Simon Chinn

Co-Founder

Lightbox

Simon Chinn is a double Academy Award winning producer who is responsible for some of the most successful feature documentaries of recent years, known for their high production values, powerful narratives and innovative blending of documentary and fiction techniques.

He conceived and produced MAN ON WIRE which was released around the world in 2008. A commercial and critical hit, its numerous international awards include the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, the Producers Guild of America (PGA) Award, the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film and the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

His follow-up film, PROJECT NIM, opened the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically around the world to great acclaim, won the DGA Award, was nominated for a BAFTA and shortlisted for an Academy Award.

SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN opened the Sundance Film Festival in 2012 and went on to gross over $10 million at the international box office, making it one of the most commercially successful documentaries of recent years.  Among more than thirty international awards, it won the PGA, DGA and WGA awards, the BAFTA and the Academy Award for Best Documentary.

THE IMPOSTER, which Simon executive produced, also launched at Sundance in 2012. It became the eighth highest grossing (non-concert) documentary of all time in the UK and went on win the BAFTA for best debut for its director Bart Layton.

Other recent and forthcoming films include THE GREEN PRINCE (winner Sundance Audience Award), DRUG LORD: THE LEGEND OF SHORTY, GARNET’S GOLD, BOLSHOI BABYLON and Louis Theroux’s first feature documentary MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE.

Simon launched Lightbox in 2014 in partnership with his cousin, Emmy-winning producer Jonathan Chinn. With offices in London and LA, the company is focused on producing high-end non-fiction content across multiple platforms and was one of the first companies to receive investment from Channel 4’s Growth Fund.  It has already produced premium documentary series for Xbox Studios and Esquire and is currently in production on projects for Netflix, ESPN, Fusion, Channel 4 and BBC2.  

Speaking at: Trendwatch: New platforms, New approaches