Movies, Series, Documentary, Shorts, Music Performances

This documentary short has been awarded multiple film festival laurels for its glimpse of Dr. S. Allen Counter whose life story 

is the subject of John Kuri's screenplay for 90º North Latitude, 

an Elixir drama in development. 

The narrative drama: 

Seen through Dr. Counter's eyes 

as he makes a discovery propelling him to relive 

the Admiral Robert Peary/Matthew Henson exploration 

conquering the North Pole in 1909.  

Considered by many the coolest western movie, here is the original trailer. The film debuted as the highest rated movie in cable TV history.  

Conagher, adapted from the book of the same name by Louis L'Amour, stars Sam  Elliott, Katharine Ross, Ken Curtis, Barry Corbin, Billy Green Bush, James Gammon,  with Dub Taylor and Buck Taylor.  This was completion of a circle for John Kuri as the film's producer since 39-years earlier he got the sting for the old west on the set of 

Shane in Jackson Hole, WY.  His dad, Emile Kuri, designed the sets for the George Stevens' classic. 

The Los Angeles Times film critic Susan King presented author Joseph Roquemore's rankings from his book "History Goes to the Movies: A Viewer's Guide to the Best" in which Conagher is ranked as a favorite alongside A Man For All Seasons, Apollo 13, 

Ulzana's Raid, and The Duelists.

Adapted from John Kuri's published story the movie was produced for Disney by John. Starring Meredith Baxter and Chris Cooper, 

with Jean Simmons in a cameo role. 

One More Mountain was produced in Calgary, the Canadian Rockies, and the northern Great Plains.  Oxen were imported from Nova Scotia in the effort for authenticity in this tale of the Donner Party. John also directed 2nd unit.

John was the 1994 recipient of the Christopher Award "affirming the highest values of the human spirit".

Grammy® winner, American blues artist, winner of numerous W.C. Handy  Awards, the legendary John Hammond with his band of blues masters  including Charlie Musselwhite as they perform Tom Waits' originals  before a sold-out, standing room only crowd at the Great American Music  Hall in San Francisco.  

The event was the premiere performance and release  of "Wicked Grin," an album of Tom Waits' originals, produced by Waits  and released on Point Blank/Virgin Records.   

Joining Hammond are:Harmonica legend, Charlie Musselwhite,  Frank Carilo, guitar, Augie Meyers, keyboard and accordion, Samuel L.  Taylor, contra bass, Stephen Hodges, drums, percussion, and guest  artist, Ralph Carney, saxophone.  

  Produced by Kuri Productions for Elixir, and Monterey Light & Sound for StayTuned TV.  

Two basketball legends, NBA star Jerome Kersey and UCLA All-American Anita Ortega participate in a Hollywood casting call with local teens trying out for a part in a movie about teens like them.

The movie in development is based on John Kuri's novel Takin' It Back.  The book is cover endorsed by NBA great Shaquille O'Neal.

A look inside the production of the movie in the Laurentian Mountains of Southern Quebec, Canada.  

The WWII drama stars Pat Morita, Chris Makepeace, Michael Sarrazin and introduced Mari Sato.  It was produced by John Kuri  who also directed 2nd unit.  The screenplay was written by Pat Morita and John.

In this short directed and edited by John Kuri, Oceanographer, National Geographic Explorer in Residence, Former Chief  Scientist for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association, and TIME  Magazine's first "Hero of the Planet" comments on the natural system of nature and the oceans, speaks about the critical nature of the oceans and points out how much of the world is blue, saying, 

"We should think of the planet as blue since so much of it is water. Therefore, we must protect the oceans. That is where life begins."

Georgetown University Professor of International Government, Emeritus, Roy Godson, Ph.D. introduces the project and presents coverage of some of the conferences held in the Middle East and Persian Gulf by the NSIC and participating governments.  

Supported in part by the U.S. Dept. of State, the report from Paula J. Dobriansky, Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs, confirms the positive results of this NSIC project. It is available at:

https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/rls/rm/2004/37196.htm.

John Kuri was a Senior Fellow with the NSIC, 2006 through 2012. He was a speaker at several conferences in the MENA region, Colombia and Mexico.  John directed and edited this documentary short, as well he shot the Abu Dhabi footage while participating in the conference.

Mongolia Concert: Part 1 & 2

13th century music and dance comes to the Lincoln Center Festival from the far side of the world as a troupe of nine artists from Mongolia perform traditional music and dance. In  addition, the storyteller and musician Burenbayar gives the first  known performance in North America of the 13th-century national epic, The Secret History of the Mongols, which recounts the life story of Genghis Khan.  This is considered the founding work of Mongolian literature.

The performance was recorded at Lincoln Center by Elixir Entertainment. The video production of this North American premiere was directed, shot and edited by John Kuri.  This group of remarkable Mongolian artists was brought to America by the Asia Society.

John Kuri and his jazz sextet plus guest artist Bassam Saba, a virtuoso on the ancient Oud and Ney and member of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble are joined by vocalists Carolina Dos Santos Shorter and Michele Tasoff.  This tune, Fotografia, written by Brazilian legend Antonio Carlos Jobim is a favorite of John's.

John Kuri designed the sets with Oscar® winner Robert Clatworthy for this gem from 1975 directed by Milton Katselas.
Report to the Commissioner,  a textured police procedural examining changing social mores and the generalized internal corruptions within the NYPD, resulting in tragic circumstances thanks to the sincere ignorance of its protagonist played by Michael Moriarty. Also starring Yaphet Kotto, Susan Blakely, 

Héctor Elizondo, Tony King, and the movie introduced Richard Gere.

John spent many days and long nights in NYC experiencing the underground club life, police precincts, the Tombs, Bellevue's Prison Psychiatric Ward, then recreating the look and feel of the 70's Manhattan at Warner Bros. Studio and downtown LA.

:30 spot directed and edited by John Kuri for the LA Sheriff's Dept. featuring Ron Howard who, at John's request, gave his time in support of this effort.