{{Short description|British filmmaker}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Justin Albert<br /><small>OBE</small> | image = | image_size = | alt = Justin Albert | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|02|19|df=yes}} | birth_place = London, England | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = | known_for = | occupation = {{hlist|Conservationist | educationalist | broadcaster | filmmaker}} }} '''Justin Thomas Albert''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}} (born 19 February 1965) is a conservationist, educationalist, broadcaster, sustainable food and farming advocate, filmmaker, and the former head of National Trust for Wales.<ref>{{cite web|author=Martin Aaron |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/posts/new_director_for_wales |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140218224706/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/posts/new_director_for_wales |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 February 2014 |title='New Director for Wales', BBC Wales |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2014-02-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wta.org.uk/news/i/141/desc/new-director-appointed-for-national-trust-wales/ |title='New director appointed for National Trust Wales', Wales Tourism Alliance |publisher=Wta.org.uk |date=2011-07-11 |accessdate=2014-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224020903/http://www.wta.org.uk/news/i/141/desc/new-director-appointed-for-national-trust-wales/ |archive-date=2014-02-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
He is Vice President of Hay Festival and Member of the Hay Festival Council.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hayfestival.com/about-hay-festival|title=About Hay Festival|website=www.hayfestival.com|language=en|access-date=2018-06-05}}</ref> In earlier years, he was a history and environmental filmmaker and television executive. He is the son of lawyer Robert Alan Albert and filmmaker Revel Sarah Guest.
He has a degree in law from the University of Buckingham and an honorary master's in arts from the University of Wales.
==Career== Albert was Director of Wales for The National Trust in 2011 - 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wta.org.uk/news/i/141/desc/new-director-appointed-for-national-trust-wales/ |title='New Director Appointed for National Trust Wales', Wales Tourism Alliance |publisher=Wta.org.uk |date=2011-07-11 |accessdate=2014-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224020903/http://www.wta.org.uk/news/i/141/desc/new-director-appointed-for-national-trust-wales/ |archive-date=2014-02-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The National Trust is the largest volunteer conservation charity in Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationaltrustjobs.org.uk/other_ways_in/training#.UwEHMEJ_vlQ |title=Training, National Trust |publisher=Nationaltrustjobs.org.uk |accessdate=2014-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227090303/http://www.nationaltrustjobs.org.uk/other_ways_in/training#.UwEHMEJ_vlQ |archive-date=2014-02-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref> National Trust Wales is the largest landowner in Wales, and it protects numerous castles and historic buildings, thousands of acres of wilderness and farmland, and 200 miles of Welsh coastline.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/ |title=Visit Wales, National Trust |publisher=Nationaltrust.org.uk |date=2011-09-11 |accessdate=2014-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220160549/http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/ |archive-date=2014-02-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Albert transitioned on from his role at the National Trust in 2021 to work with Sir Tim Smit from The Eden Project and Fraser White of The Green School to lead a globally focused, UK-based agri-tech R&D lab that incubates and invests in circular food and materials production based in Cornwall.{{cn|date=April 2026}}
He has been a vice president of Hay Festival since 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hayfestival.com/portal/council.aspx |title=Hay Festival |publisher=Hay Festival |accessdate=2014-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219074829/http://www.hayfestival.com/portal/council.aspx |archive-date=2014-02-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He is a Trustee of Hay Castle Trust,<ref>{{cite web|author=Period Property |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/periodproperty/8564523/Hay-Castle-to-become-a-festival-venue.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610142449/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/periodproperty/8564523/Hay-Castle-to-become-a-festival-venue.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-06-10 |title=The Telegraph |publisher=The Telegraph |date= |accessdate=2014-02-19}}</ref> and a member of the Welsh Government Tourism Advisory Board.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wales.gov.uk/topics/businessandeconomy/sector/tourism-sector/tourism-advisory-board/?lang=en |title=Welsh Government |publisher=Wales.gov.uk |accessdate=2014-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225093451/http://wales.gov.uk/topics/businessandeconomy/sector/tourism-sector/tourism-advisory-board/?lang=en |archive-date=2014-02-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2017 he became director and trustee of Michael Morphurgo's Farms For City Children charity.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Children |first=Farms for City |title=Justin Albert |url=https://farmsforcitychildren.org/people/justin-albert/ |access-date=2019-02-11 |website=Farms for City Children |language=en}}</ref> He is also director and trustee for the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, and a founding trustee of the Hay Castle Trust.
==Film and television== Albert was a documentary filmmaker and company director of Transatlantic Films.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/transatlantic-film-production-distribution-company|title=Companies in the UK|author=Comdevelopment Ltd|date=|publisher=Companies in the UK|accessdate=2014-02-19}}</ref> He has directed and produced over 60 documentaries, including: History's Turning Points (1995); Three Gorges: The Biggest Dam in the World (1998); Trailblazers (1998); Lost Treasures of the Ancient World: Ancient China (2000); China's Mega Dam (2006).<ref>{{IMDb name|0016533}}</ref>
He was executive vice president at Mandalay Media Arts in Los Angeles 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/albert-atop-mandalay-media-arts-1117499485/|title='Albert atop Mandalay Media Arts', Variety|first=Marc |last=Graser |date=1999-04-30|publisher=Variety.com|accessdate=2014-02-19}}</ref> He joined Discovery Communications Digital Networks as a vice president in 1999, and became head of production at Animal Planet in 2001. He founded West Beach Television, an independent production company, in 2003,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Justin+Albert+Tapped+as+Vice+President,+Production+and+Executive...-a067462803|title='Justin Albert Tapped as Vice President...', The Free Library|date=2000-11-30|publisher=Thefreelibrary.com|accessdate=2014-02-19}}</ref> and in 2008, he became general manager of Horse and Country TV.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.horseandcountry.tv/sites/default/files/Horse%20and%20Country%20announces%20strongest%20ever%20line-up%20-%2007.04.09.pdf|title=Press Release - 07/04/09, Horse&Country|format=PDF|accessdate=2014-02-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225001143/http://www.horseandcountry.tv/sites/default/files/Horse%20and%20Country%20announces%20strongest%20ever%20line-up%20-%2007.04.09.pdf|archive-date=2014-02-25|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Personal life== Albert married Hester Amanda Jessica Gray, daughter of restaurateur Rose Gray, in 1991, and was divorced in 1997. He married Nancy Burns Lavin, a former television executive and building preservation charity director, in 2000. They live in Wales. He has three children.
== Awards == Albert was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to the historic and natural environment in Wales.<ref>{{London Gazette | issue = 63377 | date = 12 June 2021 | page = B10 | supp = y }}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Albert, Justin}} Category:Living people Category:1965 births Category:British film producers Category:British television executives Category:Alumni of the University of Buckingham Category:British documentary filmmakers Category:National Trust people Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire