Chris Smith

Directing

Chris Smith

Born

1970-05-20 (56)

Place of birth

Rahway, New Jersey, USA

Known for

Directing

Credits

36 titles

Chris Smith (born in 20 May 1970; Rahway) is an American film documentary director, cameraman, producer, writer, and editor. He is best known for directing American Movie, which was awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. Smith completed his first film, American Job, while attending the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee's Graduate Film Program. Chris met Mark Borchardt (the subject of American Movie) while editing American Job, and began filming a documentary about the making of Mark's psychological thriller Coven. Both films played at the Sundance Film Festival, and American Movie was bought by Sony Pictures for $1 million. Chris Smith's directing …

Known for

Film credits

Behind the camera

Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever poster
6.3

In this documentary, wealthy entrepreneur Bryan Johnson puts his body and fortune on the line to defy aging and extend his life beyond all known limits.

Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever

2025

Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever poster
6.3

In this documentary, wealthy entrepreneur Bryan Johnson puts his body and fortune on the line to defy aging and extend his life beyond all known limits.

Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever

2025

The Widower: 'Til Death Do Us Part poster
7.0

A journalist and a detective uncover the truth about a killer whose charm masked a trail of failed marriages and suspicious deaths.

The Widower: 'Til Death Do Us Part

2026

Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal poster
6.8

An examination that goes beyond the celebrity-driven headlines and dives into the methods used by Rick Singer, the man at the center of the shocking 2019 college admissions scandal, to persuade his wealthy clients to cheat an educational system already designed to benefit the privileged.

Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal

2021

Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal poster
6.8

An examination that goes beyond the celebrity-driven headlines and dives into the methods used by Rick Singer, the man at the center of the shocking 2019 college admissions scandal, to persuade his wealthy clients to cheat an educational system already designed to benefit the privileged.

Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal

2021

WHAM! poster
7.3

Through archival interviews and footage, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley relive the arc of their Wham! career, from 70s best buds to 80s pop icons.

WHAM!

2023

WHAM! poster
7.3

Through archival interviews and footage, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley relive the arc of their Wham! career, from 70s best buds to 80s pop icons.

WHAM!

2023

"Sr." poster
6.9

A portrait of the life and career of Robert Downey Sr. (1936-2021), the visionary and fearless US filmmaker — father of actor Robert Downey Jr. — who in the sixties and seventies laid the foundations for countercultural comedy.

"Sr."

2022

Fyre poster
6.9

He promised supermodels and yachts, but delivered tents and cheese sandwiches. How one man engineered a music festival disaster.

Fyre

2019

Fyre poster
6.9

He promised supermodels and yachts, but delivered tents and cheese sandwiches. How one man engineered a music festival disaster.

Fyre

2019

Fyre poster
6.9

He promised supermodels and yachts, but delivered tents and cheese sandwiches. How one man engineered a music festival disaster.

Fyre

2019

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond poster
7.5

Offbeat documentarian Chris Smith provides a behind-the-scenes look at how Jim Carrey adopted the persona of idiosyncratic comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of Man on the Moon.

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond

2017

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond poster
7.5

Offbeat documentarian Chris Smith provides a behind-the-scenes look at how Jim Carrey adopted the persona of idiosyncratic comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of Man on the Moon.

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond

2017

American Movie poster
7.5

American Movie documents the story of filmmaker Mark Borchardt, his mission, and his dream. Spanning over two years of intense struggle with his film, his family, financial decline, and spiritual crisis, American Movie is a portrayal of ambition, obsession, excess, and one man's quest for the American Dream.

American Movie

1999

American Movie poster
7.5

American Movie documents the story of filmmaker Mark Borchardt, his mission, and his dream. Spanning over two years of intense struggle with his film, his family, financial decline, and spiritual crisis, American Movie is a portrayal of ambition, obsession, excess, and one man's quest for the American Dream.

American Movie

1999

Biggest Heist Ever poster
6.1

Their crimes earned them the nickname Bitcoin Bonnie and Clyde — and the story only gets weirder in this documentary about the most lucrative heist ever.

Biggest Heist Ever

2024

Bitconned poster
6.5

In this true-crime documentary, three guys exploit the freewheeling cryptocurrency market to scam millions from investors and bankroll lavish lifestyles.

Bitconned

2024

DEVO poster
7.7

Originally formed amidst the chaos of the 1970 Kent State anti-Vietnam War protest killings, the not quite new wave band Devo scored a hit with "Whip It" and gained mainstream success with their message of societal "de-evolution."

DEVO

2024

Collapse poster
7.2

From the acclaimed director of American Movie, the documentary follows former Los Angeles police officer turned independent reporter Michael Ruppert. He recounts his career as a radical thinker and spells out his apocalyptic vision of the future, spanning the crises in economics, energy, environment and more.

Collapse

2009

Collapse poster
7.2

From the acclaimed director of American Movie, the documentary follows former Los Angeles police officer turned independent reporter Michael Ruppert. He recounts his career as a radical thinker and spells out his apocalyptic vision of the future, spanning the crises in economics, energy, environment and more.

Collapse

2009

The Yes Men poster
6.8

A comic, biting and revelatory documentary following a small group of prankster activists as they gain worldwide notoriety for impersonating the World Trade Organization (WTO) on television and at business conferences around the world.

The Yes Men

2003

The Yes Men poster
6.8

A comic, biting and revelatory documentary following a small group of prankster activists as they gain worldwide notoriety for impersonating the World Trade Organization (WTO) on television and at business conferences around the world.

The Yes Men

2003

Wilder poster
NR

Focusing on the life and legacy of actor Gene Wilder, told through the lens of Jordan Walker-Pearlman, the late actor’s nephew and a filmmaker in his own right.

Wilder

2026

Wilder poster
NR

Focusing on the life and legacy of actor Gene Wilder, told through the lens of Jordan Walker-Pearlman, the late actor’s nephew and a filmmaker in his own right.

Wilder

2026

The Pool poster
6.0

A boy in abject poverty works in a hotel and becomes obsessed with a swimming pool in the opulent hills of Panjim, Goa, India. His life gets turned upside-down when he attempts to meet the mysterious family who lives at the house.

The Pool

2007

The Pool poster
6.0

A boy in abject poverty works in a hotel and becomes obsessed with a swimming pool in the opulent hills of Panjim, Goa, India. His life gets turned upside-down when he attempts to meet the mysterious family who lives at the house.

The Pool

2007

Animals poster
5.6

ANIMALS tells the story of Jude and Bobbie: a young couple that exist somewhere between homelessness and the fantasy of their imaginations. Though they masterfully con and steal in an attempt to stay one step ahead of their addiction, they are ultimately forced to face the reality of their situation when one of them gets hospitalized.

Animals

2014

No artwork available
NR

With exclusive access to an extensive, never-before-seen archive of photos and behind-the-scenes footage, the project promises to deliver the definitive portrait of the writer and director who helped shape youth, music and pop culture in America in the 1980s and ’90s.

Untitled John Hughes Documentary

—

No artwork available
NR

With exclusive access to an extensive, never-before-seen archive of photos and behind-the-scenes footage, the project promises to deliver the definitive portrait of the writer and director who helped shape youth, music and pop culture in America in the 1980s and ’90s.

Untitled John Hughes Documentary

—

American Job poster
6.0

American Job is a narrative film about Randy Scott, a youth caught in the dismal confusion of living and working in the world of minimum wage. The film follows Randy through a number of low-paying, menial jobs including fast food dishwasher, custodian, telemarketer, and factory worker. It highlights the sheer boredom of minimum wage work and is a slightly comical and occasionally depressing look at what life is like in the US minimum wage arena.

American Job

1996

American Job poster
6.0

American Job is a narrative film about Randy Scott, a youth caught in the dismal confusion of living and working in the world of minimum wage. The film follows Randy through a number of low-paying, menial jobs including fast food dishwasher, custodian, telemarketer, and factory worker. It highlights the sheer boredom of minimum wage work and is a slightly comical and occasionally depressing look at what life is like in the US minimum wage arena.

American Job

1996

LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year 2022 poster
NR

Nine LGBTQ+ comedians take center stage at the Comedy Bloomers competition. From the witty observations of a non-binary comedian to the hilarious tales of an Argentinian immigrant, each finalist brings a unique flavor to the table. As they navigate the challenges and joys of their identities through humor, they not only compete for the crown but also showcase the rich diversity and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community in the world of comedy.

LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year 2022

2023

Caesar's Park poster
8.0

Living next to each other for more than fifty years, eight neighbors warm up to the camera as they get to know their new neighbor, filmmaker Sarah Price.

Caesar's Park

2000

The Boy Who Sold The World poster
NR

Ben Pasternak created a viral game app while in middle school in Australia. By 15 he had secured funding from VC’s to build a new tech startup. So Ben dropped out of school and convinced his parents to let him live alone in NYC to lead his new company. A master at growth hacking with a strong eye for design, Ben was committed to making the world’s next big social app. But after running out of money, and confronting controversies that pushed him to the edge of sanity, Ben rebooted his career at 19, finding a new and unexpected purpose. The Boy Who Sold The World is a modern coming-of-age story that illuminates the inner workings of the tech industry from a rare and highly personal lens.

The Boy Who Sold The World

2020

Home Movie poster
7.2

Director Chris Smith (American Movie) continues his exploration of all things quirky by affectionately invading several unique homes. Linda Beech is a former Japanese sitcom star who resides in a tree house in Hawaii. Diana and Ed Peden are hippies who have converted an abandoned missile silo into an underground retreat. And Bob Walker and Francis Mooney have reconstructed their home to cater to their dozen cats.

Home Movie

2001