Editing Jon Blair

{{Short description|South African-born British film director and producer}}
{{BLP sources|date=April 2025}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
'''Jon Blair''', [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (born 1950), is a South African-born British writer, [[film producer]], and director of documentaries, drama, and comedy.

==Biography==
Jon Blair was born in [[South Africa]] in 1950. After evading conscription into the [[South African Defence Force]] in 1966, he fled to England. He has won an [[Academy Award]], two [[Emmy Awards]], an [[International Documentary Association]] Distinguished Achievement Award, and a [[British Academy Television Award|BAFTA]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=BAFTA Awards: Jon Blair |url=https://awards.bafta.org/award/1983/television |website=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]]}}</ref> He was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the 2015 Birthday Honours for services to film.<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 June 2015 |title=Queen's birthday honours list 2015: GCB, DBE and CBE |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jun/12/queens-birthday-honours-list-2015-gcb-dbe-cbe |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> In 1994, Blair received an honorary doctorate from [[Stockton University]] (then Richard Stockton College) for advancing human rights awareness through film.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Honorary Degree Recipients |url=https://stockton.edu/academic-affairs/commencement/honorary-degrees.html |website=Stockton University}}</ref>

In 2003, Blair served as a visiting professor at Stockton, teaching a cross-disciplinary course on real-world issue research.

==Documentaries==
Blair's 1995 documentary ''[[Anne Frank Remembered]]'' won the [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature]] and an [[International Emmy Award]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anne Frank Remembered |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1996 |website=Academy Awards Database}}</ref> It also received awards at the [[Chicago International Film Festival]], [[Hamptons International Film Festival]], and others. 

His 1983 BAFTA-winning documentary ''[[Schindler (film)|Schindler]]'', narrated by [[Dirk Bogarde]], preceded [[Steven Spielberg]]'s ''[[Schindler's List]]'' and served as a research resource for the film.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Keneally |first=Thomas |date=15 December 1993 |title=The Director's List |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/15/movies/the-director-s-list.html}}</ref> Blair re-released ''Schindler'' in 2019 with [[Ben Kingsley]] narrating.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 November 2019 |title=Hernán, la serie sobre Cortés, encabeza los recomendados de series y películas para la semana |language=es |work=[[Clarín (Argentine newspaper)|Clarín]] |url=https://www.clarin.com/espectaculos/tv/hernan-serie-cortes-encabeza-recomendados-series-peliculas-semana_0_p9wBwk8B.html}}</ref>

Blair's 2022 documentary ''Navalny: The Man Putin Couldn't Kill'' won the Gold Nymph Award at the [[Monte Carlo Television Festival]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 June 2022 |title=Monte Carlo TV Festival Winners |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/monte-carlo-tv-festival-winners-1235165120/}}</ref>

As Head of Documentaries for [[Al Jazeera English]] (2011–2013), Blair executive-produced ''[[Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark]]'', which won a [[George Polk Award]] and [[Amnesty International Media Award]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2012 Amnesty International Media Awards |url=https://www.amnesty.org.uk/2012-media-awards-winners |website=Amnesty International UK}}</ref>

Other works include:
* ''[[Dancing with the Devil (film)|Dancing with the Devil]]'' (2009), examining Rio de Janeiro's drug wars.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bradshaw |first=Peter |date=5 October 2009 |title=Dancing with the Devil Review |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/oct/05/dancing-devil-review}}</ref>
* ''[[Ochberg's Orphans]]'' (2007), Oscar-shortlisted for Best Short Documentary.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oscar Shortlist 2008 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2008 |website=Academy Awards Database}}</ref>
* ''Murder Most Foul'' (2007), a crime documentary for [[Channel 4]]. 

==Theatrical films==
* ''[[Monster in a Box]]'' (1991), produced by Blair and directed by [[Nick Broomfield]], featuring [[Spalding Gray]]. 

==Drama and comedy==
Blair co-created ''[[Spitting Image]]'' (1984–1987), winning two Emmys.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spitting Image Awards |url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/spitting-image |website=Emmy Awards}}</ref> Other works include BBC's ''Dawn French's Girls Who Do: Comedy'' (2006).

==Theatre==
Blair authored ''[[The Biko Inquest]]'' (1978), a play about [[Steve Biko]]'s death, staged by the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] and starring [[Albert Finney]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=O'Connor |first=John J. |date=12 September 1985 |title=TV Review: 'The Biko Inquest' |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/12/arts/tv-review-the-biko-inquest-on-showtime.html}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0086282}}
* [https://www.sonyclassics.com/annefrank/ Sony Classics: ''Anne Frank Remembered'']
* [https://annefrankremembered.co.uk/ Official site: ''Anne Frank Remembered'']
* [http://jonblairfilms.com/ Jon Blair Films]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Blair, Jon}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:British film directors]]
[[Category:British documentary filmmakers]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:South African emigrants to the United Kingdom]]