Physical Production
Director of Photography
Director, cinematographer, writer and producer Thomas Burstyn CSC, is a multi-award winning, Emmy nominated filmmaker with 40+ years’ experience as a cinematographer and director.
Tom directed and photographed the Berlinale award-winning, Oscar shortlisted feature documentary This Way of Life, about a renegade Māori family living on the edge of society.
Burstyn revels in the way his work in the dramatic and documentary mediums cross-pollinate each other.
Tom’s career as a cinematographer is best described as prolific. He has shot over 100 feature films, television dramas and documentaries. He is equally comfortable working on big budget sci-fi extravaganza to micro budget personal projects, finding value in everything he’s involved with.
Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, Thomas Burstyn has spent his career as an itinerant film worker. He has made documentaries in the Amazon, London and India, and shot dramatic movies across Canada and the USA, New Zealand, China, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Ireland, and Hungary.
Tom is writing a book about the Simple Cinema© production concept that allows filmmakers to create and manage stylish low budget productions.
