Kira Kelly is an American cinematographer. She is perhaps best known for her work on 13th, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination, and the cable series Queen Sugar. Description above from the Wikipedia article Kira Kelly, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- Cinematographer
- 18 on MovieCove · 25 credits in all
Known for
What are Kira Kelly's films like?
Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 8
Light 3 · Serious 3 · Dark 3
Grounded 6 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 2
Gentle 0 · Charged 6 · Intense 3
A split, not a type: Steady 3 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0
A split, not a type: Casual 4 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 2
Easy watch 1 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 3
Resolved 8 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Bittersweet8
- Ambiguous2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Kira Kelly's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (4).
- Curiosity Stream
Subscription and free streaming for Kira Kelly's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
25 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page.
Misty Green(2026)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Him(2025)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Birth of a Nation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows
Rez Ball(2024)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Echo(2023)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all shows
Y: The Last Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows
Connecting...(2020)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all shows
Dream Team(2020)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows
Home(2020)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
Skin in the Game(2019)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Lady Bouncer(2017)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Insecure(2016)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows
13th(2016)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Sing It! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Emergency Contact(2015)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Pop Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Mariachi Gringo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Were the World Mine(2008)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all filmsPrivate Screenings: Stanley Donen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Red Doors(2005)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Fairies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Super Troopers(2001)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 21 titles from 2001 to 2026.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
Awards
2 major nominations and no wins, 2017–2020.
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour)
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Kira Kelly's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 61st percentile, the median of all 11; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 65th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up4
- 50th to 74th8
- 25th to 49th2
- Below 25th4
Shape of the crowd
9 of their 18 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Divisive2
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser9
- Mixed5
Reviewers score the cinematography 58/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 70, detractors 44. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Kira Kelly work with?
People who share at least 2 of Kira Kelly's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Matthew Chavez shares the most, 2.
Cinematographers
- Matthew ChavezShared titles: Number One on the Call Sheet (2025), Home (2020)See all 2 shared titles with Matthew Chavez
Producers
- Nelson GeorgeShared titles: Misty Green (2026), Home (2020)See all 2 shared titles with Nelson George
- Ben CotnerShared titles: Home (2020), 13th (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Ben Cotner
- Howard BarishShared titles: Skin in the Game (2019), 13th (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Howard Barish
- Michael NellShared titles: Skin in the Game (2019), 13th (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Michael Nell