



John Spotton
Camera1927Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Biography
John Spotton was a Canadian filmmaker, cinematographer, and editor associated with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). He played a pivotal role in developing the Direct Cinema movement, contributing to documentaries that emphasized naturalistic and unobtrusive filming techniques. Spotton's notable works include Buster Keaton Rides Again (1965), a documentary capturing the making of Keaton's short film The Railrodder, and Memorandum (1965), which explores the Holocaust's impact on survivors. His contributions significantly influenced documentary filmmaking in Canada and beyond.
Known For
Acting History
1988
Peep and the Big Wide World
Executive Producer
1985
Final Offer
Executive Producer
1983
Home Feeling: Struggle for a Community
Executive Producer
1979
Viking Visitors to North America
Producer
A Pinto for the Prince
Director
1967
Memorandum
Director
1966
Never a Backward Step
Director
1965
High Steel
Director of Photography
Buster Keaton Rides Again
Director
Buster Keaton Rides Again
Director of Photography
1964
The Hutterites
Editor
The Hutterites
Director of Photography
Nobody Waved Goodbye
Editor
Nobody Waved Goodbye
Director of Photography
1963
Toronto Jazz
Director of Photography
1962
Runner
Director of Photography
Lonely Boy
Editor
1961
Circle of the Sun
Director of Photography
The Days of Whisky Gap
Editor
The Days of Whisky Gap
Camera Operator
1960
1959
The Back-breaking Leaf
Editor
City Out of Time
Editor
1958
1953
The Story of Peter and the Potter
Director of Photography






