Charlie Sarroff
Charlie Sarroff | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charles Arthur Sarroff Albury, Australia |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Organization | Australian Cinematographers Society |
| Agent | Worldwide Production Agency |
Charles Arthur Sarroff is an Australian cinematographer and member of the Australian Cinematographers Society. He is known for his work on the Smile series of psychological horror films, including the 2022 film Smile and its 2024 sequel Smile 2, and for the 2025 neowestern film Broke.
Early life and education
Sarroff grew up in Albury–Wodonga and attended Albury High School.[1][2] He attended university at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and later attended the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.[3][4] He was inspired at an early age from skateboarding films and the work of Spike Jonze.[5]
Career
Sarroff began his career in Australian film and television productions in the early 2000s. He has worked with directors including Parker Finn, Carlyle Eubank, Kelly Oxford, Bryce McGuire, and Larry Charles and is a frequent collaborator with director Natalie Erika James.[6][7] For his work on Smile 2, he drew inspiration from the photographs of Luc Kordas and Gregory Crewdson and the paintings of Edward Hopper.[8]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Burrow | Natalie Erika James | Canberra Short Film Festival |
| 2015 | Hope City | Thomas Baricevic | Palm Springs International Film Festival |
| 2016 | Zieri Cosmos | Sam Kristofski | |
| 2017 | Creswick | Natalie Erika James | New York Film Festival |
| Pink Skies Ahead | Kelly Oxford | South by Southwest | |
| 2018 | Drum Wave | Natalie Erika James | Sydney International Film Festival |
| 2020 | Relic | Sundance Film Festival | |
| 2022 | Smile | Parker Finn | Paramount Pictures |
| 2023 | Dicks: The Musical | Larry Charles | A24 |
| 2024 | Night Swim | Bryce McGuire | Universal Pictures |
| Smile 2 | Parker Finn | Paramount Pictures | |
| 2025 | Broke | Carlyle Eubank | Sony Pictures |
| TBA | Good People, Bad Things | Ninian Doff | MRC |
| Saccharine | Natalie Erika James | Stan |
Awards and nominations
Sarroff has been recognized for the following films:
- Canberra Short Film Festival: Best Cinematography, win, Burrow (2013)
- ACS Gold Award for Cinematography in a Short Film, win, Creswick (2017)
- ACS Gold Award for Cinematography in a Short Film, win, Drum Wave (2018)
- ACS Gold Award for Cinematography in an Independent Feature, win, Relic (2020)
See also
References
- ^ Baker, Peter (December 2024). "Smile 2: DP Charlie Sarroff" (PDF). Australian Cinematographer. Sydney: Australian Cinematographers Society. ISSN 1440-978X. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
- ^ Baker, Jack (February 13, 2013). "Albury's next Quentin Tarantino?". The Border Mail. Albury–Wodonga. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Patrick (December 7, 2018). "The Wandering DP Podcast: Episode #154 – Charlie Sarroff". The Wandering DP. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
- ^ "AFTRS' head of cinematography Kim Batterham inducted into ACS hall of fame" (Press release). Australian Film, Television and Radio School. May 3, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
- ^ Parkinson, Helen (November 7, 2022). "Smile for the camera". British Cinematographer Magazine. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
- ^ Bizzaca, Chris (February 17, 2021). "Cinematographers on cameras and lenses from 9 titles in 2020". Screen Australia. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
- ^ Edelbaum, Susannah (October 29, 2024). ""Smile 2" DP Charlie Sarroff on Lighting a Curse-Afflicted Pop Star in the Big City". Motion Picture Association. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
- ^ Williams, David (October 4, 2024). "Smile 2: Lighting a Pop Star's Meltdown" (Interview). American Society of Cinematographers. Retrieved November 18, 2025.