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Jon Spira is a film-maker and writer based in London, UK.
He makes independent feature documentary films, TV series and also video essays, mini-docs and video promos for companies such as the British Film Institute, Arrow Video, Eureka, the BBC and others.

As a writer about film, Jon has been published by the Daily Telegraph, 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

2023 -
2024 - Wrote and directed THE LIFE AND DEATHS
OF CHRISTOPHER LEE. Released on SKY    ARTS in October 2024. Narrated by Peter
Serafinowicz.
Featuring interviews with Peter
   Jackson, John Landis, Joe Dante, Harriet
   Walter

2021 -
2022 - Wrote, directed and edited 4-part TV
series REEL BRITANNIA: THE MODERN
HISTORY OF BRITISH CINEMA. Narrated
by Nick Helm. Featuring interviews
with Edgar Wright, Terry Gilliam, Ken
Loach, Mike Leigh, Gurinder Chadhaa,
Sally Potter, David Puttnam....
Now free-to-watch on ITVX
in the UK

2020 - Wrote, directed and edited feature doc
   HOLLYWOOD BULLDOGS: THE RISE
   AND FALLS OF THE GREAT BRITISH
   STUNTMAN. Narrated by Ray
   Winstone. Now free-to-watch on
ITVX in the UK.

   THE LONG-LOST AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
   GEORGES MÉLIÈS, my latest book, is now
   available to buy at
   www.georgesmelies.co.uk

   Contributed video essay to Arrow's blu-ray
   SILENT RUNNING

   Contributed video essay to Arrow's blu-ray
   A TRIP TO THE MOON

2019 - Contributed video essay to Eureka's blu-ray
   DER GOLEM.

   World premiere of my feature documentary
   JEWISH BRITAIN ON FILM. Narrated by
   ISY SUTTIE

   Contributed video essay to Arrow's blu-ray
   AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON.

   Programmed and hosted FORGOTTEN
   FILM CLUB LIVE event at the PRINCE
   CHARLES CINEMA, London. A screening
   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
   of MELO and CRIME AND PUNISHMENT.

2018 - Wrote WHEN SITCOMS GO LARGE for the
   BFI.

   Made IDA LUPINO'S TWILIGHT ZONE
   video essay for the BFI

   Conducted red carpet interviews for the
   BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL.

   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
   RAMROD.

Wrote MOUSTACHES AND
   TURTLENECKS for BFI.

   Wrote and published THE FORGOTTEN
   FILM CLUB VOLUME 1 book. Foreword by
   Frank Turner.

   Directed and produced live event filming of
   ZUBIN MEHTA GALA for IPO.

2016 - My feature documentary ELSTREE 1976
gets worldwide release.

   Made WALKING INTO FILM HISTORY:
   ALAN CLARKE'S STEADICAM SHOTS video
   essay for BFI

   Filmed and conducted interviews for
   THE POWER OF THE DALEKS blu-ray
   for the BBC

   Filmed and edited coverage of the BFI's
   national BFI2022 ROADSHOW.

   Coordinated and managed BFI's entire
   video filming and delivery output for the
   BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2016.

   Edited A UNITED KINGDOM PREMIERE
   video for BBC FILMS

   Made IAN MCKELLAN/FILM IS FRAGILE
   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
   DAVID ATTENBOROUGH SPEECH
   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
   MINI-DOCS and VIDEO ESSAYS can be
   seen by clicking these links.

2012 - Worked for WRITERS' WORKSHOP as
   screenplay editor and lecturer at live
   events such as THE FESTIVAL OF WRITING
   along with running weekend screenwriting
   courses.



2011 - My debut feature documentary ANYONE
CAN PLAY GUITAR had its premiere to a
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
narrated by STEWART LEE

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
including THE WORK OF SPIKE JONZE
and THE WORK OF MICHEL GONDRY

2002 - Screenwriter on TOCA RACE DRIVER
video game. It reached number 1 in the
video games charts.

2000 -
2001    Screenwriter on Canadian Sci-Fi TV series
LEXX.

1995-
1999    Attended the Scottish Film School in
Edinburgh and graduated with a BA in
Film, Photography and TV.

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