John Spotton C.S.C. (January 1, 1927 - March 3, 1991) was a Canadian filmmaker with the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

. A versatile artist who worked as a director, producer, cinematographer and editor, Spotton was best known for his role in developing the Direct Cinema genre of documentary and in the application of those techniques in narrative fiction films, in particular ''

Nobody Waved Good-bye ''Nobody Waved Good-bye'' is a 1964 National Film Board of Canada production directed by Don Owen, starring Peter Kastner, Julie Biggs and Claude Rae. A sequel, '' Unfinished Business'', was released in 1984. Plot In Toronto, Ontario, Peter is ...

'' (1964), in which he served as cinematographer and editor. An early member of the

Canadian Society of Cinematographers The Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC) ('' French:'' Société canadienne des cinéastes) is a non-profit Canadian trade organization with over 500 members whose mission is to promote the artistic creativity and required skills for cinemat ...

(CSC), Spotton briefly working as a cameraman for a private company, joined the NFB in 1949 and worked there for the rest of his life, with the exception of a three-film stint with Parker Film Associates, and a two-year period in the 1970s when he worked with Potterton Productions. He was executive director of the NFB's Ontario Centre from 1982 until 1988. Until it closed in 2002, The NFB's theatre in Toronto was named The John Spotton Theatre. Until 2017, the

Toronto International Film Festival Award for Best Canadian Short Film The Toronto International Film Festival Award for Best Canadian Short Film, formerly also known as the National Film Board of Canada, NFB John Spotton Award, is an annual film award, presented by the Toronto International Film Festival to a film jud ...

was the 'NFB John Spotton Award'.

Personal life and death

Spotton drowned at the age of 64 while on vacation in Cuba. He was survived by his wife Doris.

Filmography

For the

*''Sing with the Commodores'' - 3 short films, Roger Blais & Douglas Tunstell 1951 - cinematographer *''Fighting Forest Fires with Hand Tools'' - training film, Lawrence Cherry 1951 - cinematographer *''Trade Fair'' - documentary short, Robert Anderson 1952 - cinematographer *''The Puppeteers'' - documentary short,

Jacques Giraldeau Jacques Giraldeau (July 16, 1927February 28, 2015) was a Canadian documentary filmmaker from Quebec, who was known primarily for his films about visual arts and artists. A longtime director, writer and producer for the National Film Board of Canada, ...

1952 - cinematographer *''Epidemic Foot and Mouth Disease: Saskatchewan'' - documentary short, Larry Gosnell 1952 - cinematographer *''

Eye Witness Eyewitness or eye witness may refer to: Witness * Witness, someone who has knowledge acquired through first-hand experience ** Eyewitness memory ** Eyewitness testimony Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Eyewitness'' (1956 film), a Britis ...

No. 39'' - documentary short, Gordon Burwash 1952 - cinematographer *''

No. 44'' - documentary short,

David Bairstow David Leslie Bairstow (1 September 1951 – 5 January 1998) was an English cricketer, who played for Yorkshire and England as a wicket-keeper. He also played football for his hometown club Bradford City. He is the father of England internation ...

1952 - cinematographer *''

No. 49'' - documentary short,

1952 - cinematographer *''

No. 50'' - documentary short,

1953 - cinematographer *''Pole Barns and Milking Parlours'' - documentary short, Larry Gosnell 1953 - cinematographer *''The World at Your Feet'' - documentary short, Larry Gosnell 1953 - cinematographer *''The Story of Peter and the Potter'' - short film, Donald Peters 1953 - cinematographer *''Surface Silos'' - documentary short, Larry Gosnell 1953 - cinematographer *''Security Depends on You'' - training film,

Julian Biggs Julian Biggs (1920 in Port Perry, Ontario – 1972 in Montreal) was a director, producer and administrator with the National Film Board of Canada for 20 years responsible for two Academy Award nominees, ''Herring Hunt'' (1953, as director) and '' Pa ...

1953 - cinematographer *''Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps: Field Operations'' - training film, Lawrence Cherry 1953 - cinematographer *''Forage Harvesting'' - documentary short, Larry Gosnell 1953 - cinematographer *''

No. 67'' - documentary short, Fernand Ménard & Robert Anderson 1954 - cinematographer *''Salt Cod'' - documentary short, Allan Wargon 1954 - cinematographer *''College in the Wilds'' - documentary short,

1954 - cinematographer *''Frontier College'' - documentary short,

1954 - cinematographer *'' On the Spot: The Doll Factory'' - documentary short,

1954 - cinematographer *'' On the Spot: Deep Sleep'' - documentary short, Jack Olsen, 1954 - cinematographer *'' On the Spot: Auto Production'' - documentary short, Jack Olsen 1954 - cinematographer *'' On the Spot: Aviation Medicine'' - documentary short,

1954 - cinematographer *'' On the Spot: Food and Drug Patrol'' - documentary short, Allen Stark 1954 - cinematographer *'' On the Spot: Hidden Power'' - documentary short, John Feeney 1954 - cinematographer *'' On the Spot: Javanese Dancing'' - documentary short,

Bernard Devlin Bernard Devlin, (December 15, 1824 – February 7, 1880) was an Irish-born lawyer, counsel to the Abraham Lincoln administration of the United States Government during the most northerly engagement of the United States Civil War, Quebec-b ...

1954 - cinematographer *'' On the Spot: The Magic Men'' - documentary short, Jack Olen 1954 - cinematographer *'' On the Spot: Story of a Newspaper'' - documentary short,

1954 - cinematographer *'' On the Spot: Traffic Cop'' - documentary short, Jack Olsen 1954 - cinematographer *'' On the Spot: Food Facts'' - documentary short, John Feeney 1954 - cinematographer *'' On the Spot: Alcoholism'' - documentary short, Don Haldane 1955 - cinematographer *''Grain Handling in Canada'' - documentary short,

Guy L. Coté Guy L. Coté PhD (1925 - 1994) was a Canadian filmmaker with the National Film Board of Canada. He was also founding president of the Canadian Federation of Film Societies, and co-founder of the Cinémathèque québécoise and the Montreal World ...

1955 - cinematographer *''Leaving It to the Experts'' - documentary short,

Gudrun Parker Gudrun Johanna Bjerring Parker (March 16, 1920 – November 15, 2022) was a Canadian filmmaker, writer, and producer. She worked on films with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) during the Second World War and in the early 1950s. Parker wr ...

1955 - cinematographer *''Community Responsibilities'' - documentary short,

1955 - cinematographer *''

No. 84'' - documentary short, Hector Lemieux & Tim Wilson 1956 - cinematographer *''Designed for Living'' - documentary short,

Jean Palardy Jean Palardy (1905November 28, 1991) was a French-Canadian painter, art historian, ethnologist and filmmaker. Biography Born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Palardy moved with his family to Canada as a child in 1908, one of eight children. He was ...

1956 - cinematographer *''Aural Null'' - documentary short, Michael Birch 1957 - cinematographer *''The Jet Beacon Let-Down'' - documentary short, Michael Birch &

René Jodoin René Jodoin (30 December 1920 – 22 January 2015) was an animation director and producer who founded the French-language animation studio of the National Film Board of Canada. Born in Hull, Quebec on December 30, 1920, Jodoin died in Montreal on J ...

1957 - cinematographer *''The Standard Range Approach'' - training film, Michael Birch &

1957 - cinematographer *''Battalion Intelligence Section'' - documentary short, Walford Hewitson 1957 - cinematographer *''Canadian Profile'' - documentary, Allan Wargon 1957 - cinematographer *''Feathers in the Wind'' - documentary short, Raymond Garceau 1957 - cinematographer *''Choosing a Leader'' - short film, Julia Murphy 1957 - cinematographer *''Being Different'' - short film, Julia Murphy 1957 - cinematographer *''A Day in June'' - documentary short, Louis Portugais 1958 - cinematographer *''Pilgrimage'' - documentary short, ''

Candid Eye ''Candid Eye'' is a Canadian documentary television series which aired on CBC Television in 1958. Production Wolf Koenig, Terence Macartney-Filgate, and Stanley Jackson filmed ''The Days Before Christmas'' in December 1957, and the Canadian B ...

'' series,

Terence Macartney-Filgate Terence Macartney-Filgate (6 August 1924 – 11 July 2022) was a British-Canadian film director who directed, wrote, produced or shot more than 100 films in a career spanning more than 50 years. Early life Born in England, Macartney-Filgate l ...

1958 - co-producer with

Roman Kroitor Roman Kroitor (December 12, 1926 – September 17, 2012) was a Canadian filmmaker who was known as an early practitioner of ''cinéma vérité'', as co-founder of IMAX, and as creator of the Sandde hand-drawn stereoscopic animation system. H ...

and

Wolf Koenig Wolf Koenig (October 17, 1927 – June 26, 2014) was a Canadian film director, Film producer, producer, animator, cinematographer, and a pioneer in Direct Cinema at the National Film Board of Canada. Early life Born in Dresden, Germany, Koenig em ...

*''The Skilled Worker'' - short film,

Morten Parker Morten Parker (July 29, 1919 – May 26, 2014) was a Canadian director, producer and writer. Biography Parker was born and raised in a Jewish family in Winnipeg, Manitoba, attended the University of Winnipeg and began his career as a journalist ...

1958 - cinematographer *''The General Foreman'' - short film,

1958 - cinematographer *''The Man on the Assembly Line'' - short film,

1958 - cinematographer *''The Hands That Heal'' - documentary short,

Gordon Sparling Gordon Sparling (1900-1994) was a pioneering Canadian film maker. He was educated at Trinity College in the University of Toronto. He directed such early Canadian films as '' The Tidy House (La maison en ordre)'' in 1936 and '' The Kinsmen'' in 1 ...

1958 - cinematographer *''Railroaders'' - documentary short,

1958 - cinematographer *''Treasure of the Forest'' - documentary short, Roger Blais 1958 - cinematographer *''Log Drive'' - documentary short, ''Perspective'' series, Raymond Garceau 1958 - cinematographer *''River of Wood'' - documentary short, Raymond Garceau 1958 - cinematographer *''City Out of Time'' - documentary short, Colin Low 1959 - editor *''The Back-Breaking Leaf'' - documentary short,

1959 - editor *''Fishermen'' - documentary short,

1959 - cinematographer *''The St. Lawrence Seaway'' - documentary short, John Howe 1959 - cinematographer *''I Was a Ninety-Pound Weakling'' - documentary short,

Georges Dufaux Georges Dufaux (; March 17, 1927 in Lille, France – November 8, 2008 in Switzerland) was a Canadian documentary film director and cinematographer. Biography After graduating in 1953 from the École nationale de photographie et de ciném ...

1960 - editor *''Railroaders (Revised)'' - documentary short,

1960 - cinematographer *''

Circle of the Sun A circle is a shape consisting of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. Equivalently, it is the curve traced out by a point that moves in a plane so that its distance from a given point is const ...

'' - documentary short, Colin Low 1960 - cinematographer *''The Days of Whisky Gap'' - documentary short, Colin Low 1961 - editor and cinematographer *'' Lonely Boy'' - documentary short,

1962 - editor *''Runner'' - documentary short, Don Owen 1962 - cinematographer *''

'' - feature, Don Owen 1964 - editor and cinematographer *''Rivera'' - documentary, ''The American Worker'' series (non-NFB),

1964 *''

The Hutterites ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' - documentary short, Colin Low 1964 - editor and cinematographer *''The Edge of the Barrens'' - documentary short, Dalton Muir 1964 - editor *''Legault's Place'' - documentary short, Suzanne Angel 1965 - cinematographer *''Two Men of Montreal'' - documentary, Suzanne Angel,

Donald Brittain Donald Code Brittain, (June 10, 1928 – July 21, 1989) was a film director and producer with the National Film Board of Canada. Career ''Fields of Sacrifice'' (1964) is considered Brittain's first major film as director. His other notable ...

& Don Owen 1965 - cinematographer *''

Buster Keaton Rides Again ''Buster Keaton Rides Again'' is a 55-minute 1965 documentary film directed by John Spotton and narrated by Michael Kane. The film is a behind-the-scenes documentary shot while Buster Keaton's film ''The Railrodder'' (1965), was being produced. ...

'' - documentary, 1965 - editor, cinematographer, director *''

Memorandum A memorandum ( : memoranda; abbr: memo; from the Latin ''memorandum'', "(that) which is to be remembered") is a written message that is typically used in a professional setting. Commonly abbreviated "memo," these messages are usually brief and ...

'' - documentary 1965 - editor, cinematographer and, with

, director *''Sanchez'' - documentary, ''The American Worker'' series (non-NFB),

1965 *''Ybarra'' - documentary, ''The American Worker'' series (non-NFB),

1966 *''

Never a Backward Step ''Never a Backward Step'' is a 1966 documentary film, produced by the National Film Board of Canada and directed by Donald Brittain, Arthur Hammond and John Spotton. It is a profile of Canadian press magnate Roy Thomson, whose single-minded at ...

'' - documentary 1966 - with

& Arthur Hammond, director *''The Forest'' - documentary short, 1966 - editor and director *''The White Ship'' - documentary short, Hector Lemieux 1966 - editor *''The Long Haul Men'' - documentary short,

Michael Rubbo Michael Dattilo Rubbo (born 31 December 1938) is an Australian documentarian/filmmaker. Early life Rubbo was born in Melbourne, the son of Australian microbiologist Sydney Dattilo Rubbo, and the grandson of the painter Antonio Dattilo Rubbo. ...

1966 - editor *''

High Steel ''High Steel'' is a 1965 short National Film Board of Canada documentary film directed by Don Owen about Mohawk Ironworkers from Kahnawake building New York City skycrapers. Synopsis Featuring breathtaking sequences of workers walking along na ...

'' - documentary short, Don Owen 1966 - cinematographer *''After Eve'' - documentary short,

Michael J.F. Scott Michael Scott, sometimes credited as Michael J. F. Scott, is a Canadian film and television director and producer."Canucks in Oscarland crossing their fingers". ''Toronto Star'', March 21, 1986. Associated in his early career with the National Fil ...

1967 - editor *''This Land'' - documentary short, Arthur Hammond 1968 - editor *''Les voitures d'eau'' (''

The River Schooners ''The River Schooners'' (french: Les Voitures d'eau) is a 1968 Canadian documentary, produced by the National Film Board of Canada and directed by Pierre Perrault.David Clandfield, ''Pierre Perrault and the Poetic Documentary''. Indiana University ...

'') – feature,

Pierre Perrault Pierre Perrault (29 June 1927 – 24 June 1999) was a Québécois documentary film director. He directed 20 films between 1963 and 1996. He was one of the most important filmmakers in Canada, although largely unknown outside of Québec. In ...

1968 – co-editor with

*''Activator One'' - documentary 1969 - director *''Of Many People'' - documentary short,

Stanley Jackson Sir Francis Stanley Jackson Jackson's obituary in the 1948 ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack''. This gives his full name as ''Francis'' Stanley Jackson, whereas Cricinfo and CricketArchive both give his full name as ''Frank'' Stanley Jackson. This ...

1970 - editor and co-producer with

Robert Verrall Robert Verrall (born January 13, 1928 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian animator, director, film producer and administrator who worked with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) from 1945 until the 1980s. One of the first to join the NFB's fled ...

*''Pillar of Wisdom'' - documentary short, Josef Reeve 1970 - cinematographer *''

Kainai The Kainai Nation (or , or Blood Tribe) ( bla, Káínaa) is a First Nations band government in southern Alberta, Canada, with a population of 12,800 members in 2015, up from 11,791 in December 2013. translates directly to 'many chief' (fro ...

'' - documentary short, Don Owen 1973 - cinematographer *''Circus World'' - documentary short,

1974 - cinematographer *''Have I Ever Lied to You Before?'' - documentary 1976 - director *''Eaton’s Centre'' - televisit 1977 - producer and director *''A Pinto for the Prince'' - documentary short 1979 - with Colin Low, director *''Meet the Martins'' - documentary short, William Pettigrew 1979 - co-producer with William Pettigrew *''Viking Visitors to North America'' - documentary short,

Tony Ianzelo Tony Ianzelo (born June 13, 1935) is a Canadian documentary director and cinematographer. Career Ianzelo was born in Toronto, Ontario, and attended Toronto's Ryerson Institute of Technology. His career at the National Film Board of Canada was ...

& Anthony Kent 1979 - producer *''Canada Vignettes: The Music Makers'', Malca Gillson 1979 - producer *''Atmos'' - documentary short, Colin Low 1980 - co-producer with Michael Sullivan *''Home Feeling: Struggle for a Community'' - documentary,

Jennifer Hodge de Silva Jennifer Hodge de Silva (28 January 1951 – 5 May 1989) was a Canadian filmmaker. Her film, ''Home Feeling: Struggle for a Community'', revealed tensions between and police and residents of the Jane and Finch neighbourhood of Toronto. The resid ...

& Roger McTair 1983 - executive producer *''Prisoners of Debt: Inside the Global Banking Crisis'' - documentary, Robert Collison &

Peter Raymont Peter Raymont (born February 28, 1950) is a Canadian filmmaker and producer and the president of White Pine Pictures, an independent film, television and new media production company based in Toronto. Among his films are ''Shake Hands with the De ...

1983 - executive producer *''Thanks for the Ride'' - short film,

John Kent Harrison John Kent Harrison is a Canadian film and television director and writer. Early Life Harrison was born in London, Ontario in 1947 and attended the private school Appleby College in Oakville, Ontario. After graduating in 1964, he attended Colu ...

1983 - executive producer *''Pitchmen'' - documentary,

Barry Greenwald Barry Greenwald (born 1954) is a Canadian documentary filmmaker,Frank Daley"Cannes prize-winner forced to drive taxi" '' Ottawa Journal'', June 18, 1976. and co-founder of the Canadian Independent Film Caucus. While in his final year as a student ...

1985 - executive producer *''

Final Offer ''Final Offer'' is a Canadian film documenting the 1984 contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) and GM. Ultimately, it provided a historical record of the birth of the Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW) as Bob White, the ...

'' - documentary,

Sturla Gunnarsson Sturla Gunnarsson (born August 30, 1951) is an Icelandic-Canadian film and television director and producer. Gunnarsson was born in Reykjavík in 1951. He moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, with his parents when he was seven years old. As he ...

& Robert Collison 1985 - executive producer *''Class of Promise'' - documentary, Barbara Sears 1985 - executive producer *''Dad's House, Mom's House'' - documentary, Lyn Wright 1985 - executive producer *''The Hospital'' - short film, Murray Battle 1985 - executive producer *''Left Out'' - short film, Jim Purdy 1985 - executive producer *''The Umpire'' - short film, Paul Shapiro 1985 - executive producer *''Where's Pete?'' - short film, Jim Purdy, 1986 - executive producer *''Mr. Nobody'' - documentary short, Lyn Wright 1987 - executive producer *''Hayley's Home Movie'' - short film, Gail Singer 1987 - executive producer *''No Way! Not Me'' - documentary short, Ariadna Ochrymovych 1987 - executive producer *''For Richer, For Poorer'' - short film, Ariadna Ochrymovych 1988 - executive producer *''A House Divided: Caregiver Stress and Elder Abuse'' - documentary short, Lyn Wright 1988 - executive producer *''Peep and the Big Wide World'' - cartoons,

Kaj Pindal Kaj Gøtzsche Pindal (December 1, 1927–June 28, 2019) was an animator and animation educator who worked at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) beginning in 1957, and created such works as the Academy Award-nominated '' What on Earth!'' (1967 ...

1988 - executive producer *''Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left, Part 1 - International Background, Canadian Roots'' - documentary, Arthur Hammond 1989 - executive producer *''Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left, Part 2 - Born of Hard Times'' - documentary, Arthur Hammond 1989 - executive producer *''Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left, Part 3 - Falling Apart and Getting Together'' - documentary, Arthur Hammond 1989 - executive producer *''Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left, Part 4 - New Party, Old Problems'' - documentary, Arthur Hammond 1989 - executive producer *''Media and Society: Advertising and Consumerism'' - documentary, David Adkin 1989 - producer *''Media and Society: Cultural Sovereignty/Shaping Information'' - documentary, David Adkin 1989 - producer *''Media and Society: Images of Women'' - documentary, David Adkin 1989 - producer *''Transplant, the Breath of Life'' - documentary, Elias Petras 1990 - co-producer with Elias Petras *''Constructing Reality: Exploring Media Issues in Documentary - What Is a Documentary? Ways of Storytelling'' - documentary, David Adkin 1993 - co-producer with Michael Allder *''Constructing Reality: Exploring Media Issues in Documentary - Shaping Reality'' - documentary, David Adkin 1993 - co-producer with Michael Allder *''Constructing Reality: Exploring Media Issues in Documentary - The Politics of Truth'' - documentary, David Adkin 1993 - co-producer with Michael Allder *''Constructing Reality: Exploring Media Issues in Documentary - The Candid Eye?'' - documentary, David Adkin 1993 - co-producer with Michael Allder *''Constructing Reality: Exploring Media Issues in Documentary - Voices of Experience, Voices for Change Part 1'' - documentary, David Adkin 1993 - co-producer with Michael Allder *''Constructing Reality: Exploring Media Issues in Documentary - Voices of Experience, Voices for Change Part 2, The Poetry of Motion'' - documentary, David Adkin 1993 - co-producer with Michael Allder *''

Village of Idiots ''Village of Idiots'' is a short animated comedy based on the classic humorous Jewish Folklore, folk tales of Jewish humour#Chelm, Chełm, directed and animated by Eugene Fedorenko and Rose Newlove, written by John Lazarus (playwright), John Laz ...

'' - animated short film, Eugene Fedorenko & Rose Newlove 1999 - executive producer

Awards

'' (1964) *

Montreal International Film Festival The Montreal International Film Festival was an annual Canadian film festival, which took place in Montreal, Quebec from 1960 to 1967.

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

: First Prize, Shorts, 1964 *

Columbus International Film & Animation Festival The Columbus International Film + Animation Festival is a Columbus, Ohio, United States annual film festival which is designed to encourage and promote the use of film and video in all forms of education and communication. It is the first and ol ...

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

: Chris Award, First Prize, Religion, 1964 *

Yorkton Film Festival Yorkton Film Festival (YFF) is an annual film festival held in late May in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada. In 1947, the Yorkton Film Council (YFC) was founded and in 1950 the first international documentary film festival officially opened in we ...

Yorkton Yorkton is a city located in south-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada. It is about 450 kilometres north-west of Winnipeg and 300 kilometres south-east of Saskatoon and is the sixth largest city in the province. As of 2017 the census population of the ...

, Saskatchewan: Golden Sheaf Award, First Prize, Human Relations, 1964 * Melbourne Film Festival,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

: Honorable Mention, 1964 * American Film and Video Festival, New York: Blue Ribbon, Doctrinal and Denominational Topics, 1965 * Landers Associates Awards, Los Angeles: Award of Merit * Festival dei Popoli/International Film Festival on Social Documentary,

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

, Italy: Second Prize, 1965 * Canadian Cinematography Awards,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

- Best Black and White Cinematography, 1964 * 16th Canadian Film Awards,

- Special Award for Black and White Cinematography, 1964 ''

'' (1965) *

18th Canadian Film Awards The 18th Canadian Film Awards were held on May 6, 1966 to honour achievements in Canadian film.Maria Topalovich, ''And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards''. Stoddart Publishing, 2000. . pp. 73-75. The ceremony wa ...

: Best Film, General Information, 1966 *

Montreal International Film Festival The Montreal International Film Festival was an annual Canadian film festival, which took place in Montreal, Quebec from 1960 to 1967.

: First Prize, Medium-Length Films, 1966 * Golden Gate International Film Festival, San Francisco: Silver Trophy, Documentary, 1966 * International Exhibition of the Documentary Film,

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

: CIDALC Special Prize, 1966 * American Film and Video Festival, New York: First Prize, Music, Literature & Films, 1967 * Melbourne Film Festival,

: Special Prize for Best Biographical Documentary, 1967 * MIFED International Contest of Public Relations,

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

: Gold Medal 1968 *

20th British Academy Film Awards The 20th British Academy Film Awards, given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1967, honoured the best films of 1966. Winners and nominees Statistics See also * 39th Academy Awards * 19th Directors Guild of America ...

, London: Nominee: BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, 1967 ''

'' (1965) *

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...

: First Prize, Lion of St. Mark, 1966 * Golden Gate International Film Festival, San Francisco: First Prize, Essay, 1966 *

Vancouver International Film Festival The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October. The festival is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Fest ...

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

: Certificate of Merit, Television Films, 1966 *

Montreal International Film Festival The Montreal International Film Festival was an annual Canadian film festival, which took place in Montreal, Quebec from 1960 to 1967.

: Special Mention, Medium-Length Films, 1966 ''The Forest'' (1966) *

, Saskatchewan: Golden Sheaf Award, Best Film, Industry and Agriculture 1967 *

Cork International Film Festival The Cork International Film Festival, also known as the Cork Film Festival (), is a film festival held annually in Cork City Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the i ...

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

, Ireland: First Prize – Certificate of Merit, Industrial Films, 1966 ''

'' (1966) * American Film and Video Festival, New York: Blue Ribbon, First Prize, Biography & History, 1968 *

20th Canadian Film Awards The 20th Canadian Film Awards were held on October 4, 1968 to honour achievements in Canadian film.Maria Topalovich, ''And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards''. Stoddart Publishing, 2000. . pp. 81-83. The ceremo ...

: Best Documentary Over 30 Minutes, 1968 ''Thanks for the Ride'' (1983) * American Film and Video Festival, New York: Blue Ribbon Award, Human Sexuality, 1985 ''Dad's House, Mom's House'' (1985) *

: Chris Award, Bronze Plaque, Health & Medicine, 1960 ''

'' (1985) *

Banff Mountain Film Festival The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival is an international film competition and annual presentation of films and documentaries about mountain culture, sports, environment and adventure & exploration. It was launched in 1976 as ''The Banff Festival ...

Banff, Alberta Banff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise. At above Banff is the community with the second highest e ...

: Grand Prize of the Festival, 1986 *

: Rockie Award for Best Political and Social Documentary, 1986 *

7th Genie Awards The 7th Genie Awards were held March 20, 1986, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre to honour achievements in Canadian film in 1985. The ceremony was co-hosted by Leslie Nielsen and Catherine Mary Stewart."Genie hosts announced". ''Toronto Star'' ...

: Best Feature Length Documentary, 1986 * Golden Gate International Film Festival, San Francisco: Special Jury Award, 1986 *

: Chris Award, First Prize, Industry & Commerce, 1986 *

Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...

, Chicago: Gold Plaque, Social/Political Documentary, 1986 * Prix Italia, International Competition for Radio and Television Productions,

Lucca Lucca ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its province has a population of 383,957. Lucca is known as one o ...

, Italy: Italia Award for Best Documentary, 1986 ''Left Out'' (1985) *

ATOM Award The ATOM Awards are a group of awards offered to Australian and New Zealand "professionals, educators and students", honoring achievements in the making of film, television, multimedia, and from 2007 multi-modal productions. The Awards were esta ...

, Australia: Certificate of Commendation, Short Educational Films & Videos, 1988 ''The Umpire'' (1985) * American Film and Video Festival, Chicago: Red Ribbon Award, Children’s Fiction, 1986 * National Educational Media Network Competition,

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

: First Place, Human Relations, 1985 ''Mr. Nobody'' (1987) * American Film and Video Festival, New York: Red Ribbon Award, Special Needs/Elderly, 1988 ''A House Divided: Caregiver Stress and Elder Abuse'' (1988) * American Film and Video Festival, New York: Red Ribbon Award, Special Needs/Elderly, 1990 ''Peep and the Big Wide World'' (1988) *

Ottawa International Animation Festival The Ottawa International Animation Festival is an annual animated film and media festival that takes place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The OIAF was founded in 1975, with the first festival held from August 10 to 15 in 1976. Initially organized by ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

: Second Prize, Children's Animated Productions, Non-Series, 1988 * International Children's Film Festival, Chicago: Honorable Mention, Single Program Video Animation, 1988 * American Film and Video Festival, Chicago: Red Ribbon Award, Original Works for Children/Animation, 1992 * National Educational Media Network Competition,

: Bronze Plaque Award, Literary Adaptations, K-2, 1992 * California Children's Media Awards, Los Angeles: Award for Excellence in Children's Video, 1992 ''Transplant, the Breath of Life'' (1990) * International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films,

Varna, Bulgaria Varna ( bg, Варна, ) is the third-largest List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, city in Bulgaria and the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and in the Northern Bulgaria region. Situated strategically in the ...

: First Prize, Gold Medal, Popular Science, Documentary on Health and Ecological Subjects 1991 ''

'' (1999) * CINANIMA International Animated Film Festival,

Espinho, Portugal Espinho () is a city and a municipality located in the Aveiro District, Portugal. It is located in both the Greater Porto and the Metropolitan Area of Porto, 16 km from its city centre. It is one of the smallest municipalities in Portugal and ...

RTP Internacional RTP Internacional (RTPi) is a Portuguese free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP). It is the company's international television service, and is known for broadcasti ...

Jury Honorable Mention, 1999 * CINANIMA International Animated Film Festival,

: Special Jury Award, 1999 * CINANIMA International Animated Film Festival,

: Audience Award, 1999 *

: Best Animated Film, 1999 *

Montreal World Film Festival The Montreal World Film Festival (WFF; french: le Festival des Films du Monde) was one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF (although the Toronto Internat ...

: FIPRESCI Award

International Federation of Film Critics The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for Fédération Internationale de la PRESse CInématographique) is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world fo ...

, 1999 *

: Second Prize, Short Films, 1999 *

Writers Guild of Canada The Writers Guild of Canada is an organization representing more than 2,500 professional writers working in film, television, radio, and digital media production in Canada. Members of the Guild write dramatic TV series, feature films, Movies of th ...

: Best Script, to John Lazarus, 1999 * Castelli Animati,

Genzano di Roma Genzano di Roma is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is one of the Castelli Romani, at a distance of from Rome, in the Alban Hills. History The origin of the name ''Genzano'' is stil ...

, Italy: Grand Prize, 2000 *

Curtas Vila do Conde Curtas Vila do Conde International Film Festival, created in 1993, is one of the most important cinematographic and cultural events in Portugal dedicated to short-films and annually produced in July, in the city Vila do Conde. The edition of 2011 ha ...

International Film Festival,

Vila do Conde Vila do Conde (, ; "the Count's Town") is a municipality in the Norte Region of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 79,533, in an area of 149.03 km². The urbanized area of Vila do Conde, which includes the parishes of Vila do Conde, Azurar ...

, Portugal: Grand Prize for Animation, 2000 * International Jewish Video Competition of the Judah L. Magnes Museum,

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...

: First Prize, Animation, 2000 *

Hiroshima International Animation Festival The International Animation Festival Hiroshima is a biennial animation festival hosted in Hiroshima, Japan. The festival was founded in 1985 by ''Association International du Film d'Animation'' or ''ASIFA'' as ''International Animation Festival f ...

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...

, Japan: Renzo Kinoshita Award, 2000 *

Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films The Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films (a.k.a. Palm Springs International ShortFest) held annually in Palm Springs, California is the largest film festival for short films in the United States.Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land a ...

: Second Place, Animation, 2000 *

Animafest Zagreb World Festival of Animated Film Zagreb ( hr, Svjetski festival animiranog filma), also known as Animafest Zagreb, is a film festival entirely dedicated to animated film held annually in Zagreb, Croatia. Initiated by the International Animated Fil ...

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

, Croatia: Second Prize, 2000 *

Message to Man Message to Man International Film Festival (russian: Послание к Человеку, ''Poslaniye k Chelovyeku'') is an international competitive documentary, short and animated film festival held annually in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Messag ...

International Film Festival,

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia – Centaur Award for Best Animation, 2000 *

Annecy International Animation Film Festival The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (french: Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy, officially abbreviated in English as the Annecy Festival, or simply Annecy) was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of J ...

Annecy Annecy ( , ; frp, Èneci or ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, south of Geneva, Switzerland. Nicknamed ...

, France: Special Jury Award, 2000 *

Brisbane International Film Festival The Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) is an annual film festival held in Brisbane, Australia. Organised by the Screen Culture unit at Screen Queensland, the festival has taken place since 1992, with the program including features, doc ...

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, Australia: Special Jury Award, 2000 *

Melbourne International Animation Festival The Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF) is an annual animation festival held in Melbourne since 2001. Supported by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the Australian Film Commission and the Melbourne City Council, it is Aust ...

: Award for Best of International Session 6, 2001 * California SUN International Animation Festival, Los Angeles: Silver Star Award for Best Experimental Animation, 2001 *

21st Genie Awards The 21st Genie Awards were held in 2001 to honour films released in 2000. The ceremony was hosted by Brian Linehan. Nominees and winners The Genie Award winner in each category is shown in bold along with nominees. References {{Canadian Scree ...

– Genie Award for Best Animated Short, 2001 * New York International Children's Film Festival, New York: Grand Prize Audience Award, 2002

References

External links

John Spotton
''Buster Keaton Rides Again'' and ''Memorandum'' (films streamed online) {{DEFAULTSORT:Spotton, John 1927 births 1991 deaths National Film Board of Canada people Canadian documentary film producers Canadian documentary film directors Canadian cinematographers Canadian film editors Deaths by drowning Accidental deaths in Cuba Place of birth missing Film directors from Toronto Best Cinematography Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Directors of Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners for Best Documentary Film