[ot-caption title=”Evan Ari Kelman, Pine Crest alum, is now living in New York City, pursuing his passion for filmmaking. (via, evanarikelman.com)”]

Evan Ari Kelman developed a passion for films at a very young age. Evan said that while he was growing up, he was influenced by the films and videos that he watched, as they inspired him and made him want to start creating his own videos to share. His younger brother Seth Kelman, current PC senior, told us, “Even as a young kid, Evan loved storytelling and directing. He used to use Jason and I as his actors/stuntmen as he pit us against each other in increasingly elaborate fight scenes. While most probably looked at this as an older brother bossing around his younger brothers, I think it’s actually one of the earliest and clearest moments of Evan finding his love for storytelling and directing.” [spacer height=”20px”]

When I asked Evan what made him want to become a filmmaker, he said, “Watching films as a young kid and being completely absorbed by the worlds and stories of talented filmmakers” is what did the job for him. [spacer height=”20px”]

After graduating from Pine Crest with the class of 2011, Kelman moved to New York City to pursue his dream of becoming a filmmaker. On his website, Kelman stated, “I’m a New York City filmmaker with a passion for creating emotionally powerful experiences for audiences.” Kelman’s work has been featured in huge film festivals, winning several awards. In 2015, Kelman’s narrative BANDITO was featured in the Tribeca Film Festival. That same year, he was chosen to receive the Wasserman Award for Best Directing from NYU. On top of making his own films, Kelman has also helped to direct videos for major brands such as Converse, Chevrolet, and Coppertone. The commercial he helped create for Foot Locker, called “The Push,” aired on ESPN2 and ABC in 2015. This commercial was viewed around the country, and it won the “Real Lives. Real Runners” award.[spacer height=”20px”]

Kelman went on to continue producing films in 2016, garnering even more awards. In a summary of his 2016 accomplishments, Kelman wrote, “I returned to Tribeca in 2016 with ONE GOOD PITCH, which I co-wrote and produced. In the summer of 2016, my company Lioneyes Pictures was named an Artist of Choice by the Kevin Spacey Foundation and awarded a grant for the narrative short, HOUSES AT NIGHT. My first feature film script, WITH THESE EYES, has recently won a 2016 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Writing Award.”[spacer height=”20px”]

The advice Kelman would give to anybody who wants to pursue a career in film would be to “start making movies; start writing stories. No one is great at first, but over time you get better. Don’t wait for a reason.” [spacer height=”20px”]

Kelman currently lives in New York City and continues to make his own videos and films.[spacer height=”20px”]

To view some of Kelman’s work you can go to his website. [spacer height=”20px”]

Sources: Evan Ari Kelman, footwearnews [spacer height=”20px”]

Photo Sources: Evan Ari Kelman