Dustin Kahia
Dustin Kahia | |
|---|---|
 Kahia in 2024 | |
| Born | June 12, 1989 San Diego, California, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter, producer |
| Years active | 2008–present |
Dustin Thomas Kahia (born June 12, 1989)[1], also known simply as Dustin Kahia, is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for writing and directing the film Call of the Void (2016).
Early life and background
[edit]Kahia was born on June 12, 1989, in San Diego, California.[1] He is Chaldean (potentially of Babylonian, ethnic Assyrian or broader Mesopotamian ancestry). Kahia developed an early interest in filmmaking while using video editing software during his father’s cancer treatment, as well to cope with the loss of his father at age 14 and losing external support from his other family members.[2] He also made home movies with his father's camera, and during his high school years, he began to make narrative short films.[3]
Kahia went on to intern at Revelations Entertainment and Village Roadshow Pictures.[4]
Career
[edit]2010—2020: Early Career
[edit]Kahia began his career making short films. While some of his earliest work dates back to 2008, his first publicly released short film was Masterpieces, followed by Valediction.[5] Both films premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival, with Masterpieces screening in 2010 and Valediction in 2012.[6] In an interview with Orange Country Films, Kahia stated that Masterpieces had taken him 4 days to film in full with only a budget of $5,000 dedicated to travel and other smaller expenses.[7]
Valediction, starring Samuel Page, Italia Ricci, Eyal Podell, Bonnie Bartlett, and James Avery, gained wider recognition than Kahia's previous films. It won the "Human Condition" Audience Choice Award at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth in 2012.[8] Media coverage included a review by Autumn McAlpin of the OC Register, who described the film as featuring "beautiful cinematography and a proficient cast."[9]
In August 2014, Kahia launched a 30-day Kickstarter campaign to fund Call of the Void, originally envisioned as a feature-length film but ultimately completed with a 55-minute runtime due to creative and production constraints.[10] The noir-style psychological thriller premiered at the 2016 Newport Beach Film Festival, marking Kahia’s third film at the event. Shot in just four days around downtown Los Angeles, with the actors not having many takes for the film, the production involved extensive planning, with sets built from scratch and filming at locations like the La Cienega oil fields.[6] Critics praised the film’s cinematography and noir influences, drawing comparisons to Alfred Hitchcock, Fritz Lang, Anatole Litvak, and Otto Preminger.[11][12] Kahia described it as an exploration of obsession and attachment, examining how unhealthy fixation can lead to downfall.[13]
Returning to the National Film Festival for Talented Youth to provide an interview, Kahia described his inspiration for the story of the film as wanting to pay homage to the gangster films of the Golden Age of Hollywood, while also reflecting on the challenges of raising the necessary funds for the movie and shooting it within a limited timespan.[8] In a separate interview, he reflected on the mistakes that he had made during the making of the film, including working on a lack of budget and shooting the movie based on a first draft.[3]
2020—Present: Recent Work
[edit]In 2021-2022, Kahia directed the short film Monday Mourning, starring Dominic Bogart and Claire Haller.[14] The film follows Bogart's character Daniel as he navigates the weight of a troubled past and uncertainty about his future when he returns home after a prolonged absence.[15]
The film was subsequently recognized and received awards at the International Motion Picture Awards (IMPA), where Kahia won Best Director and Dominic Bogart won Best Lead. The Best Director award marked Kahia’s first win in this category.[16] The film also won 6 awards out of 13 nominations that it had received as of March 2024, and was screened at the 2022 Beverly Hills Film Festival.[17]
Kahia is set to direct the upcoming feature film, Crosspoint, with principal photography scheduled for Spring 2025.[16]
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | National Film Festival for Talented Youth | Audience Award | Valediction | Won | [8] |
| 2016 | Screencraft Sci-Fi Screenplay Contest | Tumble | Nominated | [18] | |
| 2019 | Independent Short Awards | Best Student Short | Rewind | Won | [19] |
| 2023 | Cal Film Festival | Best Student Film | Monday Mourning | Won | [16] |
| Best Male Director | Monday Mourning | Won | [20] | ||
| 2024 | Istanbul International Spring Film Festival | Best Student Short | [21] | ||
| International Motion Picture Awards | Best Director | [16] | |||
| Always Late TV Movie Awards | Best Actor in a Short Film | [22] |
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Film | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Producer | Notes | ||
| 2008 | Moral Ecstasy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short Film |
| 2009 | Looks Can Be Deceiving | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short Film |
| 2009 | My Name is Jake | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short Film |
| 2010 | Masterpieces | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short Film |
| 2011 | Valediction | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short Film |
| 2016 | Call of the Void | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short Film |
| 2019 | Rewind | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short Film |
| 2019 | Contra | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short Film |
| 2021 | Monday Mourning | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short Film |
External links
[edit]- Call of the Void Interview (2016)
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Family Search". United States Public Record Index.
- ^ Lucena, Jorge. "Dustin Kahia: A Chaldean Bard Weaving Tales in Hollywood". www.flaunt.com. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ a b Stories, Local (2020-05-04). "Meet Dustin Kahia". SDVoyager - San Diego. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
- ^ Bradshaw, Callum (2024-06-19). "The Future of Film Shows Promise with Artistic Filmmaker Dustin Kahia". Film Daily. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
- ^ "Dustin Kahia | Writer, Producer, Director". IMDb. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
- ^ a b "'40s-style thriller premiering at Newport film festival explores love and obsession". The Los Angeles Times. 19 April 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
- ^ Orange County Films LLC (2010-04-29). Dustin Kahia Filmmaker - Red Carpet of the Newport Beach Film Festival 2010. Retrieved 2025-03-10 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c "ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: DUSTIN KAHIA". NFFTY. 2018-05-31. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
- ^ McALPIN, AUTUMN (4 May 2012). "Newport Film Fest a foreground for young filmmakers to find their audience". The Orange County Register. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
- ^ "Call of the Void". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
- ^ Elias, Debbie Lynn (19 April 2016). "Behind the Lens". Movie Shark Deblore. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ^ "NBFF 2016 Review: Call Of The Void". Why So Blu?. 2016-05-04. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
- ^ "The Four-Day Feature Shoot: The Making of Call of the Void - MovieMaker Magazine". MovieMaker Magazine. 2016-04-23. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
- ^ Kahia, Dustin. "Dustin Kahia Gets Personal in New Short Film 'Monday Mourning' Starring Dominic Bogart, Claire Haller". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
- ^ prismaadmin (2024-08-19). "« Monday Mourning» by Dustin Kahia". Rome Prisma Independent Film Awards (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-03-10.
- ^ a b c d ""Monday Mourning" WINS Best Director AT the International Motion Picture Awards - IndieWrap". 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
- ^ "2022 Official Selection Sat | Beverly Hills Film Festival | Official Site". Retrieved 2025-03-10.
- ^ ScreenCraft (2016-08-30). "2016 ScreenCraft Sci-Fi Screenplay Contest Quarter-Finalists Announced". ScreenCraft. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
- ^ "Silver Awards: September 2019". Independent Short Awards. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "Fall 2023 Nominations: Technical Competitions". Cal Film Festival. 2023-11-29. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
- ^ "IISFF (2024)". Istanbul Spring Fest. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
- ^ Moon, Jill. "Always Late TV Movie Awards winners". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2024-04-02. Retrieved 2025-03-10.