My name is JAMES SPINNEY. I’m a musician and filmmaker based in South London.
As a composer, my soundtracks include the BAFTA nominated feature film NOTES ON BLINDNESS, the Grierson award winning short LANDLINE and the forthcoming Netflix Original feature APOLLO THIRTEEN: SURVIVAL.
As a writer-director, my work includes NOTES OF BLINDNESS and the Emmy nominated feature THE REAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN.
I’m one third of FEE FIE FOE.
My email is james.spinney@gmail.com
APOLLO THIRTEEN: SURVIVAL
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Directed by Peter Middleton
Original music by James Spinney
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I composed the music for Peter Middleton's documentary feature following NASA's imperilled 1970 lunar voyage which became one of history's great survival stories.
Premiered at CPH:DOX 2024.
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A NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY
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2024 | 96mins
NOTES ON BLINDNESS
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Written and directed by Peter Middleton and James Spinney
Original music by James Ewers and James Spinney
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A feature documentary charting the theologian John Hull's discovery of a world beyond sight.
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"Genius... a beautiful, accessible and thoughtful work of art."
✩✩✩✩✩
The Guardian, Charlie Phillips
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"A visionary, lyrical film"
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The Times, Kate Muir
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"Articulate, eloquent and soul-searching"
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Observer, Film of the Week, Mark Kermode
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"Magnificent... extraordinary eloquence, precision and poetic sensitivity"
New York Times, Critics’ Pick, Stephen Holden
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Premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival
Released by Curzon Artificial Eye in UK cinemas
Winner of a BIFA for Best Documentary (nominated in six categories)
Nominated for three BAFTAs (Best Documentary, Best Debut and Outstanding British Film)
Winner of a Peabody award (for the accompanying VR experience "Into Darkness")
Winner of an Emmy award (for the short film version, published by NYT Op-Docs)
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Distributed in the UK by CURZON ARTIFICIAL EYE
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2016 | 86 mins
LANDLINE
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Directed by Matt Houghton
Original music by James Spinney
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A short documentary about an LGBTQ+ helpline for people isolated in rural areas of the UK.
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Winner of the Grierson Award for Best Documentary Short
Winner of the HBO Short Documentary Award
Nominated for Best Documentary at LSFF, Open City Docs and Berlin British Shorts
A Vimeo Best Of The Year 2019
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2019 | 12 mins
THE REAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN
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Written and directed by Peter Middleton and James Spinney
Co-written by Oliver Kindeberg
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A contemporary take on cinema’s most iconic figure.
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"This film piercingly asks the right questions about Chaplin’s elusive reality."
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"This inventive documentary… provides a gripping, clear-eyed overview of Chaplin’s life and work."
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The Observer - Film of the Week, Mark Kermode.
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"Fascinating… exhaustively researched and intellectually stimulating."
✩✩✩✩
The Times, Kevin Maher
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"An honest and superbly made documentary."
✩✩✩✩✩
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Premiered at the Telluride International Film Festival
Released by Altitude in UK cinemas and Universal Pictures worldwide
Nominated for three Critics' Choice Documentary Awards
Nominated for two Emmy Awards
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Made with the support of BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE, FILM4 and SHOWTIME
Sales and distribution by ALTITUDE FILM
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2021 | 114 mins
