IDIDTHAT JUDGE
JONO HALL

Jono Hall started his professional career as a radio DJ, drummer for a quasi-famous rock band, magazine editor, pop-up restauranteur and taxidermist. Although these were not all widely-appreciated or even understood decisions at the time, this twisting life-path has given him a deep well of excellent dinner-party conversation.

He has subsequently made his name as a multi-award-winning commercials and film director. Known for a deep appetite and talent for nuanced performance, sensitive storytelling and a classy visual sensibility, his debut short film Awake has had a storming run on the global festival circuit, racking up a fistful of awards along the way. Marked, a scripted action drama and his first directorial work for Netflix, released in July 2025, and a brand new Netflix series is on the way in early 2026.

He still receives occasional enquiries as to whether he could taxidermy the odd beloved pet, but he prefers to leave past glories where they belong.

I DID THAT CRAFT AWARDS
Judge’s Pick – Jono Hall

JUDGES COMMENT ON DIRECTION 
“Film’s power has always been the ability to make you feel something. The best visual storytelling, used for whatever purpose, crawls inside your head and heart and (forgive me) rewires the way you see and experience the world – and every single frame of this project has that power. The thing that absolutely stands out is seeing all the tools at the contemporary film-maker’s disposal used to tell the kind of story we absolutely must be telling, in the way it absolutely must be told – with skill, flair and joy.”

AWARDED
05 February 2026

I DID THAT CRAFT AWARDS
Judge’s Pick – Jono Hall

JUDGES COMMENT ON ONLINE VFX CRAFT
“It’s an odd experience to go on a journey with the use of VFX in a project like this, but that’s what happened. At first I wasn’t really sold on why they were being used at all? But by the end of the story, not only did I absolutely get it, I was totally locked into what they were achieving for the story. It’s not a case of VFX for VFX’s sake, but a delightful way to bring to life the way the kids see these cars and for the audience to understand the scale and individual beats of the race itself.”

AWARDED
05 February 2026

I DID THAT CRAFT AWARDS
Judge’s Pick – Jono Hall

JUDGES COMMENT ON MUSIC SUPERVISION & ORIGINAL MUSIC CRAFT
“Like a good wirecar itself, the use of music in this film feels superbly balanced. It pushes where it needs to, sits back when it should, and punches out when the story needs it – never overwhelming the narrative or the characters. It’s a wonderfully skillful demonstration of how music elevates a story without dominating it.”

AWARDED
05 February 2026

I DID THAT CRAFT AWARDS
Judge’s Pick – Jono Hall

JUDGES COMMENT ON EDITING CRAFT
“Keeping the characters distinct from one another, keeping each thread alive and unique, building the anticipation of the race, and even the thrill of the race itself – all while never taking the audience’s eye away from the texture, character and sense of Philipstown itself? All a remarkable feat by the editing team. Bravo.”

AWARDED
05 February 2026