John Smithson
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John
Smithson

Co-Founder and Creative Director, Arrow PicturesFollow me on LinkedIn
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An Oscar-nominated and Emmy award-winning producer, John has been responsible for a distinguished slate of high quality films and groundbreaking series which have received global acclaim.

John’s recent projects include the critically acclaimed I, Sniper, which aired on C4 and Vice - a 6-hour serial over four years in the making. John’s other high profile projects include Generation 9/11, a unique collaboration with PBS, Channel 4 and Arte France; and Positive for Sky Documentaries, marking Britain’s 40-year struggle with HIV/AIDS. It has been shortlisted for a Grierson Award and in the Best Documentary category at the Edinburgh International Festival Awards. John also recently collaborated on River, for the BBC and ABC.

John was an Oscar® nominee for Best Motion Picture of the Year for Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours, a film he originated and produced, which was also nominated for 86 Awards including six Oscars and nine BAFTAs. His theatrical documentary Touching the Void won the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film and broke box-office records. He also jointly produced Sherpa, which picked up five awards including Best Documentary at the London Film Festival and a Best Documentary nomination at the BAFTA Film Awards.

John’s documentary credits include The Beckoning Silence, winner of the International Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Documentary; BAFTA-nominated The Falling Man; Best Cinema Documentary winner Deep Water in the Grierson Awards; Emmy-nominated Time Travel with Stephen Hawking; and the multi-award-winning HBO documentary Thrilla in Manilla, winner of a Peabody Award. 

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