023 and premiered at the 76th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland in August 2023.

References

  1. "ALEX KAHUAM". New York Foundation for the Arts . Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  2. Haas, Lupe R. (2017-07-14). "Mexican Director Alex Kahuam's Films Influenced By Mexico's Violence". Cinemovie. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  3. "New York Film Academy (NYFA) BFA Filmmaking Alum Alex Kahuam Profiled in VoyageLA". New York Foundation for the Arts . Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  4. Corrigan, Kalyn (2020-10-30). "Everything We Learned From Ted Raimi's Online Chat At The Telluride Horror Show". Slashfilm . Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Hughes, Kat (2021-08-29). "Forgiveness' review: Dir. Alex Kahuam [FrightFest]". The Hollywood News. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  6. Hughes, Kat (2023-08-28). "'Failure!' review: Dir. Alex Kahuam [FrightFest 2023]". The Hollywood News. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  7. "RED LIGHT (Short Film)". Starburst . 2022-02-01. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  8. Unsworth, Martin (2023-08-28). "FAILURE! [FrightFest 2023]". Starburst . Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  9. "RED LIGHT". Sitges Film Festival (in Catalan). 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  10. Millican, Josh (2020-10-09). "Complete Lineup Announced for TELLURIDE HORROR SHOW 2020 "Shelter-in-Place" Edition". Dread Central . Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  11. "Red Light". Strasbourg Film Festival. Retrieved June 15, 2022.