Biography

Charles Kanganis is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and Program Director at LA Film School. After laying an academic foundation with speech and theater degrees from Iona University and the University of Akron, he earned a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting from California State University, Northridge. Kanganis launched his professional directing career at the independent action studio PM Entertainment, making his feature debut writing and directing the thriller Deadly Breed (1989). He quickly became a staple for the studio, helming the action features A Time to Die (1991) and Intent to Kill (1992). His time with PM culminated with No Escape No Return (1993), a production that gained lasting notoriety when Kanganis personally shot a real gun on the movie set. This reputation for intense action caught the attention of major Hollywood studios, leading him to direct mainstream, higher-rated commercial features like the theatrical comedy Race the Sun (1996) starring Halle Berry and the buddy-cop sequel K-911 (1999) starring James Belushi. He later wrote and directed the contemporary film Rome & Jewel (2008), an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet where crew recall his intense, hands-on style, notably when he physically hoisted a massive 78-pound 35mm camera onto his own shoulder to demonstrate a shot. Today, he channels this intensity by mentoring the next generation of cinematic storytellers at the Los Angeles Film School.