Jerry Rothwell is an award-winning British documentary filmmaker. He is best known for his prolific work in the documentary genre, having made films across a variety of topics from music to politics.
Rothwell began his career in television, moving from a job in post-production to directing documentaries for Channel 4 and BBC. His first feature documentary, DUGGAL: The People’s Champion, was released in 2002. It was funded by the UK Film Council and went on to win the Best Documentary award at the Raindance Film Festival.
Rothwell’s career as a director continued to grow, with his next feature, Deep Water (2006), premiering at the Sundance Film Festival and garnering critical acclaim. He followed this with The End of the Line (2009), which received a BAFTA nomination, and Town of Runners (2012), which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the SXSW Film Festival.
Rothwell’s other notable works include his 2014 feature documentary How to Change the World, about the eco-activist group Greenpeace, and his 2016 documentary The Seer and the Unseen, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sheffield Doc/Fest. He also directed the feature-length documentary Sour Grapes (2016), about the life and death of wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan.
Rothwell’s most recent film, Don’t Look Down (2020), is about the life and career of climber and BASE jumper Joby Ogwyn. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.
In addition to his work as a director, Rothwell has produced and edited a number of films, including the feature-length documentary The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young (2014). He is also the co-founder of the Roughcut documentary production company.
Rothwell has won numerous awards for his work, including the British Independent Film Award for Best Documentary and the Grierson Award for Best Documentary. He has also been nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary.
Rothwell is a highly respected figure in the documentary filmmaking world and continues to make films that push boundaries and challenge the status quo. His commitment to making thoughtful and socially relevant films has earned him a reputation as one of the UK’s most talented documentary directors.
