Joseph Kahn | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kahn at the2024 Toronto International Film Festival | |
| Born | Ahn Jun-hee (1972-10-12)October 12, 1972 (age 53) Busan, South Korea |
| Citizenship |
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| Occupations | Film director, music video director |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 안준희 |
| Hanja | 安俊囍 |
| RR | An Junhui |
| MR | An Chunhŭi |
| Website | www |
Joseph Kahn (bornAhn Jun-hee,Korean:안준희; October 12, 1972) is a South Korean-born American director known for hismusic videos. Kahn has worked with various artists such asTaylor Swift,Britney Spears,Garbage,Eminem,Backstreet Boys,Imagine Dragons,Lady Gaga,Rob Thomas,Snoop Dogg,Chris Brown,Kelly Clarkson,Ava Max,Mariah Carey andDestiny's Child.
Kahn was born Ahn Jun-hee inBusan, South Korea.[1][2][3] His family spent part of his childhood there and inLivorno, Italy until moving toJersey Village, Texas, a suburb ofHouston, when Joseph was seven.[4][5] After graduating fromJersey Village High School in 1990, Kahn went toNew York University'sTisch School of the Arts but dropped out after a year. Returning to Houston, began to directhip hop music videos.[2]
Kahn'svideography spans thirty years. In the mid-1990s he directed music videos for artists including Aaliyah, Ice Cube, Backstreet Boys and Snoop Dogg. In 2003, Kahn won his firstGrammy forEminem's "Without Me" video which also won the MTV VMA'sBest Video of the Year, as well asBest Direction. His video forKaty Perry "Waking Up in Vegas" won the MVPA 2009 Best Video of the Year.[6][better source needed]
Kahn's usage ofJapanese pop culture in music videos first began withJanet Jackson's "Doesn't Really Matter" video. The video was also the most expensive video Kahn has directed and is among themost expensive of all time, costing over $2.5 million.[7]
In 2014, Kahn was given The Icon Award by theUK Music Video Awards.[8] In 2015, Kahn directed MTV's choices for Video of the Year, Best Pop Video, Best Female Video, and Best Collaboration for multiple videos from American singer-songwriterTaylor Swift's fifth studio album1989, including "Blank Space", "Bad Blood", "Wildest Dreams" and "Out of the Woods" and her sixth studio albumReputation, including "Look What You Made Me Do", "...Ready for It?", "End Game" and "Delicate".[9] He won theGrammy Award forBest Music Video of 2015 for Swift's single "Bad Blood" featuringKendrick Lamar.[10]
In 2017, Kahn won the American Country Music Awards Video of the Year for "Forever Country."[11] In 2019, Kahn collaborated withAva Max for the "Torn" music video, and directed a new music video forMariah Carey's 1994 hit, "All I Want for Christmas Is You".[12] In 2022, Kahn directed a music video forChris Brown's "Iffy".[13]
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Kahn also directed the 2004 action filmTorque starringIce Cube.[14][better source needed] In May 2007, it was announced that he would direct an adaptation ofWilliam Gibson's science fiction classicNeuromancer for producer Peter Hoffman. On May 7, 2010,Fangoria reported thatVincenzo Natali, the director ofCube andSplice, had taken over directing duties and would also rewrite the screenplay.[15] In 2011, Kahn directed the low-budget self-financed horror comedyDetention.[16] After winning a number of audience favorite awards on the film festival circuit,[17]Detention was picked up for theatrical distribution by Sony for a release in 2012.[18]
In July 2016, test footage for theDC Comics characterSwamp Thing was released which was directed by Kahn for the potentialJustice League Dark film.[19] Kahn's next film wasBodied, a satirical black comedy about racial tensions in the world of battle rap. The film was produced byEminem and premiered at the2017 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the People's Choice Award in the Midnight Madness section.[citation needed]Bodied continued to pick up the Audience Awards at both AFI Fest[20] and Austin's Fantastic Fest.[21] His fourth feature film,Ick, starringBrandon Routh,Malina Weissman andMena Suvari, premiered at the2024 Toronto International Film Festival,[22] and later received a theatrical release in July 2025.[23]
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