Inducted into ACS Hall of Fame – 2005
Geoff Burton was born in the Hawkesbury River town of Windsor in 1946.
Years ten to fourteen were spent in a Cinema Paradiso lifestyle as twice weekly he helped the ageing local cinema operator lug weighty film canisters up to a lofty bio-box. In return he gained free admission to every session, inevitably developing an all-consuming passion for cinema.
In 1963 Geoff accepted a Film Trainee position at ABC-TV in Sydney, soon graduating into cinematography and starting a life-long relationship with the documentary genre.
Towards the end of the 60’s Geoff moved to London and worked for the BBC, mostly on their mammoth Time-Life co-production, THE BRITISH EMPIRE. On the series completion he re-located to Geneva and from there free-lanced as a documentary director/cinematographer.
Back in Australia in 1972 Geoff returned briefly to the ABC as a drama cinematographer before leaving to join the renaissance of the Australian feature film industry.
As a freelance Director of Photography, over the ensuing three and a half decades he worked continuously on Australian, US and Asian feature films. Often collaborating with Director John Duigan, some of the most awarded favourite films over this period include:
SUNDAY TWO FAR AWAY, STORM BOY, A STREET TO DIE, ROMERO, THE YEAR MY VOICE BROKE, STIR, THE WIDE SARGASSO SEA, FLIRTING, SIRENS, LUCKY MILES, BLESSED.
From 1980-82 Burton was Head of Cinematography at the Australian Film Television and Radio School where he championed the inclusion of documentary shooting as part of the curriculum. He followed this with the shooting of four TV drama series for Kennedy-Miller including the acclaimed VIETNAM and BANGKOK HILTON.
Parallel with his work in features, Geoff continues to make documentaries through his independent production company. Much of this work is in collaboration with his long-time anthropologist partner, Professor Sharon Bell. In recent years Geoff has added screen writing and directing to his film making skills and has co-written two books on cinema and continues to lecture and mentor young film makers.
Never completely able to give up his cinematographer’s hat, Geoff continues to seek out and shoot innovative Australian feature films but now spends between-movies times on his vineyard in the Canberra District pursuing the perfect Shiraz.
