Saman Kesh

{{Short description|American filmmaker and music video director}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Saman Kesh

| birth_name = Saman Keshavarz

| image = Saman-kesh-sxsw-2013.jpg

| caption = Kesh accepting SXSW Best Video award in 2013

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|8|8}}

| birth_place = Tehran, Iran

| occupation = Filmmaker, music video director

| education = Art Center College of Design

| years_active = 2009-present

}}

Saman Kesh (born Saman Keshavarz) is an Iranian-American filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California, United States. He is known for his narrative music video work for notable artists such as Basement Jaxx, Calvin Harris, Kygo, Placebo, !!!, Vitalic, Apparat and Porter Robinson.{{cite web|title=Saman Kesh filmography|url=http://imvdb.com/n/saman-kesh|website=IMVDB.com|accessdate=2015-05-31}}[http://www.promonews.tv/news/2010/03/17/cinnamon-chasers-luv-deluxe-wins-best-video-sxsw Promonews.tv][https://www.indiewire.com/article/2013-sxsw-award-winners-in-progress Indiewire.com][http://www.iwantedm.com/2011/09/machinima-music-videos-porter-robinson-spitfire-exclusive-capture-the-can-live-action-paintball-multiplayer-machinima Iwantedm.com][http://kotaku.com/5839718/this-incredible-multiplayer-paintball-video-is-a-one-shot-kill Kotaku.com][http://www.redefinemag.com/2013/saman-kesh-music-video-director-interview-retrospective-gallery/ Redefinemag.com]

In 2009, during his attendance as a film student at Art Center College of Design, Kesh came into light with his first music video for Cinnamon Chasers' first single: "Luv Deluxe".{{cite web|title=Cinnamon Chasers 'Luv Deluxe'|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8Y1MalRrDc|website=YouTube.com| date=11 September 2009 |accessdate=2015-05-31}} Luv Deluxe has received over six million views to date, won SXSW Best Music Video award in 2010, and was shown in Saatchi & Saatchi's Director Showcase in 2010 at Cannes.{{cite web|title=2010 Saatchi & Saatchi Director's Showcase|url=http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/1013865/|website=Campaignlive.co.uk|accessdate=2015-05-31}}

In 2012, he went on to direct videos for Ed Sheeran, Deus and Calvin Harris, his video for the track 'Stamina' from French producer Vitalic sparked controversy with its thematic statements regarding weight loss and obesity in pop culture.{{cite web|title=Vitalic 'Stamina'|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK-lGSYKaaM|website=YouTube.com| date=9 October 2012 |accessdate=2015-05-31}}{{Cite web|last=Hua|first=Vivian|date=2013-09-03|title=Saman Kesh Music Video Director Interview & Retrospective Gallery|url=https://redefinemag.net/2013/saman-kesh-music-video-director-interview-retrospective-gallery/|access-date=2021-03-23|website=REDEFINE magazine|language=en-US}} The video resulted in Kesh winning his second SXSW "Best Video" award in 2013.{{Cite web|title=Placebo premiere new video for 'Too Many Friends'|url=https://www.music-news.com/news/UK/69121/Read|access-date=2021-03-23|website=Music-News.com|language=en-US}}

In 2013, Kesh moved into the narrative world with his short sci-fi short film, Controller.{{cite web|title=CONTROLLER|url=https://vimeo.com/71495477|website=Vimeo.com|date=August 2013 |accessdate=2015-05-31}} The short received the No. 2 spot on Deadline Hollywood's 2013 ViewFinder's list, which polls Hollywood industry professionals on their favorite short films of the year.{{cite web|title=2013 Blacklist|url=https://deadline.com/2013/12/2013-viewfinder-list-fools-day-noah-and-controller-top-shorts-list-654437/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=18 December 2013 |access-date=2015-05-31}}

Later that year, he collaborated with celebrity author Bret Easton Ellis and the British alternative rock band Placebo on a short film series titled 'Unfortunate Details' which examined cases of sexual incidents gone awry. They were released as two music videos,{{cite web|last=Brown |first=Harley |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/watch-bret-easton-ellis-guests-in-placebos-eerie-too-many-friends-20130809 |title=Bret Easton Ellis Guests in Placebo's Mysterious 'Too Many Friends' Video |publisher=Rollingstone.com |date=2013-08-09 |accessdate=2015-05-31}} for the band's album, Loud Like Love.

In 2014 Kesh served as overseeing advisor to a team of directors for Visa's "Samba of the World", a digital campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Made in collaboration with AKQA and COPILOT Music and Sound, this interactive music video experience allowed fans to listen and watch 32 different music videos, based on 32 different countries, in real time.

His video "Never Say Never",{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/55973-basement-jaxx-enlist-a-twerking-robot-for-their-never-say-never-video/ |title=Basement Jaxx Enlist a Twerking Robot for Their "Never Say Never" Video | News |publisher=Pitchfork.com |date=2014-07-21 |accessdate=2015-05-31}} for Basement Jaxx details the development of a fictional product called TWERKBOT, a Twerking robot.{{cite web|title=Basement Jaxx's 'Never Say Never' clip debuts 'Twerk-Bot' technology|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-basement-jaxx-never-say-never-twerkbot-technology-20140721-column.html|website=Los Angeles Times|date=21 July 2014 |accessdate=2015-05-31}}{{cite web|title=Basement Jaxx Invent a 'Twerkbot 1.0' in 'Never Say Never' Video|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/basement-jaxx-invent-a-twerkbot-1-0-in-never-say-never-video-20140721|website=Rollingstone.com|date=21 July 2014 |accessdate=2015-05-31}} The video features controversial themes on robotics, sexuality, and pop-culture. His most recent video for the 2015 YouTube Music Awards was for the artist Kygo, which featured an alien astronaut couple that crash-lands a costume party.

Kesh is currently developing several films to direct, including Cubed, setup at Lionsgate Entertainment, which is loosely based on the 1997 cult film, Cube. 'Deadline Hollywood announced{{cite web|last=Fleming |first=Mike |url=https://deadline.com/2015/04/controller-saman-kesh-fox-21-laps-short-film-1201415344/ |title=Fox Buys 'Controller,' Based On Saman Kesh's Trippy Proof Of Concept Short |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=2015-04-23 |accessdate=2015-05-31}} that Kesh will be adapting and directing a feature-length version of Controller'' with 20th Century Fox.