Kevin Ford arrived at Picasso Cafe smiling, a bit breathless, with a film camera on his arm. “I’m sorry about this,” he said, nodding to the camera. “The camera is just an extension of me. There hasn’t been a week of my life I haven’t been filming since I was 10 years old.”
As a prolific narrative and documentary filmmaker, Ford has made corporate movies, NBA documentaries, political pieces and art films. Growing up in California, he spent time in New York City film schools, lived in Austin for over a decade and recently fell in love with Oklahoma City, moving here with his wife and collaborator, Emily, in 2022. Emily, born and raised in Oklahoma City, had moved away to Los Angeles for 31 years. “The first time I came here, this place made an instant impact on me,” he said. “We visited Picasso, saw the murals, bought art at Wildfire Gallery, and made new friends at AllSweet and Prairie Surf in Midtown. I feel so proud to be living in Oklahoma City. There is such a creative energy here.”
Kevin Ford arrived at Picasso Cafe smiling, a bit breathless, with a film camera on his arm. “I’m sorry about this,” he said, nodding to the camera. “The camera is just an extension of me. There hasn’t been a week of my life I haven’t been filming since I was 10 years old.”
As a prolific narrative and documentary filmmaker, Ford has made corporate movies, NBA documentaries, political pieces and art films. Growing up in California, he spent time in New York City film schools, lived in Austin for over a decade and recently fell in love with Oklahoma City, moving here with his wife and collaborator, Emily, in 2022. Emily, born and raised in Oklahoma City, had moved away to Los Angeles for 31 years. “The first time I came here, this place made an instant impact on me,” he said. “We visited Picasso, saw the murals, bought art at Wildfire Gallery, and made new friends at AllSweet and Prairie Surf in Midtown. I feel so proud to be living in Oklahoma City. There is such a creative energy here.”
Some of Kevin’s notable works include Sr., a documentary about the life and works of Robert Downey Sr. and his relationship with Robert Downey Jr., and Everything is Stolen, which recently premiered at Santa Fe International Film Festival.
Since becoming an Oklahoman, Kevin has also forged friendships with Ty McMahan and Brandon Kobs, evolving into a collaboration on an upcoming documentary, 67 Bombs To Enid, about survivors of U.S. nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific Ocean after WWII. Errol Morris, an Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, has signed on as executive producer. “There has been coverage of what happened to the people and wildlife back in the Marshall Islands, but no one has covered the community of Pacific Islanders living in Enid,” said Ford. “My hope is that people will learn about these beautiful people and their culture.”
Ford’s upcoming projects include a documentary about Sting, produced with his filmmaking partner of 25 years, Carter Smith. The duo’s first film together was a documentary on Jane’s Addiction in 1997. He also recently came back from a stint in Europe where he was collaborating on a project with Adrien Brody, as well as just finishing up an archival documentary on the making of a new Broadway play starring Robert Downey Jr., titled McNEAL.
When asked for advice to young filmmakers, Ford said, “At this point, I try to focus on making the best art I can and detach from the outcome. Not everything I make will be a commercial success, but I’m making all of it with the same heart and passion.”
Ford loves the idea of creating globally and bringing important stories back to the Oklahoma City community. Here’s to all the films being made in Oklahoma and the artists following in Kevin Ford’s footsteps.
Ford’s award-winning resume is documented on his website, where trailers for each of his films are available, as well as platforms where they can be accessed.
