Iain Smith

Iain Smith was educated in Glasgow He received a 1st Class Hons Diploma from London School of Film Technique 196970 now the London Film School In the early 1970s Smith worked as assistant editor assistant director or production manager on numerous short films commercials and childrens feature films He worked in London for several years before returning to his native Scotland to make uncredited My Childhood for the British Film Institute the first of the trilogy by Bill Douglas In 1976 Smith formed his own production company in partnership with Jon Schorstein Smith Schorstein Associates Ltd and produced television commercials documentaries childrens feature films and lowbudget dramas In 1978 he productionmanaged Bertrand Taverniers Death Watch1 starring Romy Schneider and Harvey Keitel A year later he joined David Puttnam and Hugh Hudson as the location manager for Chariots of Fire starring Ian Charleson and Ben Cross Smith went on to line produce a variety of films for David Puttnam getting associate producer credit on Bill Forsyths Local Hero starring Burt Lancaster and Peter Riegert Roland Joffes The Killing Fields starring Sam Waterston and Haing Ngor and Roland Joffes The Mission starring Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons He also produced Brian Gilberts The Frog Prince In 1987 Smith formed Applecross Productions and went on to coproduce Richard Marquands Hearts of Fire starring Bob Dylan and Rupert Everett followed by Michael Austens Killing Dad starring Richard E Grant Denholm Elliott and Julie Walters In 1991 he coproduced Roland Joffes City of Joy starring Patrick Swayze and Pauline Collins and in 1992 executive produced Ridley Scotts 1492 Conquest of Paradise starring Gérard Depardieu and Sigourney Weaver In 1994 Smith coproduced Stephen Frearss Mary Reilly starring Julia Roberts and John Malkovich for Tristar Pictures followed by Luc Bessons The Fifth Element in 1996 which starred Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman and was produced by his company Zaltman Films Ltd for Gaumont He then produced JeanJacques Annauds Seven Years in Tibet starring Brad Pitt and David Thewlis for Columbia Pictures followed by Jon Amiels Entrapment with Sean Connery and Catherine ZetaJones for 20th Century Fox Smith executive produced Tony Scotts Spy Game for Universal Pictures which starred Robert Redford and Brad Pitt followed by Anthony Minghellas Cold Mountain for Miramax starring Jude Law Nicole Kidman and Renée Zellweger He went on to produce Oliver Stones Alexander for Intermedia starring Colin Farrell Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie followed by producing Darren Aronofskys The Fountain for New RegencyWarner Bros starring Hugh Jackman Rachel Weisz and Ellen Burstyn and Alfonso Cuaróns Children of Men for Strike EntertainmentUniversal Pictures In 2005 he was awarded a BAFTA Scotland for Outstanding Achievement in Film He also was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire OBE in the 2008 New Year Honours