Biography
Brian Trenchard-Smith is an Anglo-Australian film and television director, producer, and writer known for creating large-scale movies on modest budgets, often infused with a quirky sense of humor that has garnered him a cult following. Quentin Tarantino named him one of his favorite directors in Entertainment Weekly. His early works are featured in the award-winning documentary Not Quite Hollywood, released by Magnolia. Among his initial successes are the 20th Century Fox film The Man from Hong Kong, a clever blend of James Bond and Chop Socky genres; the Vietnam war movie Siege of Firebase Gloria; and the futuristic satire Dead End Drive-In, a particular favorite of Tarantino. BMX Bandits, which starred a 15-year-old Nicole Kidman, and Miramax’s The Quest, featuring ET’s Henry Thomas, both won awards at children’s film festivals in Montreal and Europe. Trenchard-Smith has also directed 35 episodes of diverse television series including Silk Stalkings, Time Trax, The Others, and Flipper.
Born in England to an Australian father serving in the RAF, Trenchard-Smith attended the prestigious Wellington College in the UK, where he favored acting and making short films over academic studies before moving to Australia. He began his career as a news film editor, progressed to creating network promos, and became part of a group that actively advocated for government investment in Australian-made films. He convinced Australia’s largest distribution and exhibition company at the time, the Greater Union Theater Organization, to establish an in-house production company under his leadership. This company produced three consecutive successful films, launching his career.
In addition to filmmaking, he was the founding editor of Australia’s quarterly Movie magazine for six years and has created over 100 trailers for directors across Australia, Europe, and the United States. Among his 39 films, five were commissioned by Showtime, including a remake of the World War II classic Sahara, the well-received Happy Face Murders starring Ann-Margret, and DC 9/11: Time of Crisis, with Timothy Bottoms portraying President Bush. His family drama for Lifetime, Long Lost Son, starring Gabrielle Anwar, introduced Chace Crawford—later known for Gossip Girl—to audiences in the title role. Trenchard-Smith remarked, "I knew from his first scene, he was going to be hot."
In 2009, he directed Porky's: The College Years, a reimagining of the popular 1980s teen comedy franchise. His recent ecological thriller Arctic Blast, starring Michael Shanks, premiered at the 2010 Possible Worlds Canadian Film Festival in Sydney. Trenchard-Smith contributes to filmindustrybloggers.com under the moniker The Genre Director and is a regular expert contributor to trailersfromhell.com. He is married to Byzantine historian Dr. Margaret Trenchard-Smith, resides in Los Angeles, and is a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
