Ever seen Medici or Criminal Minds? This Maltese director was behind these series
The islands’ links with the international film industry have only but strengthened over the years, but one man’s achievements halfway around the world in Canada are making local film fans seriously proud!
Born in Malta on 27th April, 1958, director Jon Cassar emigrated to Canada with his parents Elda and Frank when he was around five years old. Now married with two adult children (who are both engaged to high-profile entertainers), Jon has made a name for himself as both a director and producer for several top films and series.
Starting off as a camera operator in the late ‘80s, his big break as a director came through La Femme Nikita, an action-drama TV series that earned him a Gemini award nomination.
Two other series he has worked on over the years are I Medici and Criminal Minds, and although they are not his biggest productions, enjoy great popularity among local audiences. Its standard practise for there to be more than one director for series and in keeping in line with this practise, Jon directed the first four episodes in the Medici’s second season, as well as one 2009 episode from Criminal Minds.
Jon has directed close to 50 productions in the decades that he’s been active in the film industry. Some notable works include 2008 political drama The Kennedys and Continuum, a Canadian sci-fi series first debuted in 2012, but it is with action drama series 24, and later TV film 24: Redemption that he really hit it big.
In fact, over the span of his career, Jon was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award six times, and has won two: one for Outstanding Drama Series earned in 2005 and another for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series the subsequent year. Both accolades were for TV series 24.
Check out Jon's interview for one of his films below:
Amazing!