Evan Ari Kelman is a New York City filmmaker with a passion for creating emotionally powerful experiences for audiences. His New York University thesis narrative, BANDITO, held its World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival in 2015 and was awarded with the 2015 Wasserman Award for Best Directing from NYU. Kelman with Garrett Hedlund and Stephen Lang on the set of BARRON’S COVE.
Kelman returned to Tribeca in 2016 with ONE GOOD PITCH, which he co-wrote and produced. In the summer of 2016, Kelman produced the narrative short, HOMING IN, which screened at the British Film Institute. Kelman's first feature film script, WITH THESE EYES, was awarded a 2016 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Writing Award. His latest short film WHERE THERE'S SMOKE held its World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival 2017, marking a third consecutive return as a writer/producer, and second as a director. WHERE THERE'S SMOKE won the Grand Jury Award for Best Short Film (Live Action) at the Edmonton International Film Festival, and qualified for the 2019 Academy Awards. Kelman’s latest feature screenplay, BARRON’S COVE, was announced as a semi-finalist for the Academy’s prestigious Nicholl Fellowships for Screenwriting and also appeared on the 2021 Black List. BARRON’S COVE is currently in post-production with a world renowned cast including Garrett Hedlund, Brittany Snow, Stephen Lang and Hamish Linklater, with Mandalay Pictures producing.
As a freelancer, Kelman has directed content for a multitude of brands including Foot Locker, Converse, Uber, Chevrolet, Gillette, Marchon, Golden Nugget Casino, and Coppertone. His award winning commercial, "The Push" for Foot Locker, aired alongside the New York City Marathon. His multi-spot commercial campaign for Biotene won a 2020 Gold Telly Award. In 2022, Kelman was inducted into the 20th Annual SHOOT New Director’s Showcase.
