Charlie Sarroff
Australian cinematographer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
Charlie Sarroff | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charles Arthur Sarroff Albury, Australia |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Organization | Australian Cinematographers Society |
| Agent | Worldwide Production Agency |
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][6]
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.[7][8] During production of Night Swim, Sarroff utilized rehoused vintage Bausch & Lomb Super Baltar and Kowa Cine Prominar lenses.[9] For his work on Smile 2, he drew inspiration from the photographs of Luc Kordas and Gregory Crewdson and the paintings of Edward Hopper.[10]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Burrow | Natalie Erika James | Canberra Short Film Festival | [11] |
| 2015 | Hope City | Thomas Baricevic | Palm Springs International Film Festival | [12] |
| 2016 | Zieri Cosmos | Sam Kristofski | Toronto International Film Festival | |
| 2017 | Creswick | Natalie Erika James | New York Film Festival | [7][11] |
| 2018 | Drum Wave | Sydney Film Festival | [11] | |
| 2020 | Relic | Sundance Film Festival | [7][11] | |
| Pink Skies Ahead | Kelly Oxford | South by Southwest | [11] | |
| 2022 | Smile | Parker Finn | Paramount Pictures | [1] |
| 2023 | Dicks: The Musical | Larry Charles | A24 | |
| 2024 | Night Swim | Bryce McGuire | Universal Pictures | [13][9] |
| Smile 2 | Parker Finn | Paramount Pictures | [8][1] | |
| 2025 | Broke | Carlyle Eubank | Sony Pictures | [14][15] |
| 2026 | Saccharine | Natalie Erika James | Stan | [1] |
| TBA | Good People, Bad Things | Ninian Doff | MRC |
Awards and nominations
Sarroff has been recognized for the following films:
- ACS Vic + Tas Gold Award for Cinematography in a Short Film, 2016, win, Creswick[16]
- ACS Vic + Tas Gold Award for Cinematography in a Feature Film ($3m and Over), 2023, win, Smile[17]
- ACS Vic + Tas Gold Award for Cinematography in a Feature Film (Under $5m), 2025, win, Broke[18]
- ACS Vic + Tas Gold Award for Cinematography in a Feature Film ($5m and Over), 2025, win, Smile 2[18]
