Justin Hackney

As a young actor, Justin was surrounded by creative people and the process of filmmaking, but it was not until he bought his first camera that he would shoot and edit on his own projects. His very first short documentary “Thick Skin” racked up multiple prestigious awards including BFI's Future Film Best Documentary - BFI Raw Best Film - RTS Best Documentary and BAFTA's Short-Sighted Awards Best Film.

Following this critical success, Channel 4 and the BFI funded additional highly successful documentary projects while at the same time he moved onto directing commercials where his ability to obtain natural and believable performances from both actors and non-actors came through. In a short time Justin built up an impressive portfolio of clients including American Express, Jaguar, Oppo, Next and Selfridges plus the odd music video for artists including Plan B.

Justin has the ability to deliver truthful and engaging projects for his clients but also thrives in the more creative and vibrant world of filmmaking. The love for a technical challenge can be seen in his work whether it be using motion control, shooting VR, creating bespoke rigs or even just experimenting with new and interesting ways to film and edit. 

Known as a creative collaborator he is someone both Producers and Creative Teams really enjoy working with and as one of our younger Directors we are delighted having him as part of JSA's roster.