Biografia
Award-winning filmmaker Jack Thomas Smith made his feature directorial debut with the psychological thriller Disorder (2006), which he also wrote and produced. Disorder premiered in select U.S. theaters in the summer of 2006 and was subsequently released on DVD and VOD by Universal/Vivendi and Warner Brothers. Internationally, it was screened at the Cannes Film Festival and the Raindance Film Festival in London. Recently, Disorder became available worldwide for the first time on Digital HD through Monarch Films.
Born on March 10, 1969, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Smith lived there until age eight, when his family moved to a quiet island community in Michigan. Inspired by Stephen King's novels Salem's Lot and The Shining, he began writing and by eleven had completed a 300-page novel along with several short stories.
During his teenage years, Smith's family relocated to Sparta, New Jersey. There, in the middle-class town, he discovered the films of George A. Romero, Stanley Kubrick, Brian De Palma, and John Carpenter. Motivated to become a filmmaker, he wrote and directed several short films shot on Super 8mm, casting his brother and friends in all roles.
As a young adult, Smith produced films for horror directors Ted A. Bohus and John A. Russo, co-creator of Night of the Living Dead (1968). This experience propelled his development as a filmmaker.
Smith wrote, produced, and directed the dark thriller Infliction (2014), exploring the long-term trauma of child abuse. Infliction had a limited theatrical release in the U.S. in spring 2014 and was later released on DVD, VOD, and Digital HD on July 1, 2014, by Virgil Films & Entertainment. In 2018, Monarch Films distributed Infliction internationally on Digital HD. Smith received awards for Best Story in a Feature Film at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival and Best Screenplay at the Macabre Faire Film Festival for Infliction.
A member of the Horror Writers Association, Smith contributed as a guest writer to the Bram Stoker Award-nominated anthology Horror 201: The Silver Scream, alongside contributors like John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and George A. Romero.
Smith directed the music video for Purple Pam's "Take Me Away" (2006), featured on the Disorder DVD. He also directed videos for Danny Stoddard's hardcore/metal track "There's No in Between" (2013); James Kevin O'Connor's ballad "Favorite Song" (2015); and Purple Pam & The Flesh Eaters' hard rock song "How Does It Feel?" (2014), included on the Infliction DVD.
Married to TV producer and talk show host Mandy Del Rio, Smith served as executive producer for her show The Indie Lounge (2014).
Smith's strong support for the military led him to create the pro-military documentary TV series War Heroes with Kris Paronto (2021), hosted by Benghazi hero Kris Paronto. Smith directed and co-produced the pilot alongside Mandy Del Rio, who is an executive producer with Glenn Nevola. The pilot premiered on Newsmax on August 22, 2021.
He also directed and co-produced with Mandy Del Rio the documentary 9/11: The Day That Shook the World (2021), which premiered on Newsmax on September 10, 2021. Interviewees included Rudy Giuliani, Bernard Kerik, Thomas Von Essen, Curtis Sliwa, and Peter King. Additionally, Smith directed and co-produced Socialism in America (2021), premiering on Newsmax on September 26, 2021, featuring interviews with Steve Moore, James Jay Carafano, Jessie Jane Duff, and Helen Raleigh.
In 2022, Smith directed and co-produced with Del Rio the January 6th documentary Day of Outrage (2022), which aired on Newsmax on January 5, 2022. Interviewees included Sebastian Gorka, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Greg Kelly, Louie Gohmert, Aaron Babbitt, and Micki Witthoeft. He also directed and co-produced America Burning (2022), a George Floyd documentary that premiered on Newsmax on May 25, 2022, featuring Eric Bolling, Rob Schmitt, Cicely Davis, Ann Dorn, and Drew Hernandez. Furthermore, Smith and Del Rio directed and co-produced Shame of a Nation (2022), exposing civil rights violations of January 6th defendants, which premiered on Newsmax on November 13, 2022. Interviewees included Sebastian Gorka, Joseph McBride, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Greg Steube, Peter Navarro, Kash Patel, Brandon Straka, and Geri Perna.
Currently, Smith is the writer, director, co-executive producer, and co-showrunner—alongside Mandy Del Rio—of the Newsmax documentary news series Newsfront (2023), covering politics, current events, and human-interest stories.
Smith is the proud father of Megan Cruz, who collaborates closely with him on most projects. His son-in-law is Matt Cruz, and his twin granddaughters are Angela and Olivia. He is also the stepfather of Luna Del Rio, an aspiring actress.
Smith's production company, Fox Trail Productions, is actively developing feature films and documentaries.
