Christopher Amos (director)

Christopher Amos
Born
Christopher Amos
Other namesChris Amos
Occupations
  • Filmmaker
  • director
  • writer
  • producer
Years active1997–present
Known forHating Peter Tatchell
Websitechrysaor.com.au

Christopher Amos (also known as Chris Amos) is an Australian-British filmmaker, director, writer, and producer.[1] He is most noted for his 2021 documentary feature Hating Peter Tatchell, which was released globally on Netflix and featured Ian McKellen and Stephen Fry, with Elton John and David Furnish as executive producers.[2] For his work on the film, Amos received a nomination for Best Director at the Australian Directors' Guild Awards[3] and a nomination for Best Documentary at the Screen Producers Australia Awards.[4]

Amos is the founder of Chrysaor Studios on the Gold Coast, described as Australia's first social enterprise film studio,[5] which received a Capital Grant from the government agency Screen Queensland in 2024.[6]

Career

UK publishing and venues

Prior to his work in film, Amos was the Editor-in-Chief of the United Kingdom's Bent Magazine, a lifestyle publication for gay men.[7][8]

In 2012, Amos founded the London nightclub Manbar in Soho.[9] The venue attracted media coverage for commissioning a mural depicting a topless Prince Harry.[9] The venue gained further media attention in 2013 when it joined an international boycott of Russian vodka in protest against the country's anti-gay laws.[10][11] After a dispute with Westminster City Council over its entertainment licence, Manbar closed in January 2015.[12]

Filmmaking

In 2015, Amos was a producer on the documentary Dressed as a Girl, which followed the lives of performers in East London's alternative drag scene.[13][14]

In 2021, Amos wrote, directed, and produced the feature documentary Hating Peter Tatchell, which chronicles the life of human rights activist Peter Tatchell.[1] The film features interviews conducted by Sir Ian McKellen and commentary from Stephen Fry, with Elton John and David Furnish serving as executive producers.[2] Produced with WildBear Entertainment, the documentary premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival before being released globally on Netflix.[15] The film received positive reviews, with City AM describing it as a profile of "an anarchic hero"[16] and Gay City News noting the film's detailed portrayal of activism.[17] The Canberra Times praised the work of "Australian/British writer-director Christopher Amos" in covering Tatchell's life story.[18] For his work, Amos was nominated for Best Director at the Australian Directors' Guild Awards,[3] and the film was nominated for Best Documentary at the Screen Producers Australia Awards.[4] The documentary won the Audience Award at the Queer Screen Sydney Mardi Gras Film Festival in 2022 and the People's Choice Award at the Montreal International Documentary Festival in 2021.[19]

In 2024, Amos expanded into film distribution through his company Chrysaor, acquiring the Australian and New Zealand rights for the Academy Award-nominated documentary Four Daughters.[20] According to IF Magazine, the move was prompted by a desire to ensure significant international documentaries received a theatrical release in the region.[20]

Industry recognition

Amos has participated in several competitive industry development programs. In 2022, he was selected for Screen Producers Australia's 'Ones to Watch' cohort,[21] where he was mentored by showrunner Tony Ayres.[22] In 2023, he was one of 18 practitioners nationally to receive Screen Australia's Enterprise funding, which supported a three-month placement at World of Wonder, the production company behind RuPaul's Drag Race, in Los Angeles.[23][24]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2015 Dressed as a Girl Producer Documentary
2021 Hating Peter Tatchell Director, Writer, Producer Documentary; Netflix release
2024 Four Daughters Distributor (ANZ) Documentary; Academy Award-nominated

References

  1. ^ a b "Christopher Amos – The Screen Guide". Screen Australia. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Peter Tatchell's life on film: 'So far I've been violently assaulted 300 times'". The Guardian. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Nominees announced for 2021 Australian Directors Guild Awards". ScreenHub. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  4. ^ a b "Meet the Ones To Watch 2022". Screen Producers Australia. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  5. ^ "New Ventures Launched – How a Pioneering Program is Diversifying the Screen Industry". FilmInk. 14 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  6. ^ "Capital Grants Program recipients 2024". Screen Queensland. 24 September 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  7. ^ "Bent's new look". The Guardian. 9 May 2005. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  8. ^ "Under New Man-agement". QX Magazine. 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  9. ^ a b "Prince Harry is topless... no, he's not gone back to Vegas". Evening Standard. 23 November 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  10. ^ "Russian Vodka Boycott: Gay Clubs Join Protest". Sky News. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  11. ^ "Russian vodka boycott by gay bars stirs debate". BBC News. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  12. ^ "London's Manbar closes for the last time". PinkNews. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  13. ^ "Dressed as a Girl". Time Out. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  14. ^ "Dressed As A Girl (2014) Movie Review". Eye for Film. 24 September 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  15. ^ "Film Review: Hating Peter Tatchell is a vital look at LGBTIQ history". ScreenHub. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  16. ^ "Hating Peter Tatchell review – a profile of an anarchic hero". City AM. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  17. ^ Humm, Andy (9 June 2021). "'Hating Peter Tatchell': A Trip Through UK Gay Leader's Unparalleled Activism". Gay City News. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  18. ^ "Review: Documentary Hating Peter Tatchell profiles the gay rights activist". The Canberra Times. 25 September 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  19. ^ "UPDATE: Hating Peter Tatchell on Netflix". Peter Tatchell Foundation. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  20. ^ a b "Christopher Amos dips his toes into distribution with the Oscar-nominated 'Four Daughters'". IF Magazine. 26 February 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  21. ^ "SPA announces 2022 Ones To Watch". IF Magazine. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  22. ^ "SPA announces Ones To Watch mentors". IF Magazine. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  23. ^ "Enterprise funding of $4.6 million to support 29 screen businesses and practitioners". Screen Australia. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  24. ^ "'I couldn't envision a more suitable place worldwide to create films': The growing creative community of local filmmakers on the Gold Coast". IF Magazine. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
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