{{short description|Canadian filmmaker (1927–1991)}} {{Use American English|date=January 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date= January 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = John Spotton | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1927|08|08}} | birth_place = [[Toronto]] | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1991|03|03|1927|08|08}} | death_place = Cuba | alma_mater = | occupation = {{hlist|[[Cinematographer]]|Producer|[[Film editing|Editor]]|Director}} | years_active = 1947–1991 | awards = see below }}
'''John Spotton''' [[Canadian Society of Cinematographers|C.S.C.]] (January 1, 1927 – March 3, 1991) was a Canadian filmmaker with the [[National Film Board of Canada]].
A versatile artist who worked as a director, producer, cinematographer and editor, Spotton was best known for his role in developing the [[Direct Cinema]] genre of documentary and in the application of those techniques in narrative fiction films, in particular ''[[Nobody Waved Good-bye]]'' (1964), in which he served as cinematographer and editor.<ref name=tiff>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Czach|first=Liz|title=John Spotton|url=http://tiff.net/CANADIANFILMENCYCLOPEDIA/content/bios/john-spotton|encyclopedia=Canadian Film Encyclopedia|publisher=Toronto International Film Festival|accessdate=January 28, 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824162545/http://tiff.net/CANADIANFILMENCYCLOPEDIA/content/bios/john-spotton|archivedate=August 24, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oveMBgAAQBAJ&dq=John+Spotton&pg=PA2000-IA5|title=Take One's Essential Guide to Canadian Film|last=Wise|first=Wyndham|date=2015-02-01|publisher=University of Toronto Press|isbn=9781442656208|language=en}}</ref>
An early member of the [[Canadian Society of Cinematographers]] (CSC), Spotton briefly working as a cameraman for a private company, joined the NFB in 1949 and worked there for the rest of his life, with the exception of a three-film stint with Parker Film Associates, and a two-year period in the 1970s when he worked with [[Potterton Productions]].{{citation needed|date=January 2023}} He was executive director of the NFB's Ontario Centre from 1982 until 1988.<ref name=tiff/>
Until it closed in 2002, The NFB's theatre in Toronto was named The John Spotton Theatre.<ref name=tiff/> Until 2017, the [[Toronto International Film Festival Award for Best Canadian Short Film]] was the 'NFB John Spotton Award'.
==Personal life and death== Spotton drowned at the age of 64 while on vacation in Cuba. He was survived by his wife Doris.
==Filmography== For the [[National Film Board of Canada]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Directors: John Spotton |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/production-personnel/?type=liste-fonction&idF=realisateurs&numf=01&alpha=S&idp=15455&idSMF=1&nom=John%20Spotton |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca/ |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=14 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Producers: John Spotton |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/production-personnel/?type=liste-fonction&idF=producteurs&numf=02&alpha=S&idp=15455&idSMF=2&nom=John%20Spotton |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca/ |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=14 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Production Personnel: John Spotton |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/production-personnel/?type=liste-fonction&idF=autres&numf=99&alpha=S&idp=15455&idSMF=4&nom=John%20Spotton |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca/ |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=14 January 2023}}</ref>
*''Sing with the Commodores'' - 3 short films, [[Roger Blais (filmmaker)|Roger Blais]] & Douglas Tunstell 1951 - cinematographer *''Fighting Forest Fires with Hand Tools'' - training film, Lawrence Cherry 1951 - cinematographer *''Trade Fair'' - documentary short, [[Robert Anderson (filmmaker)|Robert Anderson]] 1952 - cinematographer *''The Puppeteers'' - documentary short, [[Jacques Giraldeau]] 1952 - cinematographer *''Epidemic Foot and Mouth Disease: Saskatchewan'' - documentary short, Larry Gosnell 1952 - cinematographer *''[[Eye Witness (Canadian current events series)|Eye Witness]] No. 39'' - documentary short, Gordon Burwash 1952 - cinematographer *''[[Eye Witness (Canadian current events series)|Eye Witness]] No. 44'' - documentary short, [[David Bairstow (director)|David Bairstow]] 1952 - cinematographer *''[[Eye Witness (Canadian current events series)|Eye Witness]] No. 49'' - documentary short, [[David Bairstow (director)|David Bairstow]] 1952 - cinematographer *''[[Eye Witness (Canadian current events series)|Eye Witness]] No. 50'' - documentary short, [[David Bairstow (director)|David Bairstow]] 1953 - cinematographer *''Pole Barns and Milking Parlours'' - documentary short, Larry Gosnell 1953 - cinematographer *''The World at Your Feet'' - documentary short, Larry Gosnell 1953 - cinematographer *''The Story of Peter and the Potter'' - short film, Donald Peters 1953 - cinematographer *''Surface Silos'' - documentary short, Larry Gosnell 1953 - cinematographer *''Security Depends on You'' - training film, [[Julian Biggs]] 1953 - cinematographer *''Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps: Field Operations'' - training film, Lawrence Cherry 1953 - cinematographer *''Forage Harvesting'' - documentary short, Larry Gosnell 1953 - cinematographer *''[[Eye Witness (Canadian current events series)|Eye Witness]] No. 67'' - documentary short, Fernand Ménard & [[Robert Anderson (filmmaker)|Robert Anderson]] 1954 - cinematographer *''Salt Cod'' - documentary short, Allan Wargon 1954 - cinematographer *''College in the Wilds'' - documentary short, [[Julian Biggs]] 1954 - cinematographer *''Frontier College'' - documentary short, [[Julian Biggs]] 1954 - cinematographer *''[[On the Spot (Canadian TV series)|On the Spot]]: The Doll Factory'' - documentary short, [[Julian Biggs]] 1954 - cinematographer *''[[On the Spot (Canadian TV series)|On the Spot]]: Deep Sleep'' - documentary short, Jack Olsen, 1954 - cinematographer *''[[On the Spot (Canadian TV series)|On the Spot]]: Auto Production'' - documentary short, Jack Olsen 1954 - cinematographer *''[[On the Spot (Canadian TV series)|On the Spot]]: Aviation Medicine'' - documentary short, [[Julian Biggs]] 1954 - cinematographer *''[[On the Spot (Canadian TV series)|On the Spot]]: Food and Drug Patrol'' - documentary short, Allen Stark 1954 - cinematographer *''[[On the Spot (Canadian TV series)|On the Spot]]: Hidden Power'' - documentary short, [[John Feeney (filmmaker)|John Feeney]] 1954 - cinematographer *''[[On the Spot (Canadian TV series)|On the Spot]]: Javanese Dancing'' - documentary short, [[Bernard Devlin (director)|Bernard Devlin]] 1954 - cinematographer *''[[On the Spot (Canadian TV series)|On the Spot]]: The Magic Men'' - documentary short, Jack Olen 1954 - cinematographer *''[[On the Spot (Canadian TV series)|On the Spot]]: Story of a Newspaper'' - documentary short, [[Julian Biggs]] 1954 - cinematographer *''[[On the Spot (Canadian TV series)|On the Spot]]: Traffic Cop'' - documentary short, Jack Olsen 1954 - cinematographer *''[[On the Spot (Canadian TV series)|On the Spot]]: Food Facts'' - documentary short, [[John Feeney (filmmaker)|John Feeney]] 1954 - cinematographer *''[[On the Spot (Canadian TV series)|On the Spot]]: Alcoholism'' - documentary short, [[Don Haldane]] 1955 - cinematographer *''Grain Handling in Canada'' - documentary short, [[Guy L. Coté (filmmaker)|Guy L. Coté]] 1955 - cinematographer *''Leaving It to the Experts'' - documentary short, [[Gudrun Parker]] 1955 - cinematographer *''Community Responsibilities'' - documentary short, [[Gudrun Parker]] 1955 - cinematographer *''[[Eye Witness (Canadian current events series)|Eye Witness]] No. 84'' - documentary short, Hector Lemieux & Tim Wilson 1956 - cinematographer *''Designed for Living'' - documentary short, [[Jean Palardy]] 1956 - cinematographer *''Aural Null'' - documentary short, Michael Birch 1957 - cinematographer *''The Jet Beacon Let-Down'' - documentary short, Michael Birch & [[René Jodoin]] 1957 - cinematographer *''The Standard Range Approach'' - training film, Michael Birch & [[René Jodoin]] 1957 - cinematographer *''Battalion Intelligence Section'' - documentary short, Walford Hewitson 1957 - cinematographer *''Canadian Profile'' - documentary, Allan Wargon 1957 - cinematographer *''Feathers in the Wind'' - documentary short, Raymond Garceau 1957 - cinematographer *''Choosing a Leader'' - short film, Julia Murphy 1957 - cinematographer *''Being Different'' - short film, Julia Murphy 1957 - cinematographer *''A Day in June'' - documentary short, Louis Portugais 1958 - cinematographer *''Pilgrimage'' - documentary short, ''[[Candid Eye]]'' series, [[Terence Macartney-Filgate]] 1958 - co-producer with [[Roman Kroitor]] and [[Wolf Koenig]] *''The Skilled Worker'' - short film, [[Morten Parker]] 1958 - cinematographer *''The General Foreman'' - short film, [[Morten Parker]] 1958 - cinematographer *''The Man on the Assembly Line'' - short film, [[Morten Parker]] 1958 - cinematographer *''The Hands That Heal'' - documentary short, [[Gordon Sparling]] 1958 - cinematographer *''Railroaders'' - documentary short, [[Guy L. Coté (filmmaker)|Guy L. Coté]] 1958 - cinematographer *''Treasure of the Forest'' - documentary short, [[Roger Blais (filmmaker)|Roger Blais]] 1958 - cinematographer *''Log Drive'' - documentary short, ''Perspective'' series, Raymond Garceau 1958 - cinematographer *''River of Wood'' - documentary short, Raymond Garceau 1958 - cinematographer *''City Out of Time'' - documentary short, [[Colin Low (filmmaker)|Colin Low]] 1959 - editor *''The Back-Breaking Leaf'' - documentary short, [[Terence Macartney-Filgate]] 1959 - editor *''Fishermen'' - documentary short, [[Guy L. Coté (filmmaker)|Guy L. Coté]] 1959 - cinematographer *''The St. Lawrence Seaway'' - documentary short, [[John Howe (filmmaker)|John Howe]] 1959 - cinematographer *''I Was a Ninety-Pound Weakling'' - documentary short, [[Wolf Koenig]] & [[Georges Dufaux]] 1960 - editor *''Railroaders (Revised)'' - documentary short, [[Guy L. Coté (filmmaker)|Guy L. Coté]] 1960 - cinematographer *''[[Circle of the Sun]]'' - documentary short, [[Colin Low (filmmaker)|Colin Low]] 1960 - cinematographer *''The Days of Whisky Gap'' - documentary short, [[Colin Low (filmmaker)|Colin Low]] 1961 - editor and cinematographer *''[[Lonely Boy (film)|Lonely Boy]]'' - documentary short, [[Wolf Koenig]] & [[Roman Kroitor]] 1962 - editor *''Runner'' - documentary short, [[Don Owen (filmmaker)|Don Owen]] 1962 - cinematographer *''[[Nobody Waved Good-bye]]'' - feature, [[Don Owen (filmmaker)|Don Owen]] 1964 - editor and cinematographer *''Rivera'' - documentary, ''The American Worker'' series (non-NFB), [[Morten Parker]] 1964<ref>{{cite web |title=Rivera |url=https://en.kinorium.com/594314/ |website=kinorium.com |publisher=Kinorium |access-date=1 January 2023}}</ref> *''[[The Hutterites (film)|The Hutterites]]'' - documentary short, [[Colin Low (filmmaker)|Colin Low]] 1964 - editor and cinematographer *''The Edge of the Barrens'' - documentary short, Dalton Muir 1964 - editor *''Legault's Place'' - documentary short, Suzanne Angel 1965 - cinematographer *''Two Men of Montreal'' - documentary, Suzanne Angel, [[Donald Brittain]] & [[Don Owen (filmmaker)|Don Owen]] 1965 - cinematographer *''[[Buster Keaton Rides Again]]'' - documentary, 1965 - editor, cinematographer, director *''[[Memorandum (film)|Memorandum]]'' - documentary 1965 - editor, cinematographer and, with [[Donald Brittain]], director *''Sanchez'' - documentary, ''The American Worker'' series (non-NFB), [[Morten Parker]] 1965<ref>{{cite web |title=Sanchez |url=https://en.kinorium.com/594323/ |website=Kinorium |publisher=kinorium.com |access-date=1 January 2023}}</ref> *''Ybarra'' - documentary, ''The American Worker'' series (non-NFB), [[Morten Parker]] 1966<ref>{{cite web |title=Ybarra |url=https://en.kinorium.com/594374/ |website=kinorium.com |publisher=Kinorium |access-date=1 January 2023}}</ref> *''[[Never a Backward Step]]'' - documentary 1966 - with [[Donald Brittain]] & [[Arthur Hammond (director)|Arthur Hammond]], director *''The Forest'' - documentary short, 1966 - editor and director *''The White Ship'' - documentary short, Hector Lemieux 1966 - editor *''The Long Haul Men'' - documentary short, [[Michael Rubbo]] 1966 - editor *''[[High Steel]]'' - documentary short, [[Don Owen (filmmaker)|Don Owen]] 1966 - cinematographer *''After Eve'' - documentary short, [[Michael J.F. Scott]] 1967 - editor *''This Land'' - documentary short, [[Arthur Hammond (director)|Arthur Hammond]] 1968 - editor *''Les voitures d'eau'' (''[[The River Schooners]]'') – feature, [[Pierre Perrault]] 1968 – co-editor with [[Guy L. Coté (filmmaker)|Guy L. Coté]] *''Activator One'' - documentary 1969 - director *''Of Many People'' - documentary short, [[Stanley Jackson (filmmaker)|Stanley Jackson]] 1970 - editor and co-producer with [[Robert Verrall]] *''Pillar of Wisdom'' - documentary short, Josef Reeve 1970 - cinematographer *''[[Kainai Nation|Kainai]]'' - documentary short, [[Don Owen (filmmaker)|Don Owen]] 1973 - cinematographer *''Circus World'' - documentary short, [[Roman Kroitor]] 1974 - cinematographer *''Have I Ever Lied to You Before?'' - documentary 1976 - director *''Eaton’s Centre'' - televisit 1977 - producer and director *''A Pinto for the Prince'' - documentary short 1979 - with [[Colin Low (filmmaker)|Colin Low]], director *''Meet the Martins'' - documentary short, William Pettigrew 1979 - co-producer with William Pettigrew *''Viking Visitors to North America'' - documentary short, [[Tony Ianzelo]] & Anthony Kent 1979 - producer *''Canada Vignettes: The Music Makers'', [[Malca Gillson]] 1979 - producer *''Atmos'' - documentary short, [[Colin Low (filmmaker)|Colin Low]] 1980 - co-producer with Michael Sullivan *''Home Feeling: Struggle for a Community'' - documentary, [[Jennifer Hodge de Silva]] & Roger McTair 1983 - executive producer *''Prisoners of Debt: Inside the Global Banking Crisis'' - documentary, Robert Collison & [[Peter Raymont]] 1983 - executive producer *''Thanks for the Ride'' - short film, [[John Kent Harrison]] 1983 - executive producer *''Pitchmen'' - documentary, [[Barry Greenwald]] 1985 - executive producer *''[[Final Offer]]'' - documentary, [[Sturla Gunnarsson]] & Robert Collison 1985 - executive producer *''Class of Promise'' - documentary, Barbara Sears 1985 - executive producer *''Dad's House, Mom's House'' - documentary, Lyn Wright 1985 - executive producer *''The Hospital'' - short film, Murray Battle 1985 - executive producer *''Left Out'' - short film, Jim Purdy 1985 - executive producer *''The Umpire'' - short film, [[Paul Shapiro (director)|Paul Shapiro]] 1985 - executive producer *''Where's Pete?'' - short film, Jim Purdy, 1986 - executive producer *''Mr. Nobody'' - documentary short, Lyn Wright 1987 - executive producer *''Hayley's Home Movie'' - short film, Gail Singer 1987 - executive producer *''No Way! Not Me'' - documentary short, Ariadna Ochrymovych 1987 - executive producer *''For Richer, For Poorer'' - short film, Ariadna Ochrymovych 1988 - executive producer *''A House Divided: Caregiver Stress and Elder Abuse'' - documentary short, Lyn Wright 1988 - executive producer *''Peep and the Big Wide World'' - cartoons, [[Kaj Pindal]] 1988 - executive producer *''Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left, Part 1 - International Background, Canadian Roots'' - documentary, [[Arthur Hammond (director)|Arthur Hammond]] 1989 - executive producer *''Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left, Part 2 - Born of Hard Times'' - documentary, [[Arthur Hammond (director)|Arthur Hammond]] 1989 - executive producer *''Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left, Part 3 - Falling Apart and Getting Together'' - documentary, [[Arthur Hammond (director)|Arthur Hammond]] 1989 - executive producer *''Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left, Part 4 - New Party, Old Problems'' - documentary, [[Arthur Hammond (director)|Arthur Hammond]] 1989 - executive producer *''Media and Society: Advertising and Consumerism'' - documentary, David Adkin 1989 - producer *''Media and Society: Cultural Sovereignty/Shaping Information'' - documentary, David Adkin 1989 - producer *''Media and Society: Images of Women'' - documentary, David Adkin 1989 - producer *''Transplant, the Breath of Life'' - documentary, Elias Petras 1990 - co-producer with Elias Petras *''Constructing Reality: Exploring Media Issues in Documentary - What Is a Documentary? Ways of Storytelling'' - documentary, David Adkin 1993 - co-producer with Michael Allder *''Constructing Reality: Exploring Media Issues in Documentary - Shaping Reality'' - documentary, David Adkin 1993 - co-producer with Michael Allder *''Constructing Reality: Exploring Media Issues in Documentary - The Politics of Truth'' - documentary, David Adkin 1993 - co-producer with Michael Allder *''Constructing Reality: Exploring Media Issues in Documentary - The Candid Eye?'' - documentary, David Adkin 1993 - co-producer with Michael Allder *''Constructing Reality: Exploring Media Issues in Documentary - Voices of Experience, Voices for Change Part 1'' - documentary, David Adkin 1993 - co-producer with Michael Allder *''Constructing Reality: Exploring Media Issues in Documentary - Voices of Experience, Voices for Change Part 2, The Poetry of Motion'' - documentary, David Adkin 1993 - co-producer with Michael Allder *''[[Village of Idiots]]'' - animated short film, Eugene Fedorenko & Rose Newlove 1999 - executive producer
==Awards==
''[[The Hutterites (film)|The Hutterites]]'' (1964)<ref>{{cite web |title=The Hutterites |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=10492 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=2 February 2023}}</ref> * [[Montreal International Film Festival]], [[Montreal]]: First Prize, Shorts, 1964 * [[Columbus International Film & Animation Festival]], [[Columbus, Ohio]]: Chris Award, First Prize, Religion, 1964 * [[Yorkton Film Festival]], [[Yorkton]], Saskatchewan: Golden Sheaf Award, First Prize, Human Relations, 1964 * [[Melbourne International Film Festival|Melbourne Film Festival]], [[Melbourne]]: Honorable Mention, 1964 * American Film and Video Festival, New York: Blue Ribbon, Doctrinal and Denominational Topics, 1965 * Landers Associates Awards, Los Angeles: Award of Merit * Festival dei Popoli/International Film Festival on Social Documentary, [[Florence]], Italy: Second Prize, 1965 * [[Canadian Society of Cinematographers|Canadian Cinematography Awards]], [[Toronto]] - Best Black and White Cinematography, 1964 * [[16th Canadian Film Awards]], [[Toronto]] - Special Award for Black and White Cinematography, 1964
''[[Buster Keaton Rides Again]]'' (1965)<ref>{{cite web |title=Buster Keaton Rides Again |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=10467 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=3 February 2023 |archive-date=March 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322025028/http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=10467 |url-status=dead }}</ref> * [[18th Canadian Film Awards]], [[Montreal]]: Best Film, General Information, 1966 * [[Montreal International Film Festival]], [[Montreal]]: First Prize, Medium-Length Films, 1966 * Golden Gate International Film Festival, San Francisco: Silver Trophy, Documentary, 1966 * International Exhibition of the Documentary Film, [[Venice]]: CIDALC Special Prize, 1966 * American Film and Video Festival, New York: First Prize, Music, Literature & Films, 1967 * [[Melbourne International Film Festival|Melbourne Film Festival]], [[Melbourne]]: Special Prize for Best Biographical Documentary, 1967 * MIFED International Contest of Public Relations, [[Milan]]: Gold Medal 1968 * [[20th British Academy Film Awards]], London: Nominee: BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, 1967
''[[Memorandum (film)|Memorandum]]'' (1965)<ref>{{cite web |title=Memorandum |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=10552 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> * [[Venice Film Festival]], [[Venice]]: First Prize, Lion of St. Mark, 1966 * Golden Gate International Film Festival, San Francisco: First Prize, Essay, 1966 * [[Vancouver International Film Festival]], [[Vancouver]]: Certificate of Merit, Television Films, 1966 * [[Montreal International Film Festival]], [[Montreal]]: Special Mention, Medium-Length Films, 1966
''The Forest'' (1966)<ref>{{cite web |title=The Forest |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=10757 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> * [[Yorkton Film Festival]], [[Yorkton]], Saskatchewan: Golden Sheaf Award, Best Film, Industry and Agriculture 1967 * [[Cork International Film Festival]], [[Cork (city)|Cork]], Ireland: First Prize – Certificate of Merit, Industrial Films, 1966
''[[Never a Backward Step]]'' (1966)<ref>{{cite web |title=Never a Backward Step |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=10565 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> * American Film and Video Festival, New York: Blue Ribbon, First Prize, Biography & History, 1968 * [[20th Canadian Film Awards]], [[Toronto]]: Best Documentary Over 30 Minutes, 1968
''Thanks for the Ride'' (1983)<ref>{{cite web |title=Thanks for the Ride |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=14240 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> * American Film and Video Festival, New York: Blue Ribbon Award, Human Sexuality, 1985
''Dad's House, Mom's House'' (1985)<ref>{{cite web |title=Dad's House, Mom's House |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=15284 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> * [[Columbus International Film & Animation Festival]], [[Columbus, Ohio]]: Chris Award, Bronze Plaque, Health & Medicine, 1960
''[[Final Offer]]'' (1985)<ref>{{cite web |title=Final Offer |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=16094 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> * [[Banff Mountain Film Festival]], [[Banff, Alberta]]: Grand Prize of the Festival, 1986 * [[Banff Mountain Film Festival]], [[Banff, Alberta]]: Rockie Award for Best Political and Social Documentary, 1986 * [[7th Genie Awards]], [[Toronto]]: Best Feature Length Documentary, 1986 * Golden Gate International Film Festival, San Francisco: Special Jury Award, 1986 * [[Columbus International Film & Animation Festival]], [[Columbus, Ohio]]: Chris Award, First Prize, Industry & Commerce, 1986 * [[Chicago International Film Festival]], Chicago: Gold Plaque, Social/Political Documentary, 1986 * Prix Italia, International Competition for Radio and Television Productions, [[Lucca]], Italy: Italia Award for Best Documentary, 1986
''Left Out'' (1985)<ref>{{cite web |title=Left Out |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=16096 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> * [[ATOM Award]]s, [[Melbourne]], Australia: Certificate of Commendation, Short Educational Films & Videos, 1988
''The Umpire'' (1985)<ref>{{cite web |title=The Umpire |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=15262 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> * American Film and Video Festival, Chicago: Red Ribbon Award, Children’s Fiction, 1986 * National Educational Media Network Competition, [[Oakland, California]]: First Place, Human Relations, 1985
''Mr. Nobody'' (1987)<ref>{{cite web |title=Mr. Nobody |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=17336 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> * American Film and Video Festival, New York: Red Ribbon Award, Special Needs/Elderly, 1988
''A House Divided: Caregiver Stress and Elder Abuse'' (1988)<ref>{{cite web |title=A House Divided: Caregiver Stress and Elder Abuse |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=17337 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> * American Film and Video Festival, New York: Red Ribbon Award, Special Needs/Elderly, 1990
''Peep and the Big Wide World'' (1988)<ref>{{cite web |title=Peep and the Big Wide World |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=17646 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> * [[Ottawa International Animation Festival]], [[Ottawa]]: Second Prize, Children's Animated Productions, Non-Series, 1988 * International Children's Film Festival, Chicago: Honorable Mention, Single Program Video Animation, 1988 * American Film and Video Festival, Chicago: Red Ribbon Award, Original Works for Children/Animation, 1992 * National Educational Media Network Competition, [[Oakland, California]]: Bronze Plaque Award, Literary Adaptations, K-2, 1992 * California Children's Media Awards, Los Angeles: Award for Excellence in Children's Video, 1992
''Transplant, the Breath of Life'' (1990)<ref>{{cite web |title=Transplant: The Breath of Life |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=18408 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> * International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films, [[Varna, Bulgaria]]: First Prize, Gold Medal, Popular Science, Documentary on Health and Ecological Subjects 1991
''[[Village of Idiots]]'' (1999)<ref>{{cite web |title=Village of Idiots |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=33250 |website=onf-nfb.gc.ca |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref> * CINANIMA International Animated Film Festival, [[Espinho, Portugal]]: [[RTP Internacional]] Jury Honorable Mention, 1999 * CINANIMA International Animated Film Festival, [[Espinho, Portugal]]: Special Jury Award, 1999 * CINANIMA International Animated Film Festival, [[Espinho, Portugal]]: Audience Award, 1999 * [[Vancouver International Film Festival]], [[Vancouver]]: Best Animated Film, 1999 * [[Montreal World Film Festival]], [[Montreal]]: FIPRESCI Award [[International Federation of Film Critics]], 1999 * [[Montreal World Film Festival]], [[Montreal]]: Second Prize, Short Films, 1999 * [[Writers Guild of Canada]]: Best Script, to [[John Lazarus (playwright)|John Lazarus]], 1999 * Castelli Animati, [[Genzano di Roma]], Italy: Grand Prize, 2000 * [[Curtas Vila do Conde]] International Film Festival, [[Vila do Conde]], Portugal: Grand Prize for Animation, 2000 * International Jewish Video Competition of the Judah L. Magnes Museum, [[Berkeley, California]]: First Prize, Animation, 2000 * [[Hiroshima International Animation Festival]], [[Hiroshima]], Japan: Renzo Kinoshita Award, 2000 * [[Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films]], [[Palm Springs, California]]: Second Place, Animation, 2000 * [[Animafest Zagreb]], [[Zagreb]], Croatia: Second Prize, 2000 * [[Message to Man]] International Film Festival, [[St. Petersburg]], Russia – Centaur Award for Best Animation, 2000 * [[Annecy International Animation Film Festival]], [[Annecy]], France: Special Jury Award, 2000 * [[Brisbane International Film Festival]], [[Brisbane]], Australia: Special Jury Award, 2000 * [[Melbourne International Animation Festival]], [[Melbourne]]: Award for Best of International Session 6, 2001 * California SUN International Animation Festival, Los Angeles: Silver Star Award for Best Experimental Animation, 2001 * [[21st Genie Awards]], [[Toronto]] – Genie Award for Best Animated Short, 2001 * New York International Children's Film Festival, New York: Grand Prize Audience Award, 2002
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.nfb.ca/explore-all-directors/john-spotton John Spotton] ''Buster Keaton Rides Again'' and ''Memorandum'' (films streamed online)
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{{ACCT Best Cinematography}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spotton, John}} [[Category:1927 births]] [[Category:1991 deaths]] [[Category:National Film Board of Canada people]] [[Category:Canadian documentary film producers]] [[Category:Canadian documentary film directors]] [[Category:Canadian cinematographers]] [[Category:Canadian film editors]] [[Category:Deaths by drowning]] [[Category:Accidental deaths in Cuba]] [[Category:Place of birth missing]] [[Category:Film directors from Toronto]] [[Category:Best Cinematography Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners]] [[Category:Directors of Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners for Best Documentary Film]] [[Category:Producers of Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners for Best Documentary Film]]