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John Seale

b. 1942

Australian cinematographer

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About John Seale

Born 1942. John Seale is an Australian cinematographer and film director, known for Mad Max: Fury Road, Rain Man and The English Patient (film).

John Clement Seale ACS ASC (born 5 October 1942) is an Australian retired cinematographer, known for his work in blockbusters and drama films both in Australia and Hollywood, including collaborations with directors Peter Weir and George Miller. His accolades include five Academy Award nominations and six BAFTA Award nominations, winning both for The English Patient.

Early life Seale was born in Warwick, Queensland, Australia, to Marjorie Lyndon (nΓ©e Pool) and Eric Clement Seale.

Career Seale started his career collaborating with director Peter Weir, both as a camera operator and director of photography, gaining a reputation as one of Australia's leading cinematographers.

He received an Oscar nomination for his first American film, Witness, as well as for Rain Man, and Cold Mountain, while winning one for The English Patient.

In addition to cinematography, Seale directed a feature film, Till There Was You (1990).

Seale was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2002 Australia Day Honours in recognition of his "service to the arts as an Australian and internationally acclaimed cinematographer".

After shooting The Tourist (2010), Seale decided to retire from the film industry, before returning in 2012 to shoot George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), for which he received another Academy Award nomination. He retired again after the production of Miller's following film Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022).

Filmography Film Director Till There Was You (1990)

Cinematographer Year Title Director 1976 Deathcheaters Brian Trenchard-Smith 1980 Fatty FinnMaurice Murphy 1981 Doctors and Nurses The Survivor David Hemmings 1982 Ginger Meggs Jonathan Dawson Fighting Back Michael Caulfield 1983 Goodbye Paradise Carl Schultz BMX Bandits Brian Trenchard-Smith Careful, He Might Hear You Carl Schultz 1984 Silver City Sophia Turkiewicz 1985 Witness Peter Weir1986 The Hitcher Robert Harmon Children of a Lesser God Randa Haines The Mosquito Coast Peter Weir 1987 Stakeout John Badham 1988 Gorillas in the Mist Michael Apted Rain Man Barry Levinson 1989 Dead Poets Society Peter Weir 1991 The Doctor Randa Haines 1992 Lorenzo's Oil George Miller 1993 The Firm Sydney Pollack 1994 The Paper Ron Howard 1995 Beyond Rangoon John Boorman The American President Rob Reiner 1996 The English Patient Anthony Minghella Ghosts of Mississippi Rob Reiner 1998 City of Angels Brad Silberling 1999 At First Sight Irwin Winkler The Talented Mr. Ripley Anthony Minghella 2000 The Perfect Storm Wolfgang Petersen 2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Chris Columbus 2003 Dreamcatcher Lawrence Kasdan Cold Mountain Anthony Minghella 2004 Spanglish James L. Brooks 2006 Poseidon Wolfgang Petersen 2010 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Mike Newell The Tourist Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck 2015 Mad Max: Fury RoadGeorge Miller 2022 Three Thousand Years of Longing

Television YearTitleDirectorNotes 1979 New South Wales Images Russell Boyd Documentary film 1985 Winners Carl Schultz Episode "Top Kid"

Awards and nominations

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Known for
Mad Max: Fury Road, Rain Man, The English Patient (film)
Awards
Academy Award for Best Cinematography; European Film Award for Best Cinematographer; Member of the Order of Australia; BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography; AACTA Awards; American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases; Felix Awards; Satellite Awards

People in John Seale's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Seale's

Frequently asked questions

Who is John Seale?

Australian cinematographer

When was John Seale born?

John Seale was born on 5 October 1942 in Warwick.

What is John Seale's occupation?

John Seale is a cinematographer and film director.

What is John Seale known for?

John Seale is known for Mad Max: Fury Road, Rain Man and The English Patient (film).

What nationality is John Seale?

John Seale is Australian.

Sources & further reading

Β· Wikipedia: John Seale

Β· Wikidata: Q918558

Β· DBpedia: John Seale

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Seale. https://biography.guide/john-seale/

MLA: "John Seale." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-seale/.

Chicago: "John Seale." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-seale/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.

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