Academy Award®winning documentary director Ross Kauffman has joined MUGSY for exclusive U.S. representation.
Kauffman is best known for his film “Born Into Brothels,” which won the Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature. In addition to directing the film, he served as a producer, cinematographer, and co-editor. Passionate about documentary storytelling, Kauffman believes “there isn’t anything more powerful and provocative than the truth. While it’s not always easy, as a filmmaker I believe that it’s necessary to capture a subject’s genuine feelings and raw emotion. In doing so, not only do we bring to life the true essence of a story, we also can captivate an audience while simultaneously moving them.”
Over the past several years Kauffman has begun directing commercial, non-profit, and corporate short form projects, including an awareness campaign for Camfed International, and corporate spots for Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women and 10,000 Small Businesses initiatives.
MUGSY will be Kauffman’s first commercial production company home and he is looking forward to the opportunity to bring his talents to the small screen.
“Through my work, which has taken me across the globe, I’ve come to understand the meaning and the importance of collaboration,” says Kauffman. “For me, filmmaking is about collectively coming together to deliver a shared vision. Working as a cohesive unit with not only my crew, but also my agency and the companies behind each product, only strengthens my talent and ability to tell and deliver a meaningful story.”
“We are obviously excited to welcome a filmmaker of such talent and vision to MUGSY,” says Executive Producer Sean Reilly. “Ross is as much a visual storyteller as he is a documentary director. When viewing his work I am most impressed by how his cinematography elevates his stories, bringing a stronger reaction from the viewer. His eye for detail, as well as his ability to extract honest performances, make him an excellent commercial director.”
Currently, Kauffman has two documentary features in production: “Wait For Me,” the story of a mother’s search for her son who went missing 27 years ago; and “E-Team,” which follows three Human Rights Watch investigators (for which he was awarded a National Endowment of the Arts grant).
Working in the film industry for over 20 years, Kauffman began his career as a production assistant on commercials and TV programs. He then apprenticed with Sam Pollard and Victor Kanefsky, before becoming a documentary film editor. Kauffman has been directing for nearly 15 years, and is also regarded as a top documentary cinematographer. From the war zones of Libya to the front lines of Kashmir, he has filmed around the world. Kauffman is also an adjunct professor at Rutgers University, and has guest lectured at high schools and universities worldwide.
In addition to commercials, MUGSY specializes in long-form and digital content production, web design and creation, and brand entertainment development. MUGSY is represented by Ilene Silberman.
MUGSY is U.S. division of international production company Filmservice Productions, and maintains offices in New York, Los Angeles, Prague, Buenos Aires, and Moscow. For more information, please visit www.mugsy.tv.
Title: Camfed International awareness campaign
Production Company: SeeChange Films
Director: Ross Kauffman
Director of Photography: Bahareh Houseini
Editor: Jeremiah Zagar
–Shoot Publicity Wire
