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JJ Smith

@jjsmithfilms

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🎥 Self-shooting Producer Director
🎬 Edit Producer
🏆 14x awards | 50+ countries
📣 As seen in the press

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Last night’s screening of Ladylifers was a success at DIFF 2026. 🎬

Thank you to filmmaker Jake Smith for joining us and taking part in a Q&A session after the screening, where audiences had the opportunity to engage with the film and its creative journey.

#DIFF2026#Durbaninternationalfilmfestival#roadto50years

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🎬 Meet the Filmmaker: Jake Smith

Join producer and director Jake Smith for the screening of Lady Lifers tomorrow at 19:45.

Don’t miss this powerful film, followed by a Q&A session with Jake Smith, where you’ll have the opportunity to hear more about the making of the film and ask your questions.

🎟️ Get your tickets now and be part of the conversation.

#DIFF2026 #MeetTheFilmmaker #LadyLifers #FilmFestival

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Journalist and arts enthusiast Wanda Hennig writes:
Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200...
Or at least, kick yourself... If you missed last night’s screening at the Durban International Film Festival of the documentary, Lady Lifers: Women Behind Bars, filmed in maximum-security prisons in the United States.

The film, in summary: real women, real stories, great music…

Right there, in the audience, multi-award-winning documentary filmmaker, Jake J. Smith.

And topical, right now, for reasons way beyond this film, US Senator John Fetterman. At his best. Before he became a Democratic senator, currently more popular with the GOP than with Dems...

Lady Lifers follows former soul singer Naomi Blount and her prison band as they fight for freedom and use music to challenge life sentences behind bars. Did you know that In Pennsylvania, there’s an outdated law that makes it fully mandatory for anyone convicted of 1st or 2nd degree homicide to serve life without parole sentences?

That means that, if you were sitting in a car with someone who committed a murder or were a lookout for a drug deal that went bad, the judge is required to give you LWOP, even if he or she thinks you weren’t fully responsible, or were coerced into participating — or anything else.

Jake J. Smith is a multi-award-winning documentary filmmaker and creative producer/director from the UK whose work focuses on human stories, social justice, and emerging technology. His films have explored themes including incarceration, trauma, digital identity, and the ethics of AI. He specialises in character-led documentary storytelling, visual craft, and ethical production, with a strong interest in the intersection between humanity and technology.

The good news is that Lady Lifers is screening again, at Suncoast, part of #DIFF2026, on Thursday 30th July at 19:45. And filmmaker, Jake J. Smith, will be there to share...
#jakejsmith #ladylifers #naomiblount

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ANNOUNCEMENT | DIFF 2026 DOCUMENTARY FILM COMPETITION
The Durban International Film Festival is proud to present this year’s Documentary Film Competition, showcasing powerful stories, thought-provoking perspectives, and exceptional filmmaking from South Africa and around the world.From intimate personal journeys to urgent social issues, these documentaries offer unique insights into the people, places, and events shaping our world today.

🎥 Watch the documentary film trailers and read more about this year’s Documentary Film Competition via the links in our bio.

#DIFF2026 #DocumentaryFilm #DocumentaryCompetition #DurbanInternationalFilmFestival #AfricanCinema #WorldCinema #worldcinema

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We’re really proud to share that our short documentary More Like Paul won three awards at @bournemouthfilmfest

After an incredible weekend at the festival, packed with inspiring sessions and a wonderfully supportive community of filmmakers and industry professionals, it was such a surprise to find out we’d won:

🏆 Best Documentary Short
🎬 Best Editing (Doc Short)
📣 Best Sound (Doc Short)

Huge thanks to @stevemccarten_official, the panel of judges and the team for putting together such a fantastic event!

Look out for more film festival news coming soon 👀

#filmfest #documentary #ultramarathon #animalrights #plantbased #vegan

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