JAMES ROUTH DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR
JAMES ROUTH DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR
About Me
I'm a highly experienced UK based documentary filmmaker. My work for broadcasters and streamers includes the BBC, Netflix and Channel 4 among others. I also make films for leading brands, recently including Porsche and Rolex. Season 3 of Formula One: Drive to Survive received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary - Serialized.
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For broadcasters I have a track record in observational, current affairs, human interest and specialist factual documentaries. For BBC2, A Vicar's Life is winner of the 2019 Radio Times Readers' Award at the Sandford St. Martin Awards. Camps To Champs, for the Olympic Channel, is an award-winning series on refugees and sport. In both cases I series produced, and shot and directed episodes as style-setters. As a shooting series director I was responsible for BBC1's Death Unexplained, a ground-breaking documentary series following the work of the Coroner's Service.
The 10 part series Formula One: Drive To Survive for Netflix has been hugely successful, winning awards, topping the Netflix charts and bringing a large, new and younger audience to the sport. Other recent credits as Producer/Director include 'Brexit: Who's in Charge?', a fast turnaround film for BBC Panorama that was made in 2 weeks. Further recent work includes Frontline Doctors: Winter Migrant Crisis, a BBC1 primetime documentary on the European refugee crisis, and as something of a contrast Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby for BBC2.
I've worked with a diverse range of on screen talent including actor Danny Dyer, comedian and author David Baddiel, medic Dr Chris Van Tulleken, entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, foodies Giles Coren and Monica Galetti, presenter Adrian Chiles, journalist Jacques Peretti, Olympian Samantha Murray and archaeologist Professor Clive Gamble.
I'm comfortable around major sports and entertainment stars from across the globe, having worked on several successful sports documentaries and with Hollywood talent.
I've also directed warm, uplifting films such as Cutting Edge: King of Christmas Lights for Channel 4 and the two-parter Bradford: City of Dreams for BBC2 - which focused on immigration and entrepreneurship - and single character authored docs such as Channel 4’s Child Chain Smoker and Channel 5's long running Hayley series for Extraordinary People (the strand I co-developed).
I also enjoy directing content for clients from business, education and politics. Brands include Porsche, Rolex, Ford, Swarovski, Leo Pharma and Meltin' Pot. My film 'Exposed' for Leo Pharma was winner of an IVCA Gold Award.