Jon Spira is a film-maker and writer based in London, UK.
He makes independent feature documentary films and also
video essays, mini-docs and video promos for companies such as the British Film Institute, Arrow Video, Eureka, the BBC and others.
Jon is a trained and experienced film producer, director, screenwriter, camera-operator, lighting designer, sound recordist and editor and has often found himself performing all of these roles at the same time.
As a writer about film, Jon has been published by the Daily Telegraph, The Huffington Post, the BFI, BAFTA and various other sites and publications.
He has self-published three books, all fully funded by successful Kickstarter campaigns.
In his spare time, Jon likes to... watch films. He also enjoys writing about himself in the third person.
Below is a chronology of most of the things Jon has done professionally. Anything in caps and underlined is a clickable link which will take you to more info about that subject.
REVERSE TIMELINE
2020 - Currently in post-production on
STUNTMAN, my latest feature film.
available to buy at
Contributed video essay to Arrow's blu-ray
Contributed video essay to Arrow's blu-ray
2019 - Contributed video essay to Eureka's blu-ray
World premiere of my feature documentary
Contributed video essay to Arrow's blu-ray
Programmed and hosted FORGOTTEN
FILM CLUB LIVE event at the PRINCE
of Morons From Outer Space followed by
a Q&A with Mike Hodges and Griff Rhys
Jones.
Edited special features for Arrow's blu-rays
BFI.
video essay for the BFI
Conducted red carpet interviews for the
Wrote VOX POPULAR piece for BAFTA.
2017 - First book VIDEOSYNCRATIC written and
published. Foreword by Susie Dent.
Edited special feature for Arrow's blu-ray
Directed and produced live event filming of
2016 - My feature documentary ELSTREE 1976
gets worldwide release.
essay for BFI
Filmed and conducted interviews for
for the BBC
Filmed and edited coverage of the BFI's
Coordinated and managed BFI's entire
video filming and delivery output for the
video for BBC FILMS
fundraising video for BFI.
Directed, produced and edited BFI FLARE
30th ANNIVERSARY video promo campaign
for BFI
Left full-time employment with the BFI
when they closed the in-house video-
production unit. Retained as freelance
film-maker.
2015 - Promoted to AV MANAGER at the BFI -
full time position running all BFI filming.
- Commissioned the installation of fixed
remote-controlled camera filming in NFT1
- Produced and oversaw all video
production including on-camera
interviews, documentaries, promo pieces,
live Q&A and event filming.
- Coordinated all BFI filming for BFI London
Film Festival and BFI Flare, along with
smaller guest festivals.
2014 - Directed and produced Lifetime
Achievement Award
for THE PEABODY AWARDS
2013 - Hired as full-time AV PRODUCER for BFI.
The role is essentially in-house
documentary filmmaker. Responsibilities
included producing, writing, directing and
editing a range of filmed content such as
mini-documentaries, promo pieces for BFI
seasons and interviewing film talent from
A-list Hollywood stars to retired British film
technicians. I was also usually camera-
operating and recording sound myself.
Examples of the INTERVIEWS and also
seen by clicking these links.
screenplay editor and lecturer at live
along with running weekend screenwriting
courses.
2011 - My debut feature documentary ANYONE
sold-out audience at BFI Southbank. The
film was introduced by ADAM BUXTON who
also hosted a LIVE Q&A afterwards with me,
Ed from Radiohead, Gaz from Supergrass,
Mark from Ride and Nick from Candyskins.
The film took five years to make and was
2010 - Produced 11 monthly XTREME IAN
Facebook challenge videos for PRINGLES.
2002 -
2010 I owned and operated a chain of two indie
video stores in Oxford called
VIDEOSYNCRATIC. You can see a mini-doc
about them HERE
2003 - I worked as camera operator and sound
recordist for various interviews and
commentaries for the Directors Label
DVD series
video game. It reached number 1 in the
video games charts.
2000 -
2001 Screenwriter on Canadian Sci-Fi TV series
1995-
1999 Attended the Scottish Film School in
Edinburgh and graduated with a BA in
Film, Photography and TV.