Kai Saul is a cinematographer of Japanese and Lithuanian descent. Trained as a concert violinist and composer, he began scoring for film as an undergraduate student and segued afterwards from recital halls to film sets. Today, his credits as director of photography span an extensive range of genres and formats.

His narrative work has premiered at Sundance Film Festival and played in dozens of festivals worldwide. His latest feature credit, L.A. Unit on Marc Forster’s A Man Called Otto (2022) starring Tom Hanks, grossed over $100 million worldwide. In the advertising world, he has lensed over two hundred commercial campaigns for numerous blue-chip clients, while his music video résumé has garnered over a billion views through collaborations with a diverse array of artists from Lady Gaga to Moby. He continually strives to support directors’ visions by devoting himself to the material and the process. In the words of actor/director Dev Patel, “Kai is not only a true artist but a wonderful collaborator. He has that rare ability to turn the mundane into magic.”


Kai is a member of the International Cinematographers Guild and is represented globally by Iconic Talent Agency. He holds an MFA in Cinematography from Chapman University and a BA in Music from Dartmouth College.