Kent Smith (producer)
Kent Smith | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Film producer |
| Years active | 1972- |
Kent Smith is an Australian cinematographer and film producer, and founding partner of the Kojo group of companies.
Career
Smith began his career as a cinematographer in Australian television with Seven Network Australia in 1972.[1]
After more than a decade working in network television in Victoria and South Australia, where he won many national and international awards, Smith established his own Adelaide-based production company, Kent Smith Productions, in 1984.[1]
He spent seven years working with some of Australia's largest corporate clients, then in 1991 he expanded the business to form the Kojo Group,[2] which he co-founded with cinematographer, director, and writer John Chataway (who died in 2010).[3]
In 2005, Smith took the Kojo Group into feature film production, starting with the film 2:37,[4] which was an Official Selection at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. Two Kojo-produced films were released in 2009: Closed for Winter and Beautiful, both premiering at the Adelaide Film Festival before their cinema releases.[5] The 2010 film The Tree was also an Official Selection and the closing film at 2010 Cannes Film Festival.[6]
As of March 2013, Smith was a member of the Kojo board.[7] In June 2013, Kojo announced a multi-million dollar investment deal with American company Main Street Films, to collaborate on an upcoming feature film that would be a co-production between Kojo and South Australian writer/director Murali K. Thalluri from M2E, with South African company Enigma Pictures as the co-producer. The film, titled One, was described as "a racially fuelled post-apocalyptic adventure as seen through the eyes of a 26-year old girl", and was set to be filmed in South Africa and produced by Smith.[8][9] Main Street announced cast members at Cannes Film Festival in 2014,[10] but in 2019 it was reported as never being made.[11] As of November 2025, One is still listed on IMDb as "in development".[12]
In February 2019 US company Wonderfilm announced a new film by Thalluri titled Run, to be produced by Wonderfilm along with Smith at Kojo and Thalluri.[11]
Memberships and recognition
Smith became an accredited member of the Australian Cinematographers Society on 14 September 2001.[13]
KOJO established the Smithy Award in honour of Smith, to celebrated "the quiet achievers... The unsung hero who is creating magic on a daily basis without the public recognition they truly deserve". The award is presented to a staff member each year.[14][15]
Filmography
Smith's film producing credits include:
| Feature films | Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2:37 (Official selection Cannes) | 2006 | Murali K. Thalluri |
| Beautiful | 2009 | Dean O'Flaherty |
| Closed for Winter | 2009 | James Bogle |
| The Tree (Official selection Cannes) | 2010 | Julie Bertuccelli |
| Sons & Mothers | 2013 | Christopher Houghton |
| The Pack[16][17] | 2015 | Nick Robertson |
| Short films | Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Frames | 2004 | Mat King |
| Spike Up (AFI Best Short Fiction Film) | 2007 | Anthony Maras |
See also
References
- ^ a b LinkedIn Deprecated link archived 12 March 2015 at archive.today Kent Smith. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ Swift, Brendan (11 July 2011). "Kojo Group integrates business divisions, appoints Barbara Devlin". IF Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ "SA media identity loses his battle". adelaidenow.com.au. 8 October 2010. Archived from the original on 12 October 2010. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ George, Sandy (27 October 2005). "Australia's Kojo Group moves into film production". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ George, Sandy (20 March 2009). "Kent Smith: Australia's newest mini-mogul". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 27 August 2009. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ "From 15 to 26 may 2013". Cannes Film Festival. 2 April 2015. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012.
- ^ "KOJO appoints two new directors to its board". IF Magazine. 4 March 2013. Archived from the original on 3 November 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ Noble, Kelly (25 June 2013). "Multi-million dollar U.S. investment deal for KOJO". Glam Adelaide. Archived from the original on 20 March 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (30 May 2013). "Main Street Names Harrison Kordestani Prexy, Finances 'One'". Deadline. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ Tiley, David (19 May 2014). "Kojo: inches forward on breakout feature project with controversial director". ScreenHub Australia. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ a b Kornits, Dov (18 February 2019). "Murali Thalluri to finally follow up 2:37". FilmInk. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ "One". IMDb. Archived from the original on 3 November 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ "ACS accredited member list". Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS). 1 July 2021. Archived from the original on 15 August 2025. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- ^ "2022/23 BlueSky Award Winner Announced". KOJO. 8 April 2024. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- ^ KOJO (30 May 2025). "The Smithy Award was created..." Facebook. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- ^ South Australian Film Corporation Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Cast announced for South Australian horror/thriller The Pack. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ FilmInk Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine ‘The Pack’ To Shoot In South Australia. Retrieved 12 March 2015.