Kira Kelly

Kira Kelly is an American cinematographer. She is perhaps best known for her work on 13th, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination, and the cable series Queen Sugar.[2]

Kira Kelly
Born
Kira Denise Kelly
EducationNorthwestern University (BS)[1]
OccupationCinematographer
Years active1998–present
Websitewww.kirakellydp.com

Career

Kelly is a graduate of Northwestern University with a major in Radio/Television/Film.[1] Her professional film career began as an electrician. In a 2017 interview on the public radio series The Frame, she indicated that she would also "shoot any project I could get my hands on."[3]

She also learned a lot from working as a gaffer on bigger budget projects. Her early work as a cinematographer included two features directed by Tom Gustafson and the Hulu series East Los High.[3]

A big break in her career occurred when Ava DuVernay reached out to her through social media. This eventually led to Kelly being hired to work on 13th, for which she received an Emmy Award nomination.[2][3]

Influences

Kelly is influenced by the work of Rinko Kawauchi, Martina Hoogland Ivanow, and Cy Twombly.[2]

Selected filmography

Film
Year Title Director Notes
2008 Reflections Eli Hershiko
America's Shadows: HIV Risk in Black & Latino Youth Tchaiko Omawale
Were the World Mine Tom Gustafson
2009 Estilo Hip Hop Virgilio Bravo and Loira Limbal
2012 Changing Face of Harlem Shawn Batey
Mariachi Gringo Tom Gustafson
2013 Pop Star Carlos Portugal
2014 Back on Board: Greg Louganis Cheryl Furjanic
2016 13th Ava DuVernay Emmy Award nomination
2019 Skin in the Game Adisa
2021 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Destin Daniel Cretton Additional photography

Television
Year Title Director(s) Notes
2020 Madam C. J. Walker Kasi Lemmons and DeMane Davis
2019 The Red Line Kevin Hooks, et al.
2017-2019 Queen Sugar Ava DuVernay, et al.
2017 Iron Maidens
2013-2016 East Los High Carlos Portugal, et al.
2021 Y: The Last Man Louise Friedberg, Daisy von Scherler Mayer 2 episodes
2023 Echo Sydney Freeland Post-production

Awards and recognition
  • Nominated – Emmy Award for 13th[2]

References
  1. "Kira Kelly's Linkedin Page". Linkedin.
  2. Stuart, Sophia. "A conversation with '13th' cinematographer, Kira Kelly". cinemathread. Retrieved 12 Dec 2019. I am very drawn to the work of Rinko Kawauchi, her work is beautiful. Martina Hoogland Ivanow inspires me too. I find myself drawn to sit in front of Cy Twombly's paintings whenever I go to LACMA – I remember seeing his series The Four Seasons when they were at the Philadelphia Museum of Art years ago. I've brought Instant Light: Tarkovsky Polaroids with me to New Orleans to feed my eye.
  3. Lanz, Michelle; Shifflett, Jonathan; Atkinson, Rosalie; Mardo, Paola (31 Aug 2017). "Kira Kelly is a Hollywood rarity: A female, African-American cinematographer". The Frame. Pasadena, California: Southern California Public Radio. Retrieved 12 December 2019. I started out as an electrician, in the lighting department. While I was there I was already shooting stuff, I'd shoot any project that I could get my hands on. I went to film school for cinematography, and then slowly but surely I moved up to gaffing. I was able to work on projects with much bigger budgets as a gaffer than I had when I was shooting. So I was able to learn a lot.
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