(Russian: Бори́с А́белевич Ка́уфман; August 24, 1906 – June 24, 1980) was a Russian-born American cinematographer[1][2] and the younger brother of Soviet filmmakers Dziga Vertov and Mikhail Kaufman.

Mikhail and Denis, better known as Dziga Vertov, stayed in the Soviet Union and became important filmmakers, producing avant-garde and agitprop films.

After graduating from the University of Paris, Kaufman turned to cinematography,[citation needed] collaborating with Jean Vigo and Dimitri Kirsanoff.

During World War II, he served in the French Army against the Nazis; when France fell, Kaufman escaped to Canada.

Kaufman supported himself by filming short subjects and documentaries until director Elia Kazan chose him as director of photography for On the Waterfront (1954), Kaufman's first American feature film, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Black and White) and a 1955 Golden Globe Award.