Photo: Jeff Vespa © WireImage.com

Born in Glasgow, Scotland; grandson of writer-producer-director Emeric Pressburger (1902-1988); brother of Andrew Macdonald (producer of TRAINSPOTTING, 1995). Documentary filmmaker who began in British television with "The Making of an Englishman" (1995, also writer). Other notable directing credits include CHAPLIN'S GOLIATH (1996, also writer), THE MOVING WORLD OF GEORGE RICKEY and "Howard Hanks: American Artist" (TV) (both 1997), DONALD CAMMELL: THE ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE (1998), ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER (1999), "Humphrey Jennings" (TV) and A BRIEF HISTORY OF ERROL MORRIS (both 2000) and "Being Mick" (TV, 2001). Macdonald also was executive producer of KINDERTRANSPORT (1998). Continuing his exploration of biographical subjects, Macdonald moved into feature films with TOUCHING THE VOID (2003), based on the true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985. He followed this with THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (2006), starring Forest Whitaker and based on the events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's regime as seen through the eyes of his personal physician during the 1970s. Returning to the documentary format, Macdonald wrote and directed MY ENEMY'S ENEMY (2007), a look at the post-WWII history of one-time Gestapo commander Klaus Barbie, infamously known as "The Butcher of Lyon". STATE OF PLAY (scheduled for release in 2009), based on the BBC mini-series of the same title, follows a team of investigative reporters as they work alongside a police detective to try to solve the murder of a congressman's mistress. Helen Mirren, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams and Roben Wright Penn are slated to star.  Best Achievement in Documentary Features 1999: ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER - Producer (w. Arthur Cohn) 1 nomination, 1 Award