David Gran has been teaching film for over 25 years and IB Film since the course was introduced. He has worked with the IB on the revisions to the current curriculum and has examined the Comparative Study, Textual Analysis and the Portfolio Film (from the first curriculum).
David studied Film and Anthropology at Binghamton University and briefly entered the film industry, working on several independent films in and around New York City. He then decided to take up Art Education at Columbia Teachers College and first began teaching art & film classes in an afternoon & weekend program at the Harlem School for the Arts. Over the course of his career he has introduced new film curriculums to Huntington High School in New York, the Shanghai American School in China, and the International School Nido de Aguilas in Santiago, Chile.
In addition to teaching film, David teaches art in interdisciplinary PBL courses with his "work wife" and actual wife, Kim Sajan. They are founding members of both Shanghai American School's Innovation Institute and Nido de Aguilas's Changemakers curriculum. He is a National Board Certified Teacher and an Apple Distinguished Educator. David is also the former Media Arts columnist for School Arts Magazine and an Adobe Educaton Leader Alumni.
He currently teaches art & film at the International School Bangkok.
In addition to teaching, David enjoys painting and printmaking. He doesn't particularly enjoy making his own films, but he does enjoy irony.
His favorite films, in no particular order are; Life is Beautiful, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Three Idiots, Casablanca, Amelie, Moonlight, The Prestige, Coherence, The Five Obstructions, Hero, Do the Right Thing, and The Shining.
He also secretly loves Paddington 2 , Moana, and The Greatest Showman but he would never admit to that on a page like this one in which he is attempting to better establish his professional credibility for more highbrow film scholarship.
David and Kim currently live in Thailand with their daughters Amaya and Elianna.
If that doesn't exhaust your interest in all things David Gran, he also has a website: davidgran.com.