Kevin Macdonald
Director
Film, TV & Theatre
Film, TV & Theatre
Kevin MacDonald is an Oscar winning director of film and documentary. His first feature, ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER, won the academy award for Best Documentary in 2000.
His second feature, TOUCHING THE VOID premiered at Telluride 2003. Its awards include a BAFTA for Best British Film and the Evening Standard Award for Best British Film, and it is the highest grossing British documentary in UK box office history. Kevin's first feature length drama, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, starring Forest Whitaker, premiered at Telluride and was awarded the BAFTA for Best British Film, and Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as Forest Whitaker winning an Oscar for his performance.
LIFE IN A DAY, Kevin’s first documentary with footage contributed by filmmakers from all over the world and released on YouTube, was hugely successful having received more than 8 million views. Kevin then went onto direct CHRISTMAS IN A DAY, documenting Christmas in Britain from over 360 hours of footage submitted from people all over the UK, and LIFE IN A DAY: 2020, which looked at the global lockdowns during the pandemic.
Kevin’s other notable feature credits include STATE OF PLAY, starring Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck, MARLEY, the acclaimed documentary about Bob Marley's life and work, HOW I LIVE NOW starring Saoirse Ronan, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival 2013, BLACK SEA, a submarine thriller starring Jude Law, WHITNEY, a documentary about Whitney Houston’s life and death, and THE MAUTIANIAN which was nominated for two Golden Globe awards, and five BAFTAS.
In Development
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO 2024 | Director, with Sam Rice-Edwards |
Film
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
KLITSCHKO: MORE THAN A FIGHT 2024 | Broadview Pictures / Docsville Studios / Expanded Media | Director |
LAST SONG FROM KABUL 2023 | Docsville Studios | As Director with Ruhi Hamid |
HIGH AND LOW - JOHN GALLIANO 2023 | KGB Films / Conde Nast Entertainment | Director of Documentary film on fashion designer John Galliano |
ADRIFT 2023 | AR Content / Moxie Films | Executive Producer |
11M: TERROR IN MADRID 2022 | Rogue Films / Villa Lunera Films | Executive Producer |
PELÉ 2021 | Pitch Productions | Executive Producer |
KIPCHOGE: THE LAST MILESTONE 2021 | Ridley Scott Creative Group | Executive Producer |
THE RESCUE 2021 | National Geographic Documentary Films / Ventureland | Executive Producer |
BEYOND THE EMERGENCY 2021 | Beyond the Emergency | Executive Producer |
IT TAKES A FLOOD... 2021 | Docsville Studios | Director of Documentary Film about extreme flooding in the UK |
2020: THE STORY OF US 2021 | Docsville Studios / ITV | As Director of Documentary Film |
THE MAURITANIAN 2021 | Wonder Street / 30WEST / BBC Film | As Director |
LIFE IN A DAY 2020 2021 | Flying Objects / RSA Films | As Director. Produced by Ridley Scott |
RETURN TO PODOR 2018 | Cowboy Films / Globe Productions | As Director |
SKY LADDER: THE ART OF CAI GUO-QIANG 2016 | Explosion Art / Insurgent Docs / Rock Paper Scissors Entertainment | As Director |
WHITNEY 2018 | Lisa Erspamer Entertainment / Lightbox / Altitude Film Entertainment | As Director. |
BLACK SEA 2014 | Cowboy Films / Focus Features | Prods: Charles Steel, Kevin Macdonald |
HOW I LIVE NOW 2013 | Cowboy Films / Passion Pictures | Adaptation of Meg Rosoff’s multi-award-winning novel. Starring Saoirse Ronan and Tom Holland. |
MARLEY 2011 | Tuff Gong/Shangri-La | Director. The official Bob Marley documentary. |
LIFE IN A DAY 2011 | Scott Free/YouTube | Documentary |
THE EAGLE 2011 | Toledo Films/ Focus Features | From the novel by Rosemary Sutcliffe |
STATE OF PLAY 2009 | Universal Studios | Starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck and Helen Mirren * Nominated London Critics' Circle 2010: British Director of the Year |
MY ENEMY'S ENEMY 2006 | Company Pictures / Working Title | Documentary on the story of Klaus Barbie |
THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND 2005 | DNA / Fox Searchlight / Cowboy / Film Four | Feature * Nominated, BAFTA 2007 – Best Film |
TOUCHING THE VOID 2003 | Darlow Smithson / Film Council / FilmFour / Pathe US Distribution: IFC Films | Dramatised documentary based on the book by Joe Simpson. |
BEING MICK 2001 | Jagged Films / CH4 | Authorised feature-length documentary on Mick Jagger. TX: 22nd November, 9pm, CH4 |
THE MAN WHO LISTENED TO BRITAIN 2000 | CH4 | A portrait of the surrealist painter, anthropologist and film-maker, Humphrey Jennings. |
ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER 1999 | Arthur Cohn / BBC/ British Screen | 93 mins, 35mm. Feature documentary. |
THE MOVING WORLD OF GEORGE RICKEY 1998 | BBC | 56 mins, S 16mm. Documentary about the renowned kinetic sculptor. |
DONALD CAMMELL: THE ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE 1997 | BBC / Arts Council | 75 mins, S 35mm. Feature documentary. |
HOWARD HANKS: AMERICAN ARTIST 1997 | BFI / BBC / Bravo / Canal + / Star, etc | 60 mins, 16mm. |
WITNESS: THE MAKING OF AN ENGLISHMAN 1996 | Figment Films / CH4 / Hungarian TV | 50 mins, 16mm. Documentary about actor who played the villain in Chaplin’ films |
CHAPLIN'S GOLIATH 1996 | Figment Films / STV | 50 mins, 16mm. Documentary about actor who played the villain in Chaplin’ films |
Television
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
FOUR KINGS 2024 | Workerbee | Executive Producer of TV Mini Series |
11/22/63 2015 | Bad Robot/Warner Bros | Prods: JJ Abrams, Joseph Boccia, Athena Wickham |
Other
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
KINDERTRANSPORT - Executive Producer 1998 | BBC | 30 mins, digi-beta. Documentary about Jewish child refugees coming to Britain. |
SHOOT OUT IN SWANSEA: THE MAKING OF TWIN TOWN - Executive Producer 1997 | BBC | 70 mins, video. |
Drama
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
OASIS 2017 | Amazon Studios / Left Bank Pictures | TV movie |