Michael Kahn (born December 8, 1930) "Q: Happy Birthday! You’re 80 years old today, is that right? A: No, closer to 85, actually!" is an American

film editor Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film which increasingly involves the use of digital technology. The film edit ...

known for his frequent collaboration with

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...

. His first collaboration with Spielberg was for his 1977 film, ''

Close Encounters of the Third Kind ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' is a 1977 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, Cary Guffey, and François Truffaut. It tells the story ...

''. He has edited all of Spielberg's subsequent films except for ''

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (or simply ''E.T.'') is a 1982 American science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, d ...

'' (1982), which was edited by Carol Littleton. Kahn has received eight

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nominations for Best Film Editing, and has won three times—for ''

Raiders of the Lost Ark ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ro ...

'' (1981), ''

Schindler's List ''Schindler's List'' is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the 1982 novel ''Schindler's Ark'' by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The film f ...

'' (1993), and ''

Saving Private Ryan ''Saving Private Ryan'' is a 1998 American epic war film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat. Set during the Battle of Normandy in World War II, the film is known for its graphic portrayal of war, especially its depicti ...

'' (1998), which were all Spielberg-directed films.

Life and career

Kahn was born on December 8 in New York City; while his birth year has been reported as 1935, Kahn said in 2015, when asked if he was 80, that his age at that point was "closer to 85." Kahn has edited digitally since at least '' Twister'' (1996), though he continued to edit on film with Spielberg long after most editors had stopped doing so. In 2008, Kahn acknowledged that "people find it hard to believe that Steven and I still edit film on a Moviola and a KEM. utSteven feels film got us where we are today and he loves the smell of it and feel of it. We started that way and both really enjoy it."

George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the '' Star Wars'' and '' Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as c ...

remarked "Michael Kahn can cut faster on a Moviola than anybody can cut on an Avid." However, since '' The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn'' (2011), Kahn has edited Spielberg's films on an Avid machine.

Awards

With eight Academy Award nominations, Kahn tied with

Thelma Schoonmaker Thelma Schoonmaker (; born January 3, 1940) is an American film editor, known for her over five decades of work with frequent director Martin Scorsese. She started working with Scorsese on his debut feature film '' Who's That Knocking at My Doo ...

for being the most-nominated editor in Academy Awards history. In addition, Kahn holds the record for the most wins (three) in the category of the Academy Awards for Best Film Editing, tied with Schoonmaker,

Daniel Mandell Daniel Mandell (August 13, 1895 - June 8, 1987) was an American film editor with more than 70 film credits. His first editing credit was for '' The Turmoil'' in 1924. From '' Dodsworth'' (1936) to ''Porgy and Bess'' (1959), Mandell worked for Sa ...

, and

Ralph Dawson Ralph Dawson (April 18, 1897 in Westborough, Massachusetts – November 15, 1962) was an American film editor who also did some acting, directing, and screenwriting. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing four times, and won ...

. All of the films for which he won Oscars were directed by

: ''

'' (1981), ''

'' (1993), and ''

'' (1998). He has received six BAFTA nominations for Best Editing, winning two for ''Schindler's List'' and ''

Fatal Attraction ''Fatal Attraction'' is a 1987 American psychological thriller film directed by Adrian Lyne from a screenplay by James Dearden, based on his 1980 short film '' Diversion''. Starring Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and Anne Archer, the film cent ...

''. Kahn has been selected for membership in the

American Cinema Editors Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing. Members use the post-nominal ...

(ACE). In 2011, he received the Career Achievement Award of the

. At the ceremony, Steven Spielberg said of editing: "this is where filmmaking goes from a craft to an art." In November 2013, Spielberg created the Michael Kahn Endowed Chair in Editing at the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

School of Cinematic Arts The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) houses seven academic divisions: Film & Television Production; Cinema & Media Studies; John C. Hench Division of Animation + Digital Arts; John Wells Division of Writing for S ...

in honor of Kahn. The first to be appointed to the position was Norman Hollyn.

Filmography

References

External links

*
Cinema Editor Magazine Interview with Kahn

Kahn on cutting War Horse - BTL

Post Magazine Article on Kahn

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kahn, Michael 1930 births Living people American Cinema Editors American film editors Artists from New York City Best Editing BAFTA Award winners Best Film Editing Academy Award winners