eleven pictures • kabir akhtar, director (DGA) & editor

• about
• videos
• credits
• contact

KABIR AKHTAR is a director and editor with credits on over 300 hours of television, notably two prime-time scripted gigs this season. His work includes 'The Academy Awards', 'The Daily Show', 'The Emmy Awards', 'Mumbai Calling', 'Unsolved Mysteries', and 'At the Skywalker Ranch' (a short film for Comedy Central/Lucasfilm).

Kabir has directed, edited, and written for hit shows on a whole alphabet worth of networks, including HBO, NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, MTV, ITV, AMC, IFC, A&E, PBS, TBS, BET, UPN, VH1, ESPN, Showtime, Comedy Central, Sci-Fi, Bravo, Spike, Discovery, Lifetime, Oxygen, New Line Cinema, the WB, Adult Swim, and more.

His work has been Nominated for an Emmy twice: Fox Sports' "Beyond the Glory" for Best Edited Sports Series, and the 2006 Oscars broadcast for Best Editing for a Special.

With generations of living and dead poets among his ancestors, Kabir continues the family tradition of storytelling, bringing his creative and comedic talent to episodic comedies, prime-time series, short films, commercials, documentaries, trailers, reality shows, multicamera events, and internet series for the past 15 years.

RECENT APPEARANCES

» Panelist at the 2011 Sundance Institute Comedy ShortsLab in Los Angeles. Quoted in IndieWire's Top 15 Tips from the event.

» Panelist at a 2011 DGA symposium on "Directing the Actor" (DGA Magazine article)

» Guest Speaker at UCLA, in conjunction with University of Miami film school's "2011 LA Experience" program

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Kabir directed a short for the 2012 Academy Awards, starring Billy Crystal and Melissa McCarthy, as well as part of the opening film for the 2011 Emmys, starring Jane Lynch and Leonard Nimoy. He also directed half of the episodes of "Mumbai Calling", a single-camera comedy series on ITV1 (in the UK) and HBO (internationally).

Kabir ventured out of comedy to direct the new edition of the classic show "Unsolved Mysteries", and created many elements of the series' new look. After seeing the pilot, Spike ordered 175 episodes. That kept Kabir busy for a while.

Kabir directed a music video parody at the Lucasfilm Ranch, starring several Star Wars characters. He was the first director to show those characters playing football, arm-wrestling, and having a picnic. The short, which starred Brian Posehn alongside Darth Vader and Chewbacca, was reviewed favorably by StarWars.com as being "like nothing you've ever seen."

Kabir has also worked on many pilots, directing "TV Diaries" for Fox, and portions of the CBS adaptation of NPR's hit "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me". He also edited "Viva la Bam" and "8th & Ocean" for MTV, and "I'm With Busey" for Comedy Central, all of which were greenlit to series. He has directed and edited many other Comedy Central shows, from "The Daily Show" to specials, creating scripted and improv material with such talent as David Spade, Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, George Lopez, Kate Beckinsale, David Arquette, and the cast of "Reno 911!"

Among the scripted series Kabir has cut are "Tracey Ullman's State of the Union" (Showtime), "Wyclef Jean in America" (HBO), "Van Stone: Tour of Duty" (Comedy Central), and "Eagleheart" (Adult Swim). He has also cut numerous unscripted series, being named supervising editor of various top-rated prime time series.

Based in Los Angeles, Kabir is a Philadelphia native, holding an M.F.A. in Motion Picture Production from the University of Miami and a B.A. in Communications from the University of Pennsylvania.