Making documentaries reflects my core values: compassion, collaboration, justice, and respect. I’ve edited docs for over 35 years, driven by the belief that a compelling story can engage, educate, and challenge viewers. My editing work is broad, and my passions are stories of war and peace, untold American histories, human rights, artists’ lives, and Cuba.
I have the good fortune to have worked with some of the most exciting and inspiring documentarians of our time. There is no other relationship in the arts like that between the documentary editor and director. The alchemy of the director, the footage, and the editor creates new ideas each day. My goal, through this collaboration, is to exceed the director’s vision.
I am a husband to another documentary filmmaker, and we have two 20 and 30-something kids who remain our best teachers.
Stories Around the World
I love travel, cross-cultural communication, and languages, and I’ve visited over 40 countries. Films I’ve made and edited tell stories from the Americas to Micronesia, from South Africa to South East Asia, from Palestine to a schoolyard a mile from my home. I edit in English and Spanish, and am comfortable working in any language (provided we have good transcripts!). I am drawn to projects that disinter buried stories or re-vision familiar ones, and to character stories, where the issues explored are embedded in a person’s journey.
Teaching Communities
Filmmaking, travel, and teaching are an excellent fit. Personal highlights include teaching an insightful class of international students in Havana in 2019 and an amazing group of Burmese refugees on the Thai border in 2025. In each case, the students made and edited short documentaries. I’ve also taught at Chapman University in California (both undergrad and graduate-level courses), City College of San Francisco, and guest lectured throughout the SF Bay Area, in Southern California, NYU, Harvard, and in Doha, Qatar.
“Ken is a fantastic collaborator. He came into our project in the eleventh hour and was able to bring a fresh, creative perspective that revealed layers of story that we had yet to discover. He knows how to cut through the noise and find the heart of a story. I would highly recommend Ken as an editor and filmmaker.”
Gale Ann Hurd
CEO, Valhalla Entertainment
Producer — The Walking Dead; The Terminator; Alien“I love working with Ken. He is a rare picture editor who knows the power and language of sound. He’s gifted, patient, and a pleasure to work with. I always look forward to projects that Ken has cut or created himself.”
James Lebrecht
Co-Director & Co-Producer of Crip Camp“Ken is a terrific editor. He is quick to understand the story, characters, and drama. He is sensitive and can create wonderful emotional content. He is very committed, and you can always rely on him. And he is a wonderful person!”
Connie Feld
Emmy Winner, Oscar & Bafta Nominee