Personal details
- Birth Date: 1970-05-20
- Birth Location: Rahway, New Jersey, USA
- Professions: Director, Producer, Cinematographer
Chris Smith, born May 20, 1970, in Rahway, New Jersey, has quietly become one of those behind-the-scenes maestros you probably know without realizing it. The guy’s fingerprints are all over some of the wildest, most meme-able docs of the last decade. You know “Tiger King” (2020)—the absolute fever dream that had everyone in lockdown glued to their screens, wondering how many tigers are actually living in Oklahoma? Yeah, that was Smith steering the chaos. Before that, he dropped “Fyre” (2019), the jaw-dropping documentary about the festival that promised luxury and delivered cheese sandwiches and disaster. That one had millennials everywhere clutching their wallets and thanking the universe they didn’t snag a ticket. Oh, and don’t forget “Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond” (2017). With this one, Smith dove into Jim Carrey’s mind while he went full method as Andy Kaufman—so method it kinda freaked everyone out. There’s a sort of through-line in Smith’s stuff: he loves to poke at the absurdity of fame, hype, and the weird corners of American culture. He’s not flashy or in-your-face, but his work always finds that sweet spot between hilarious and uncomfortably real. Smith’s not some Hollywood insider name-dropping at every party; he’s more like the quiet observer who somehow gets the wildest stories to spill their guts. Whether it’s big cats, failed music festivals, or comedians losing themselves in character, Smith’s documentaries have a knack for turning the bizarre into must-watch TV. If you’re into stories that make you laugh and cringe at the same time, this guy’s filmography is basically a gold mine.
referencennBack in '95, Chris was at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s grad film program, fresh off the heels of wrapping up American Job. That’s where he bumped into Mark Borchardt, basically while slicing and dicing American Job in the editing room. Next thing you know, Chris grabs his camera and starts following Mark around, documenting the wild process of Mark trying to make his own indie horror flick, Coven. Both movies end up getting some serious attention, landing at Sundance. But American Movie? That thing blew up—took home the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary. Talk about a payoff: Sony swooped in and snagged the rights for a cool million bucks. Not too shabby for two guys who just wanted to make weird little films in Milwaukee, right?
referencennDragging American Movie out to Sundance was this wild, unpredictable ride. People wouldn’t shut up about it—seriously, the buzz was everywhere. By the time the festival hit its stride, it was all about this film and Blair Witch Project. You could literally feel things shifting in real time. At one point, I swear, the film’s price just shot up—half a million bucks in ten minutes. That’s not normal, right? It was absolute chaos, but in the best way. Everyone was chasing the next big indie hit, and you could sense the hunger in the air. American Movie felt like it belonged to all of us, and suddenly, everyone wanted a piece. That kind of hype doesn’t happen every day. It was a fever dream of excitement, deals, and the kind of movie madness only Sundance can deliver. Wild days, man.
May 20, 1970
Konidela Ram Charan
Rahway, New Jersey, USA
55 years old