CV
A professional summary of film work, writing, education, teaching, and training.
Selected directing + producing
- Atomic Fondue — Director / Producer. Feature, 2026. Post-production.
- Hot Minute — Writer / Director / Producer. Six-episode crime comedy, 2026. Post-production.
- The Tenth Circle — Director / Cinematographer / Producer. Short. Post-production.
- god's favorite angels — Writer / Director / Producer. Feature in development; 2025 proof-of-concept short in post-production.
- Love Me Tender — Producer. Experimental documentary feature, 2026. Post-production.
- Unseen Borders — Producer. Documentary feature, 2026. Post-production.
- East of Middle West — Associate producer / Script supervisor. Feature, 2021. Released.
- Layaway — Producer. Short, 2023. Released.
- #millcore — Director / Co-writer / Executive producer / Co-editor / Actor. Comedy web series, 2019–2020. Released.
Writing + publication
Behind the Laughter: History, Writing, and the Production of American Comedy — Kendall Hunt, 2025.
Selected screenplays: god's favorite angels, Soft Launch, Hawk River, and Up in Flames, co-written with Jesse Riback.
Stowe Story Labs: 2025 Remote Writers' Retreat and 2025 Fall Feature Campus.
Education
- MFA, Film & Video Production — University of Iowa.
- BA — University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Teaching
- Former Assistant Professor of Cinema & Television Arts — Elon University.
- Previously taught Cinematic Arts — University of Iowa.
- Audio and video production teaching — Laurus College.
Teaching includes filmmaking, editing, sound, comedy, entertainment business, narrative aesthetics, television, web series, and global film culture.
Courses, research + speakingAffiliations + languages
- Directors Guild of America — member.
- Television Academy — member.
- WGA-eligible writer.
- Film Independent, Women in Film, NALIP.
- English — native.
- Dutch — native.
- Spanish — A2 / elementary working proficiency.
Certifications + training
Production + finance
Production Management in TV
Course with Christina Northrup.
Movie Magic Budgeting
Movie Magic Scheduling
EP SmartAccounting
Governance
Nonprofit Board Governance / Form 990 Compliance
Set safety
OSHA 10-Hour for Entertainment / General Industry
First Aid / CPR / AED
Teaching + leadership
Certificate of Inclusive Teaching
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certificate
Title IX / Sexual Misconduct Training for Study USA/Abroad
Managing Bias on Short-Term Study Away Programs
Sustainability
Sustainability Scholar Program
Professional information
Los Angeles-based. Available for U.S. and international work.
For a CV tailored to directing, producing, writing, or teaching, contact swansonkai0@gmail.com.
Fulbright experience
Utrecht, the Netherlands / 2014–2015
Intensive Dutch language study and teaching English at Utrecht University.