Personal Information

Location

Venice, CA

Biography

Eli Akira Kaufman, spent the first decade of his life in Japan, Iran and Belgium where his Japanese American mother and Russian Jewish father taught in international schools. A graduate of Oberlin College, Kaufman completed his MFA in directing at The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. As a Film Independent Project: Involve Honoree, Kaufman worked with the Polish brothers on their third film, NORTHFORK. Kaufman has written and directed several award winning short films including BIRTHDAY HAIKU, and WINNING THE PEACE for Showtime. Kaufman also directed live theater for The Francis Ford Coppola One Act Play Festival and was the recipient of the Jim Morrison Prize for directing, the Caucus for Television Producers, Writers and Directors Foundation Production Grant, and the Alfred P. Sloan Production Award for his thesis film script, CALIFORNIA KING which was honored by The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with a Student Emmy. Kaufman taught 11th and 12th grade literature and a film elective at Wildwood School in West Los Angeles and is an Adjunct Professor of film and television at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster where he also co-hosted The Antelope Valley Cinema Series. Before being named a CBS Diversity Institute Directing Initiative Fellow, Kaufman was a director trainee on The Unit (CBS), SHARK (CBS), MAD MEN (AMC) and BONES (Fox). He currently works as the Staff Videographer/Editor at FilmINDependent.org. Kaufman lives in Venice, CA with his wife Cheryl and son Asa.

Professional Website

http://www.elikaufmanfilms.com

Personal Website

http://www.elikaufmanfilms.com

IMDB Page

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1312033/

Caucus Film

Film Title

Winning the Peace

Film Website

http://www.elikaufmanfilms.com

Film Information & Synopsis

An Iraqi-American Marine returns to Iraq to redeem his place of birth, only to destroy the very people he hoped to save.

Festival Experience

Screenings
MONACO CHARITY FILM FESTIVAL 2009
Monaco, France
May 2009 (Film Festival)

The Reel Shorts Film Festival
Alberta, Canada
April 2009 (Film Festival)

Cincinnati World Cinema Shorts Fest
Cincinnati, OH, U S A
September 2008 (Film Festival)

VC FILMFEST 2006 THE 22nd LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL
*GOLDEN REEL NOMINEE *
Los Angeles, CA, U S A
May 2006 (Film Festival)

ANTELOPE VALLEY INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
* BEST OF FEST *
Lancaster, CA, U S A
April 2006 (Film Festival)

EMIRATES FILM COMPETITION
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
March 2006 (Film Festival)
Middle East PREMIERE

DELRAY BEACH FILM FESTIVAL
Delray Beach, FL, U S A
March 2006 (Film Festival)

7th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL AT USC
* BEST FICTION SHORT FILM *
Los Angeles, U S A
March 2006 (Film Festival)

NEW YORK JEWISH STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL
* SECOND PLACE FICTION *
New York, U S A
March 2006 (Film Festival)

RIVERSIDE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Riverside. CA, U S A
February 2006 (Film Festival)

CLAREMONT COLLEGES TELEVISION
Los Angeles, U S A
January 2006 (Cable/Satellite)

VICTORIA INDEPENDENT FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL
Victoria, BC, Canada
January 2006 (Film Festival)

MOUNTAIN TOP: HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
Waitsfield, VT, U S A
January 2006 (Film Festival)

KAWASAKI DIGITAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
* EXCELLENCE IN SHORT FILMMAKING AWARD *
KAWASAKI , Japan
December 2005 (Film Festival)
East Asia PREMIERE

BERKELEY VIDEO & FILM FESTIVAL
* GRAND FESTIVAL AWARD: STUDENT FILMMAKER *
Berkeley, U S A
October 2005 (Film Festival)

VERMONT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Burlington, U S A
October 2005 (Film Festival)

WESTfest FILM FESTIVAL
* BROZE MEDAL SHORT NARRATIVE *
Abilene, U S A
October 2005 (Film Festival)

OJAI FILM FESTIVAL
* SPECIAL MERIT CITATION *
Ojai, U S A
October 2005 (Film Festival)

DC ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL
Washington D.C., U S A
October 2005 (Film Festival)

VINCENT T. SLAVIN STUDENT FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL
* FIRST PLACE: SHORT FICTION *
Rochester, U S A
October 2005 (Film Festival)

ANGELUS AWARDS STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL
* FUJIFILM AUDIENCE IMPACT AWARD *
Los Angeles, U S A
October 2005 (Film Festival)

THE BIG BEAR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
* JURY AWARD BEST STUDENT SHORT *
Big Bear Lake, CA, U S A
September 2005 (Film Festival)

THE 2005 ORINDA FILM FESTIVAL
* AUDIENCE AWARD *
Orinda, CA, U S A
September 2005 (Film Festival)

LA INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
Los Angeles, U S A
September 2005 (Film Festival)

FINE CUT 2005: KCET’S FESTIVAL OF STUDENT FILM
Los Angeles, U S A
September 2005 (Broadcast TV)

6TH ANNUAL SAN DIEGO ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
San Diego, CA, U S A
September 2005 (Film Festival)

PALM SPRING INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS OF SHORT FILMS
Palm Springs, U S A
September 2005 (Film Festival)

BOSTON FILM FESTIVAL
Boston, U S A
September 2005 (Film Festival)

RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
* BEST SCORE *
Providence, U S A
August 2005 (Film Festival)

VisionFest '05
* AWARD OF MERIT: SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS *
New York, U S A
July 2005 (Film Festival)

CineStud '05 - The Ideal Film Festival
Amsterdam, Netherlands
May 2005 (Film Festival)
Western Europe PREMIERE

Santa Cruz Film Festival INTERNATIONAL CINE 2005
*BEST NARRATIVE SHORT*
Santa Cruz, U S A
May 2005 (Film Festival)

The Palm Beach International Film Festival
Boca Raton, U S A
April 2005 (Film Festival)

Newport Beach Film Festival
Newport Beach , U S A
April 2005 (Film Festival)

35th USA Film Festival
* BEST FICTION SHORT FILM *
Dallas, U S A
April 2005 (Film Festival)

The Method Fest
*DON HANY, BEST ACTOR SHORT FILM *
Calabasas, U S A
April 2005 (Film Festival)

2005 DIY FILM FESTIVAL
* JURY AWARD BEST DIRECTOR *
Los Angeles, U S A
February 2005 (Film Festival)

ION INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION, GAMES AND SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
Los Angeles, U S A
November 2004 (Film Festival)

Showtime/UCLA: Images of War Student Initiative
Showtime/UCLA Production Grant Award
U S A
November 2004 (Cable/Satellite)
North America PREMIERE

History

Member for

2 years 29 weeks

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