French and Afghan nationality
Born 20 July 1979 in Lausanne, Switzerland
Languages: French, English, Italian, Persian, German,
written Arabic (notions)
EDUCATION
2008
Documentary direction course, INIS, Montreal, Canada
1997/98
Sound engineer/music production certificate, SAE, London, UK
1996/97
High school diploma, International Studies, Denver West High, USA
1996
Secondary studies diploma in Vevey, Switzerland
FILM DIRECTION
June 2008
Direction and script - « Princesses d’un Jour » - INIS – short doc. 9 min – DigiBeta - Nominated at Festival des Films du Monde 2008 and FICFA New Brunswick, Canada and Off-Courts 2009, France
April 2008
Direction, script and narration - « Hadji Baba » - INIS/NFB – short doc. 3 min – DVC - Nominated at Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal 2008, Canada
April 2007
Direction and camera - « Hip Hop Afghan » - NOUVO, TSR – 6 min TV report – HDV - Afghanistan
November 2006
Direction and camera - « Moral Crimes » - doc. 26 min – HDV - Afghanistan – Nominated at Leipzig DOK 08 Festival, Germany and Human Rights Film Festival of Montreal 2009, Canada
PROFESSIONNAL EXPERIENCE
February 2009
Sound engineer – « High Life » – dir. J. Kalimunda – Simba Notes/Canal + Horizon - Feature fiction – HD – Ivory Coast
July/August 2008
Cameraman – « Pakistani Transsexuals » – dir. S.Guilguet and C. Mercier – 66 minutes, Tony Comiti/M6 - TV report 13 min – DVC – Pakistan
July/August 2008
Cameraman – « Abdul Sattar Edhi Foundation » – dir. C. Mercier – CMDV production/ARTE - documentary 26 min – DVC – Pakistan
November 2007
Sound engineer – « Afghanistan, Between Hope and Fear» – dir. D. Morissette and A. Thiels – Doc Zone, CBC-Radio Canada - TV documentary – HD – Afghanistan
Aug. - Oct. 2007
Video editor - series of 3 mins TV news subjects - France 24/Une Semaine en Asie - Final Cut Pro - DVCAM - Afghanistan
July – Nov. 2007
Video manager for Sayara Media & Communication in Kabul, Afghanistan. Production of institutional, public and private TV spots, short dramas, PSAs, fiction and documentary films. Video and photography training
June 2007
Production director and sound - « Bâmyan » dir. Patrick Pleutin – Les Films de l’Arlequin/Arte - Anim. 14 min - Afghanistan
April 2007
Cameraman - « Hippy Trail » dir. Maren Niemeyer - Zero Film/Arte G.E.I.E - 26 mins documentary - DVCAM - Afghanistan
August 2006
Sound engineer - « Under the Hood, Voyage into the World of Torture » dir. Patricio Henriquez - Macumba International - Feature documentary – HD - Afghanistan
April 2006
Cameraman - « Star Ac’ Afghane » dir. Sophie Guilget and Célia Mercier - Arte Reportages/Jigsaw Films - Documentary 26 mins – HD - Afghanistan
2005 - 2006
Production manager for Awaz Production in Kabul, Afghanistan. Responsible for the company, concept of production projects, donors and clients relations. Communication/production staff management and finances
June 2005
Cameraman/editor - « Enfants Soldats » and « Camp de Réfugiés » dir. Eric De Lavarenne - Arte and TV5 Europe - News reports 3 min - DVC/FCP - Afghanistan
April 04 - Aug. 2005
Technical coordinator for Awaz Production in Kabul, Afghanistan. Training of video staff in DV shooting and editing for institutional and commercial films, musical clips and documentaries
April 02 - Nov. 2004
Video workshop manager. Maintenance of audiovisual complex/post production equipment and devices management. Training of architecture students/teachers in shooting/editing skills. Higher School of Architecture of Marseille-Luminy - France
March 2002
Sound engineer - « Chaussée Glissante » - dir. Pierre-François Brodin and Pascal Letenneur - Mercure Création - short fiction S.16 mm - DAT - France
February 2002
Sound operator - « Akhenaton » - Entropie Prod. - Clip S.16mm
January 2002
Grip - « Les Caïds » - dir. Ramid Issad - Zarma Production - short fiction 16 mm - France
December 2001
Grip - Music clip « Psy 4 de la Rime » - dir. Tous des K - DVC - France
September 2001
Sound engineer - « Imago » - dir. Pascal Guérin - Canaille Production - short fiction S.16 mm - DAT - France
November 2001
Sound operator - « Coralie Clément » - Canaille Prod. – clip 16mm
- DAT - France
May 2001
Sound engineer - « Allô Jean-Luc » - dir. Raphaël Michoud
- ECAL/FEMIS - short fiction 16 mm - DAT - Switzerland
April 1999 & May 2000
Set grip assistant for the annual short film direction workshop, Ecole Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne in co production with FEMIS in Paris
Feb. - April 2000
Assistant sound engineer (circus/cinema) - « Circus Baobab » - Guinea Conakry - dir. Laurent Chevalier - Le Poisson Volant Production - feature documentary 35 mm - DAT - Guinea, Africa
July 1998
Sound operator - « Montreux Jazz Festival » - daily live TV broadcast - ICI TV - Warner Bros. – Switzerland
About me
- Karim Amin
- Karim was born on 20 July 1979 in Switzerland and grew up in a multicultural family atmosphere (Afghan, Italian, Greek, British). After completing a sound engineering course in London at age 18, Karim started working in the fields of cinema and television, mostly as a sound technician. He participated in the production of fiction/documentary feature films between the UK, France, Africa and Switzerland. In 2003, Karim went back to his father's homeland – Afghanistan – where he initiated young Afghanis to the world of sound and image. While helping to set up a local production company, Awaz, he took part in various reportages and documentary films for European and Canadian media as a freelance camera assistant, cameraman or sound engineer. In 2008, after 10 years in the audiovisual world, he graduated from the INIS Scriptwriter-Director Documentary Program, in Montreal. Karim is now based in Geneva, Switzerland where he works as a freelance video reporter.
