{{Infobox person | name = | image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing brackets --> | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1948|12|08}} | birth_place = Newcastle upon Tyne, England | death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|11|22|1948|12|08}} | death_place = Newcastle upon Tyne | occupation = Film and TV director | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = ''The Beatles Anthology'' | spouse = Andrea Wonfor }} '''Geoff Wonfor''' (8 December 1948 – 22 November 2022) was an English film and TV director best known for his work with the Beatles in the 1990s.
== Life == Wonfor was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and, at age 15, began working for Tyne Tees.<ref name="chronicle">{{cite news |last1=Whitfield |first1=Graeme |last2=Hodgson |first2=Barbara |title='A true legend and a lovely man': tributes to director Geoff Wonfor |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/a-true-legend-lovely-man-25576766 |access-date=18 May 2026 |work=Chronicle Live |date=22 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref> He moved to the BBC in the 1970s and was part of a crew that followed boxer and activist Muhammad Ali for four days during his 1977 tour of the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news |title=Boxer Muhammad Ali's 1977 South Shields tour bus 'like brand new' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-61901782 |access-date=17 May 2026 |agency=BBC News |date=23 June 2022 |archive-date=27 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027224013/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-61901782 |url-status=live}}</ref> While at the BBC, met his wife Andrea. The two of them later worked on the Newcastle-based 1980s music show, ''The Tube''.<ref name="chronicle" /><ref name="bbc obit">{{cite news |title=Geoff Wonfor: Tributes to Beatles, Band Aid and The Tube director |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-63717584 |access-date=17 May 2026 |agency=BBC News |date=22 November 2022 |archive-date=19 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230819025228/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-63717584 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="AP">{{cite news |title=Geoff Wonfor, Director of Beatles 'Anthology,' Dies at 73 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/geoff-wonfor-obit-1235176433/ |access-date=17 May 2026 |work=Billboard |agency=Associated Press |date=24 November 2022 |archive-date=9 October 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251009033537/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/geoff-wonfor-obit-1235176433/ |url-status=live}}</ref> At ''The Tube'', Wonfor became a lifelong friend of presenter Jools Holland.<ref name="chronicle" />
Wonfor entered the Beatles orbit when he directed a documentary about the 1986 film ''Shanghai Surprise'', which had been co-produced by George Harrison. As a result of this interaction, Harrison recommended to Paul McCartney that Wonfor direct the planned ''Beatles Anthology'' documentary series.<ref name="AP" /> Wonfor spent nearly 5 years on the ''Anthology'' project, which first aired in late 1995. He won a Grammy Award in 1997 for the project.<ref name="bbc obit" /> Wonfor also co-directed (with Kevin Godley) the music video for the Beatles' 1996 single, "Real Love".<ref>{{cite web |title=Real Love |url=https://www.thebeatles.com/real-love-0 |publisher=The Beatles |access-date=17 May 2026 |archive-date=31 March 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260331171059/https://www.thebeatles.com/real-love-0 |url-status=live}}</ref> Wonfor continued to work with McCartney after the ''Anthology'', directing music videos to two singles from McCartney's 1997 album, ''Flaming Pie''—"Young Boy" and "The World Tonight"—as well as ''Live at the Cavern Club'', a video of McCartney's December 1999 performance at the Cavern Club in Liverpool.<ref name="AP" />
Wonfor also directed a documentary on Band Aid 20<ref name="AP" /> and the music video for the Stone Roses' 1989 single, "Fools Gold".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Spence |first1=Simon |title=The Stone Roses: War and Peace: The Definitive Story |date=2 April 2013 |publisher=Macmillan + ORM |isbn=978-1-250-03083-2 |page=171 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Stone_Roses/BhgXPZliqpcC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22geoff+wonfor%22&pg=PT171&printsec=frontcover |language=en}}</ref>
== Death == Wonfor died on 22 November 2022 in Newcastle.<ref name="AP" />
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wonfor, Geoff}} category:1948 births category:2022 deaths category:English film directors category:Grammy Award winners category:people from Newcastle upon Tyne