Charles T. Kanganis

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 higherrated commercial features like the theatrical comedy Race the Sun 1996 starring Halle Berry and the buddycop sequel K911 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 handson style notably when he physically hoisted a massive 78pound 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