KAWAI MATTHEWS is a Los Angeles-based director who specializes in storytelling with emotional appeal and an elevated visual style. Whether she’s working on a Netflix special, the BET Awards, ABC’s Global Citizen Festival or the hit Facebook Watch series, Cardi Tries, her combination of skill, vision and work ethic proves to be a winning combination for a versatile range of projects. From funny, to inspiring, to heartfelt, she frames and captures the dynamic field of human expression and experience in ways that connect authentically with audiences. 

A native of southern California, Kawai picked up her first photography camera in high school. As a heavily recruited student-athlete, she earned a full-ride basketball scholarship to UC Berkeley, and continued nurturing her love for the arts, culture, and entertainment through internships. Later, she built a career and business that merged those passions, working with clients to develop and create content that fueled their branding and marketing strategies. 

Now, as an accomplished director working with some of the world’s biggest stars, Kawai has completed projects for ABC, BET, NBC, Netflix, Disney, Nike, Apple Music, Bumble, Meta and other high-profile networks and brands. 

With laser-focus, and always in service to the story and the stakeholders, she approaches each project as fertile ground for visions to come to life, unearthing the magic beneath the surface of each story. Additionally, in the process of prep and during execution, creating space for the crew, talent and collaborators to do their very best work is a top priority. 

Kawai’s directing skills are complemented by her professional experience as a videographer, editor, photographer, graphic designer and producer. These skill sets inform her directorial work across unscripted tv, documentary, specials, award shows, multicam live and commercials. 

CLIENTS include ABC, BET, Disney, Netflix, NBC, VH1, Nike, Apple Music, Bumble, Facebook Watch, Complex Networks, Tidal, LA Pride, Jesse Collins Entertainment, 1Park9, Conscious Minds Studios & More!