CRAIG
KILGORE

Full Biography

Craig Kilgore did not start his career behind a camera. He started it in uniform. As a U.S. Air Force veteran who served during the Desert Storm era, Craig learned two things that still define his work today: preparation eliminates surprises, and the people you serve deserve your full attention.

After his military service, Craig found his way to cinematography the same way most serious filmmakers do, by telling stories that needed to be told. His documentary film "I Was the Weirdo" became the project that put him on the map, winning Best Documentary at the New York Hip Hop Film Festival and the Audience Award at LightReel DC. These were not genre trophies. They were recognition that audiences connected with the film, which is the only award that actually matters.

Craig founded Next Level Visions in Hagerstown because he saw a specific gap in the local market: businesses that needed professional-grade video were either priced out by DC-area agencies or let down by videographers who could not deliver. NLV was built to close that gap. Documentary-level craft. DMV-area pricing. Real accountability on every project.

Beyond client work, Craig serves as an adjunct instructor and Board Member at Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, one of Maryland's most respected performing and visual arts schools. He teaches the next generation of filmmakers in the classroom and helps shape the institution's direction from the board. He also volunteers with the Maryland International Film Festival, staying connected to the broader film community and bringing that perspective back into every commercial project he touches.

Craig is not a vendor. He is a filmmaker who works for businesses. That distinction is the difference between a video that gets shelved and a video that earns its budget. If you have a story worth telling, and every business does, Craig will figure out how to tell it in a way your audience actually responds to.