Kaz Firpo


Matthew Kazuo "Kaz" Firpo is an American film director, screenwriter, and photographer. Along with his cousin, Ryan, he has written upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film The Eternals. His debut documentary won Best Documentary at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, while also playing at SXSW.
A graduated of the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Firpo was named one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2016.

Early life and Education

Firpo was born and raised in San Francisco, California, the youngest son of artists Claudia Katayanagi and Patrick Firpo, and brother of creative director Danny Firpo. He attended Sir Francis Drake High School in Marin County. He then attended New York University, majoring in Film & Television and Classical Studies in the Tisch School of the Arts.

Career

Firpo's directorial debut, Refuge, documented various stories from the Syrian Refugee Crisis. The film was shot in Greece. The film premiered at SXSW, and won Best Documentary at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. He has since worked with UNICEF, making a documentary series in Chiapas, Mexico and Kingston, Jamaica.
His short film, Child's Play, starring Tony Award-winner David Alvarez, won Best Screenplay at the Beverly Hills Film Festival.
Firpo has a number of projects in pre-production. His 2017 Black List-winning script, Ruin, co-written with his writing partner Ryan Firpo, has Margot Robbie attached to star with Justin Kurzel set to direct. Also in pre-production is the thriller Mimi from Rio, which was purchased by Netflix. Ridley Scott is attached as a producer.
In May 2018, it was announced that the Firpos were hired by Marvel Studios to write a film based on the Eternals, to be released as part of "Phase Four" of the MCU. The film wrapped principal photography in February 2020, and is set for release in February 2021.

Other Projects

Firpo has also found work as a commercial director and photographer. His commercial projects include working with brands such as Snapchat, Tinder, and Instagram. His work with Tinder earned him a spot in Adweek's top 9 commercials of the year.
As a photographer, he has shot editorials and magazine covers around the world, including Bhutan, Rajasthan, and the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Filmography