Iris Kim Joins CANADA US
The L.A. office of the global award-winning commercial production company CANADA has signed director Iris Kim for representation in the U.S. Kim is a prolific commercial, music video and film director who has worked on a wide range of global brands including MAC, L’Oreal, Vinted, Liquid IV, WNBA, Nike, Google, Waymo, among others.
Her music video direction includes work for Interscope Records, Universal Music, Giant Music and Republic Records on projects such as Deb Never’s “arcade”, Madison Beer’s “Bittersweet" , and Zack Villere's "issy". Kim also has written and directed brilliant shorts, such as her touching character study of a young woman adrift in her mid-twenties in baby fat and her series of vignettes for the comedian Jake Shane.
“Iris is a wonderful spirited artist with a real appreciation for the beauty and absurdity of life,” said CANADA Managing Executive Producer Charlotte Woodhead, who runs the L.A. office. “Her work is bright and stylish, and at the same time wickedly observant of the imperfections and quirkiness of small towns and ordinary people. She helps elevate brand messaging, making it real, relatable and aspirational. We’re thrilled to have her join our CANADA team in the U.S.”
“For me CANADA has always been such a rare production company,” said Kim. “They’ve been on my mind since 2017, after I saw their music video of Tame Impala’s The Less I Know the Better. They’re from Spain, they have an edge, they know who they are and they’re never trying to fit in. When Charlotte reached out to me, it was like the stars were aligning.”
Kim’s work is characterized by an abundance of color, humor and fashion, often inspired by 90’s rom-coms, with an added dose of raw edginess, inspired by the work of one of her favorite directors, Celine Song. “She captures the unspoken,” said Kim, whose favorite film is The Devil Wears Prada. “The use of color and fashion and the humor blends so beautifully, and that’s how I see the world. I don’t think the world is overly dramatic and sad, I think it’s always a little bit of everything. And color, I mean we need more of it.”
Kim believes fashion in particular lends itself to storytelling. “There’s always a narrative in fashion. It’s all about how clothes make a person feel. They can be powerful, sexy and cool. I love capturing that.”
“I’m an extrovert, but also an introvert. I’m observant. I like watching human nature, watching people do their thing, which lends itself to directing. Through film I’m basically making my own world based on the observations I’ve made about life and then adding two layers of drama if I’m allowed.”
