Brian Trenchard-Smith is a renowned Anglo-Australian film and television director, producer, and writer, celebrated for his ability to create large-scale movies on modest budgets, often incorporating a quirky sense of humor that has garnered him a devoted cult following. Notably, Quentin Tarantino has publicly praised Trenchard-Smith as one of his favorite directors.
Trenchard-Smith's early work is featured in the award-winning documentary Not Quite Hollywood, released by Magnolia Pictures. His notable early successes include the 20th Century Fox release The Man from Hong Kong, a unique blend of James Bond and Chopsocky elements, the Vietnam battle movie Siege of Firebase Gloria, and the futuristic satire Dead End Drive-In, a particular Tarantino favorite.
BMX Bandits, which showcased a 15-year-old Nicole Kidman, and Miramax's The Quest, starring ET's Henry Thomas, both won awards at children's film festivals in Montreal and Europe. Additionally, Trenchard-Smith has directed 35 episodes of television series, including Silk Stalkings, Time Trax, The Others, and Flipper.
Born in England, Trenchard-Smith's Australian father was serving in the Royal Air Force, and he attended the prestigious Wellington College in the UK, where he neglected his studies to pursue acting and making short films. He later migrated to Australia, where he began his career as a news film editor before transitioning to network promos and eventually becoming a director.
Trenchard-Smith was part of a group of young individuals who advocated for government investment in Australian-made films, and he persuaded the Greater Union Theater Organization to form an in-house production company that he would run. The company successfully produced three films in a row, launching his career.
In addition to his directing work, Trenchard-Smith has also served as the founding editor of Australia's quarterly film magazine, Moviemagazine, for six years, and has created over 100 trailers for other directors in Australia, Europe, and America.
Throughout his 39-film career, Trenchard-Smith has worked on a wide range of projects, including five films commissioned by Showtime, such as the remake of the World War II classic Sahara, the highly rated Happy Face Murders, starring Ann-Margret, and DC 9/11: Time of Crisis, featuring Timothy Bottoms as President Bush.
He has also written and directed numerous television films, including the family drama Long Lost Son, starring Gabrielle Anwar, which introduced future Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford to audiences in the title role.
In 2009, Trenchard-Smith shot Porky's - The College Years, a re-imagining of the famous 80's franchise of teen comedies. His recent ecological thriller Arctic Blast, starring Michael Shanks, premiered at the 2010 Possible Worlds Canadian Film Festival in Sydney.
Trenchard-Smith is an active member of the film industry, writing for filmindustrybloggers.com as The Genre Director and contributing 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.
