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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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