Charlie Sarroff


Charles Arthur Sarroff is an Australian cinematographer and member of the Australian Cinematographers Society. He is known for his work on the Smile series of psychological horror films, including the 2022 film Smile and its 2024 sequel Smile 2, and for the 2025 neowestern film Broke.

Early life and education

Sarroff grew up in Albury–Wodonga and attended Albury High School. He attended university at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and later attended the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. He was inspired at an early age from skateboarding films and the work of Spike Jonze.

Career

Sarroff began his career in Australian film and television productions in the early 2000s. He has worked with directors including Parker Finn, Carlyle Eubank, Kelly Oxford, Bryce McGuire, and Larry Charles and is a frequent collaborator with director Natalie Erika James. During production of Night Swim, Sarroff utilized rehoused vintage Bausch & Lomb Super Baltar and Kowa Cine Prominar lenses. For his work on Smile 2, he drew inspiration from the photographs of Luc Kordas and Gregory Crewdson and the paintings of Edward Hopper.

Filmography

Film

Awards and nominations

Sarroff has been recognized for the following films:
  • ACS Vic + Tas Gold Award for Cinematography in a Short Film, 2016, win, Creswick
  • ACS Vic + Tas Gold Award for Cinematography in a Feature Film, 2023, win, Smile
  • ACS Vic + Tas Gold Award for Cinematography in a Feature Film, 2025, win, Broke
  • ACS Vic + Tas Gold Award for Cinematography in a Feature Film, 2025, win, ''Smile 2''