John Zak Biography

John Carl Zak, a.k.a John Kalani Zak, was born in Washington D.C. to Edwin and Juanita Zak. He lived in and traveled to many places during his childhood, as his father worked for Trans World Airlines. Those early experiences of travel to Africa, Europe, Asia, South America and elsewhere embued John with a love of travel that remains with him to this day.After graduating from Canyon High School in Canyon Country California, John studied film and television at UCLA, graduating Magna cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

Upon graduation, John began work as a lighting director with ABC Television in Hollywood, earning an Emmy Award and six Emmy nominations for work on series including GENERAL HOSPITAL and BENSON.

John left ABC after nine years to pursue freelance opportunities. He worked for Universal Studios as Director of Photography on situation comedies including SILVER SPOONS, FACTS OF LIFE, DOMESTIC LIFE, and DIFFR'NT STROKES as well as designing looks for several Universal pilots.

John directed the first national telecast of the NOSOTROS GOLDEN EAGLE AWARDS honoring hispanics in the entertainment industry.

John then continued in the directing area, directing CAPITOL (CBS), THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (CBS), DAYS OF OUR LIVES, (NBC), SANTA BARBARA, (NBC), and THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, (CBS). Zak remained with THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL for 12 years, advancing to the position of supervising producer while continuing as a director on the series. John earned a Directors Guild of America nomination for the series in 1995."B and B" enjoyed unrivaled success both in the United States and in 100 territories internationally, where it was dubbed into 45 languages. The series is acknowledged to be the most widely syndicated drama in the world.

At the conclusion of 12 years on the series, Zak began graduate studies, earning certificates from UCLA's Graduate  Producing and Screenwriting Programs, followed by a Master's Degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica.It was during Zak's psychology studies that he got in touch with his life-long love for Hawaii, having traveled there regularly since childhood. John took a leap of faith and moved to Hawaii in 2002, and he now splits his time between Hawaii and Los Angeles. Zak had the unique blessing of learning from some of Hawaii's most respected cultural and healng practitioners, including Sylvester, Papa K Kepiilino, a kumu lomilomi and one of the few full blooded kanaka maoli teaching  age old skills. During filming, John got to know Papa well, and was blessed and incredibly humbled when Papa chose a Hawaiian name for him, which includes the beautiful word, Kalani. It is now, greatfully a part of John's identity as "hanai po'e", one among the adopted sons and daughters of Hawaii.

In 2004 and 2005, Zak commuted from Hawaii to New York City to work as a contract director for ABC on the daytime series, ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

John is a director member of the Directors Guild of America, a member and former Governor of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and an actor member of AFTRA.  Zak has received seven national Emmy nominations in Daytime and Primetime television, was nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award, and also received a national Emmy and the Environmental Media Award.

In 2006 Zak was awarded the Gold Medal in the Fine Arts division by the HAWAII FORGIVENESS PROJECT for his photograph, LEI LOKAHI (See image below.).

Zak's documentary films on Hawaiian topics have screened at numerous film festivals and conferences in Hawaii, on the US Mainland, and in Europe. Recently, Zak was hired as a  production consultant for the international company, ENDEMOL, and for Franz Marx Films in South Africa.  Zak is fluent in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese.

Zak's newest film project is called THE FINE ART OF FORGIVENESS. It will explore the many ways people deal with issues of healing themselves and each other through forgiveness and compassion