Dustin Kahia

Dustin Thomas Kahia (born June 12, 1989), known professionally as Dustin Kahia, is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for writing and directing the film Call of the Void.

Early life and background Kahia was born on June 12, 1989, in San Diego, California. He also made home movies with his father's camera and, during his high school years, began creating narrative short films.

Career

2010–2020: Early career Kahia began his career making short films. While some of his earliest work dates back to 2008, his first publicly released short film was Masterpieces, followed by Valediction. Both films premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival, with Masterpieces screening in 2010 and Valediction in 2012.

Valediction, starring Samuel Page, Italia Ricci, Eyal Podell, Bonnie Bartlett, and James Avery, gained wider recognition than Kahia's previous films. It won the "Human Condition" Audience Choice Award at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth in 2012. Media coverage included a review by Autumn McAlpin of the OC Register, who described the film as featuring "beautiful cinematography and a proficient cast."

In August 2014, Kahia launched a 30-day Kickstarter campaign to fund Call of the Void, originally envisioned as a feature-length film but ultimately completed with a 55-minute runtime due to creative and production constraints. The noir-style psychological thriller premiered at the 2016 Newport Beach Film Festival, marking Kahia’s third film at the event. Shot in just four days around downtown Los Angeles, the production required extensive planning, as actors had limited takes, with sets built from scratch and filming at locations like the La Cienega oil fields. Critics praised the film’s cinematography and noir influences, drawing comparisons to Alfred Hitchcock, Fritz Lang, Anatole Litvak, and Otto Preminger. Kahia described it as an exploration of obsession and attachment, examining how unhealthy fixation can lead to downfall.

Returning to the National Film Festival for Talented Youth to provide an interview, Kahia described his inspiration for the story of the film as wanting to pay homage to the visual-narrative style of classical cinema and the Golden Age of Hollywood. He also reflected on the challenges of securing funding and filming within a limited timeframe. The film follows Bogart's character, Daniel, as he struggles to reconcile a troubled past with an uncertain future after returning home from a prolonged absence.

The film was subsequently recognized and received awards at the International Motion Picture Awards (IMPA), where Kahia won Best Director and Dominic Bogart won Best Lead. The Best Director award marked Kahia’s first win in this category. The film also won 6 awards out of 13 nominations that it had received as of March 2024, and was screened at the 2022 Beverly Hills Film Festival.

In 2024, it was reported that Kahia was developing his feature directorial debut, Crosspoint, a sci-fi thriller co-written with Tian Kok. 2019 Independent Short Awards Best Student Short Rewind

Best Student Film Monday Mourning

Istanbul International Spring Film Festival Best Student Short International Motion Picture Awards Best Director Filmography Year Film Director Writer Producer Notes 2008 Moral Ecstasy Short Film 2009 Looks Can Be Deceiving Short Film 2009 My Name is Jake Short Film 2010 Masterpieces Short Film 2011 Valediction Short Film 2016 Call of the Void Short Film 2019 Rewind Short Film 2019 Contra Short Film 2021 Monday Mourning Short Film