Tom Kalin

Tom Kalin is a Professor of Experimental Film at The European Graduate School (EGS) and has been an Associate Professor at Columbia University’s Film Program since 2007. He holds a BFA from the University of Illinois, an MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago, and completed the Whitney Museum’s Independent Study Program. His work bridges experimental film, activism, and social critique, focusing on queer identity, AIDS awareness, and gender issues. Kalin’s films explore themes like displacement, urban isolation, and power dynamics, with Swoon (1992) and Savage Grace (2007) as major contributions to New Queer Cinema.

• Educations:
• BFA in Painting, University of Illinois (1984)
• MFA in Photography/Video, Art Institute of Chicago (1987)
• Whitney Museum Independent Study Program (1988)

Research interests include merging visual art with political activism, particularly through his work with Gran Fury (AIDS activist collective). His films and installations have been featured at MoMA, the Pompidou Center, and Venice Biennale. Awards include the Brendan Gill Prize and a Guggenheim Fellowship for Every Evening Freedom (2002).

• Awards: Brendan Gill Prize (1989), Guggenheim Fellowship (2011), Caligari Prize (Berlin Film Festival).

Grants from institutions like the Rockefeller Foundation and NEA supported his projects. He has produced films such as I Shot Andy Warhol and Go Fish, and collaborated on Office Killer with Cindy Sherman. Lectures include series on experimental cinema and gender issues at EGS.