Kirk Jones (director)

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Kirk Jones
Jones in May 2012
Born	(1964-10-31) 31 October 1964 (age 56) Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Nationality	British
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter

Kirk Jones (born 31 October 1964) is an English film director and screenwriter.^[1][2]

Life and career[]

Kirk Jones was born in Bristol, England and grew up in Long Ashton, Somerset. He attended Backwell comprehensive school and Filton Technical College before being offered a place at Newport Film School (University of South Wales) where he specialized in directing drama, comedy and television commercials between 1985-7. He graduated after winning a and started to work for London-based production company, BFCS as a production runner and later as assistant film editor.

Whilst working in the cutting room, he continued to write and direct his own films and after collecting a Silver award at the Creative Circle Awards for his Mercedes commercial which he wrote and directed in 1990, he was invited to join Xenium Productions as a director.

His Absolut Vodka film, which he wrote and directed was awarded a Silver in 1991 and Kirk began directing commercials full-time in London, Europe and the US, working for agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, Bartle, Bogle and Hegarty and Mother.

Kirk's producer, Glynis Murray set up Tomboy Films in 1991 and he joined her soon after. Awards at NABS in ‘94 and a Silver at the Creative Circle Awards followed and Kirk continued to direct more than one hundred commercials commercials for clients including The National Lottery, Reebok, National Westminster Bank, HSBC, Coca Cola etc.

His campaign for Heinz won a Silver Lion at Cannes in ’96 (Best Campaign) and his Reebok campaign won awards at both The Creative Circle and the British TV Advertising Awards in ‘98.

In 1995 Kirk started to write what would become his first feature film. He directed Waking Ned in 1997 and was nominated for a BAFTA at the Film awards as "Best Newcomer" for his first feature film. Proportionate to budget, ‘Waking Ned’ was the second-highest-grossing film in the world in 1999, behind The Blair Witch Project, and won awards in the U.S and Europe including: New York Comedy Film Festival (Best Feature, Grand Jury and Critics Prize. Best Feature at Comedy d'Alp in France and Audience Award for Best Feature at Paris Film Festival.

In 2005, Kirk directed his second feature film, Nanny McPhee, for Working Title and Universal Pictures. Starring Emma Thompson and Colin Firth, it was one of the year's ten highest-grossing films in the UK, with $30m, and took $135m worldwide.

In 2008 Kirk wrote and directed his third film, Everybody's Fine. Starring Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell, released through Miramax in 2009 and Disney worldwide in 2010.

In 2012 Kirk directed Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Rock, Anna Kendrick in the Romantic Comedy ‘What To Expect When You’re Expecting’ through Lionsgate films.

In 2015 he directed a sequel to ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ produced byTom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Gary Goetzman, Paul Brooks, Nia Vardalos.

Kirk is a member of The Directors Guild Of America, Directors Guild of Great Britain, BAFTA, Writers Guild Of Great Britain, Writers Guild Of America and in 2013 was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

He is chairman of the Mark Milsome Foundation which he helped set up in memory of his friend who was killed on a film set in Ghana in November 2017 when a car stunt went tragically wrong. The Foundation provides scholarships and mentorship programmes to help young people in the film industry and aims to increase the awareness of Health and Safety and First Aid on Set.

Kirk is due to direct ‘Stupid Heart’ through Constantine Films in 2021/22 which he wrote. It tells the true story of a delinquent young man forced to help a fifteen year old who is unlikely to live to see his sixteenth birthday.

Filmography[]

Awards[]

• 1998 Critic's choice Award (Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival) for Waking Ned
• 1998 Best Feature Award (New York Comedy Festival) for Waking Ned
• 1999 Sir Tim Award (Marco Island Film Festival) for Waking Ned
• 1999 Public Prize (Paris Film Festival) for Waking Ned
• 2000 Guild Film Award - Gold (Guild of German Art House Cinemas) for Waking Ned
• 2000 BAFTA Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer

References[]

External links[]

• Kirk Jones at IMDb