John Polson

Director · Cast · Writer

Born

September 6, 1965 · Sydney, Australia

John Polson is an acclaimed director, actor, writer, and producer, most recently recognized for helming the critically acclaimed limited series The Last Anniversary, based on the bestselling novel by Liane Moriarty and screening on AMC Plus (US), BBC One (UK), Binge (Australia), and elsewhere globally. Executive producing alongside Nicole Kidman's Blossom Films and Made Up Stories for Fifth Season, Polson also directed all six episodes. Polson first gained international attention with his feature Siam Sunset (starring Linus Roache), which won awards at several global festivals, including Cannes. He went on to direct the U.S. box office hits Swimfan (with Jesse Bradford and Erika Christensen) and Hide and Seek (starring Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning), both of which opened at #1. Polson began his career as an actor, earning critical acclaim for roles in The Sum of Us, The Boys, Idiot Box, and Mission: Impossible 2. More recently, he appeared in the Australian box office success The Dry. In television, Polson has directed and/or executive produced more than 150 hours of top-rated programming, including The Mentalist, Elementary, The Good Wife, The Walking Dead, The Wilds, Tell Me Your Secrets, and Law & Order: Organized Crime. He is known as a versatile, collaborative force with a strong reputation for working alongside top-tier writers and talent. Polson is also the founder of Tropfest, the world's largest short film festival-now a not-for-profit known as the world's leading catapult for emerging film talent. What began in a Sydney café in the early 1990s has evolved into a global launchpad for filmmakers, with events held in New York, London, Berlin, Abu Dhabi, Beijing, and more. Under his leadership, Tropfest has become a cultural phenomenon embraced by audiences and industry icons alike. He divides his time between Upstate New York and Brooklyn, and regularly returns to his native Australia.