John Spotton
- Known for
- Camera
- Born
- August 8, 1927
- Died
- March 3, 1991
- Birthplace
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
John Spotton was a Canadian filmmaker, cinematographer, and editor associated with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). He played a pivotal role in developing the Direct Cinema movement, contributing to documentaries that emphasized naturalistic and unobtrusive filming techniques. Spotton's notable works include Buster Keaton Rides Again (1965), a documentary capturing the making of Keaton's short film The Railrodder, and Memorandum (1965), which explores the Holocaust's impact on survivors. His contributions significantly influenced documentary filmmaking in Canada and beyond.
Filmography

Peep and the Big Wide World 1988
Executive Producer

No Way! Not Me 1987
Executive Producer

Final Offer 1985
Executive Producer

Pitchmen 1985
Executive Producer

Abortion: Stories from North and South 1984
Producer

Home Feeling: Struggle for a Community 1983
Executive Producer

Prisoners of Debt: Inside the Global Banking Crisis 1983
Executive Producer

Thanks for the Ride 1983
Producer

A Pinto for the Prince 1979
Director
- Viking Visitors to North America
Viking Visitors to North America 1979
Producer

Circus World 1974
Cinematography

Kainai 1973
Director of Photography

Memorandum 1967
Director

The White Ship 1966
Editor

Never a Backward Step 1966
Director

Buster Keaton Rides Again 1965
Director, Editor, Director of Photography

High Steel 1965
Director of Photography

Nobody Waved Goodbye 1964
Editor, Director of Photography

The Hutterites 1964
Editor, Director of Photography

Legault's Place 1964
Director of Photography

Toronto Jazz 1963
Director of Photography

Lonely Boy 1962
Editor
- Runner
Runner 1962
Director of Photography

Circle of the Sun 1961
Director of Photography

The Days of Whisky Gap 1961
Camera Operator, Editor
- I Was a Ninety-pound Weakling
I Was a Ninety-pound Weakling 1960
Editor

City Out of Time 1959
Editor

The Back-breaking Leaf 1959
Editor

Pilgrimage 1958
Producer

Railroaders 1958
Director of Photography
- A Day in June
A Day in June 1958
Camera Operator

What Do You Think About... Being Different 1957
Director of Photography

The Story of Peter and the Potter 1953
Director of Photography
- The Puppeteers
The Puppeteers 1952
Director of Photography
Credits from TMDB.